otect her;
and coming out of the nowhere at the very last second, merciful
inspiration reached his brain and he stared so fixedly, so warningly at
Johnson Boller that that gentleman's chronic quiver ceased.

"Only--ah--Mrs. Boller!" Anthony said quietly. "My dear Mrs. Boller--Mr.
Hitchin, one of our neighbors here."

Johnson Boller himself started out of his chair, gripping its arms; and
then, the general sense penetrating his cranium, dropped back with a
puff. His mouth opened, as if to protest; his eye caught the eye of
Anthony Fry. With a gasp and a flush, Mr. Johnson Boller subsided for
the time, and Anthony was saying suavely:

"Mr. and Mrs. Boller were with me overnight, you know--decorators have
captured their place and they were good enough to take the edge off my
loneliness for a little."

"I never knew you minded it; I've heard you say you liked it," Hobart
Hitchin smiled as he took Mary's hand and favored her with his
drill-point stare. "But when you are alone again I'm quite sure that
you'll know how lonely you are! My dear Mrs. Boller, I am honored!"

Mary, after one startled and one thankful glance at Anthony, dimpled
charmingly. Mr. Hitchin dropped her hand and ceased his inspection, and
immediately he turned more tensely solemn than upon his entrance.

"Ah--Fry," said he. "I suppose we can have a few minutes' chat?"

"An hour if you like," Anthony smiled, quite happily, too, because he
was rather proud of his quick-wittedness.

Hobart Hitchin gazed straight at Mary.

"And Mr. Boller will remain with us?"

"What's the mystery?" Johnson Boller asked.

"There is not, I fear, much mystery," Hitchin said, looking straight at
Anthony. "But there is a little matter I'd like to discuss with--er--you
two gentlemen."

Mary rose hastily.

"I'd better go?" she smiled.

"If it would not inconvenience you, dear lady," Hitchin said unsmilingly
and with a stiff bow.

Chin squared, he stood in silence until she had vanished down the
corridor. He crossed the room and listened intently, dramatically; he
held up the curtains and looked for the sliding doors which had been
taken out five years before.

"No way of shutting up this room, Fry?" he asked crisply.

"No need of shutting it up, either," said Anthony. "There is no one to
listen. What seems to be the trouble, Hitchin?"

Hitchin wheeled suddenly and turned his remarkable eyes upon Anthony.

"_You_ don't know, eh?" he shot at him.

"I'm sure I