panels, two on each
side of the room, forming backgrounds for gold-framed, coloured prints;
and between these were small, narrow panels, ornamented with
conventional flower designs. Beneath and above the latter were panels
still smaller, placed horizontally, and outlined with white curlicues
and flutings. They were about four inches in height by ten inches in
length; and on the left side of the wall there were two.

"Just the right size for nice big jewel boxes," Clo thought. "And the
lower one's just the right height to open without stretching up. If I
were putting a safe into a wall that's the place I'd choose!"

She passed her finger round the edge of one, the white-fluted edge,
rather like the decoration of a fancy cake. Nothing happened. No spring
clicked. She tried the other with the same result, then stood
disappointed, only to return to the attack with new inspiration.

"I bet it pulls out!" she told herself. And--oh, joy, oh triumph!--it
did pull out as she pressed her sharp little nails under the white
fluting. The whole thing came away from the wall like the loose side of
a box, having been kept in place by thin prongs of metal. Behind this
cover was a steel or iron door of practically the same dimensions as the
panel. It also was painted gray, and showed a tiny keyhole like a slit
made with a pair of sharp scissors.

Clo deposited the cover close by on the desk, where it would be within
reach if wanted in a hurry. Then she inserted the key attached to
O'Reilly's watch. It slipped into place. It turned. It opened the small
iron door, and Clo peered into the aperture. In the receptacle lay a
pile of greenbacks held together with a paper band. There was also an
envelope, but not the envelope the girl had pictured. It was larger,
longer, wider, and thicker. It seemed to be made of coarse linen, and
instead of the dainty gold seals with the monogram there were five
official-looking red ones. Clo's heart contracted. It seemed too bad to
be true. But there was plenty of space in this envelope to contain the
other, as well as its contents.

"I'll have to open the thing and look," Clo half decided. But if she
did, how could she make sure of what she wished to know? If the envelope
with the gold seals had been removed, she had no means of recognizing
the documents it had contained.

She took the linen envelope from the safe, and turned it over. Upon the
other side was an address, written in a strong, peculiar ha