and I am back in town, there is going to be some
action--that's all."

"It can't come too swiftly for me," encouraged Craig.

"I'm going to jump right into this beastly row," pursued Ames
aggressively. "This morning I'm going to look these people up. They tell
me that Baroness has been spending a good deal of time at my place. Pine
business--eh? She's disappeared. But I'll get after that Haynes and the
Madame Dupres they tell me about--and I'll let you know if I find out
anything."

He had not given Kennedy a chance to say anything, and in fact Kennedy
did not seem to want to say anything yet.

"Just thought I'd drop in," concluded Ames, who hadn't taken a chair,
but now extended his hand to us; "I think I'll drop into a Turkish bath
and freshen up a bit. Keep in touch with me."

We shook hands and Ames departed, bustling out as he had bustled in.

Kennedy looked at me and laughed as the door closed. "If we have many
more people co-operating with us," he exclaimed, "we may resign and let
this case solve itself."

"I don't think that is likely," I replied.

"Not unless we hear from Burke," he agreed. "There is plenty for me to
do in the laboratory--but I do wish Burke would wire."

The morning passed, and still there was no word from Burke.

"I think we might drop around to the St. Quentin for lunch," suggested
Kennedy in the forenoon. "We might pick up some news there."

We had scarcely entered when we met Haynes pacing up and down the lobby
furiously.

"What's the matter?" inquired Craig, eyeing him searchingly.

"Why," he replied nervously, sticking his thumbs into his waistcoat
pockets and then plunging them into his trousers pockets as if it was
with the utmost difficulty he controlled those unruly members from doing
violence to somebody, "that fellow Ames from whom Delaney hired the
apartment had just returned suddenly to town. I saw him talking to
Madame Dupres in the hotel parlor. She seemed a bit nervous, so I went
in to speak to her. But she said everything was all right and that she'd
meet me out here in a few minutes. It's quarter of an hour now. I think
he's threatening her with something."

Haynes was evidently worried. I wondered whether he was afraid that Ames
might worm from her some secret common to the two, for I did not doubt
that Ames was a clever and subtle attorney and capable of obtaining a
great deal of information by his kind of kid-glove third degree.

"I should like to see bo