hnson Boller said faintly.

"What is it?"

"You wouldn't pull a thing like that on me?"

"I certainly shall, if you ever try to tell the truth about Miss
Dalton."

"But what did she ever do for me, to let her confounded reputation wreck
my life? All she ever did was to make a female ass of herself by wearing
pants and going to a prize fight and then listening to you. Why should a
thing like that bust up my home?"

Anthony shrugged his shoulders.

"It may not," said he.

"It has!" Johnson Boller said feverishly. "And listen, Anthony! You and
I have to stand together, old man. The girl's out of the way, so that
clears your skirts for a while, but what about Hitchin? What if he calls
in the police this afternoon?"

Anthony laughed; with Mary out of the way he was another man.

"We'll let that take care of itself. For that matter, why not go down
and tell Hitchin the truth and show him what a fool he's making of
himself? He's a gentleman, I suppose; if we swear him to secrecy he's
not likely to talk."

"And if we call him off, then we'll find Bee and tell her the truth,
too?" Johnson Boller asked eagerly. "She's a lady, Anthony. If we swear
her to secrecy, she'll never talk--and maybe we could explain it to the
girl and have her verify what we say, hey?"

Anthony actually yawned and stretched as he arose.

"We'll settle Hitchin first," he smiled. "Come along!"

He lounged out of the flat and to the stairs, Boller hugging close to
his side. He yawned again as he pressed the buzzer of the Hitchin
apartment, and he even smiled condescendingly at the inscrutable
Japanese who answered.

"Mr. Hitchin," said Anthony. "Say that Mr. Fry and Mr. Boller wish to
see him, if you please."

The Japanese shook his head.

"He no home!"

"Out?" said Anthony in some astonishment.

"Yes, sir, li'l while ago," the Oriental said. "He go very quick."

"And he will be back--when?"

"Mr. Hitchin no say, sir!" the Japanese sighed.

Therefore they turned back to the stairs; and as they came to the foot
of the flight Johnson Boller gripped his friend's arm suddenly and
looked whitely at him.

"It's all over!" he said.

"What?"

"The trunk! The trunk she went out in! Didn't he say something about not
sending out anything?"

"That has no connection with his going out!" Anthony snapped, although
some of his insouciance fled.

"Hasn't it, though? Well, it has every connection! He's chased Wilkins
and, long before this,