tainly must be interested in her husband's crooked work or she
would not see her daughter off to Europe in this manner. In fact, if she
were not so greatly interested, I doubt if she would allow her child to
make such a long, dangerous trip alone."

"Your reasoning is very sensible," commented Old King Brady, "but you must
recollect that the girl smuggler is very smart. She is used to danger. This
may not be her first voyage abroad alone. In fact, she has probably been
making many trips to the other side, bringing back jewels to be smuggled
ashore."

"Judging by what that letter said," remarked Harry, "the man and his wife
are likely to go to Canada now and wait there for the girl's return with
that large consignment of precious stones. We shall be obliged to follow
them there. We can't arrest them now on suspicion, nor can we pull La Croix
in for trying to murder us in the Fifth Avenue Hotel elevator. If we do, it
will interfere with our capturing the girl when she returns with those
jewels."

"I'm sorry to say your view of the matter is correct, Harry."

"There goes the woman up Sixth avenue. She's a good walker. It looks to me
as if she were heading for the French district in the neighborhood of Third
street. Queer she didn't ride."

They tracked her to West Broadway.

Here she suddenly turned into the hall of a very old house across the front
of which hung the sign of an artificial flower maker.

Old King Brady passed into the hall after her and Harry remained on guard
at the door.

Going up a flight of stairs, the woman knocked at a door and when it was
opened, she passed into a room, closing the door after her.

The detective glided over to the door and listened.

Voices were heard inside, a man crying out eagerly:

"Well, Lena, ees ze child gone?"

"Yes, Paul," Mrs. La Croix replied, in sad tones. "The Champagne just
departed with our daughter. We shall not see her for a month."

"Ah, but when she return we make ze largest stake of our lives."

"I wish this risky business was ended, Paul. I'm getting sick of it. We do
not lead the peaceful lives of other people. It is a constant excitement
and fear of police interference."

"Do not complain, Lena. Zees ees ze last treep ze child make. Eef eet ees
wong success, we make so much dollaires zat we can retiaire an' leeve ze
life of ease for ze rest of our days, by gar!"

He laughed and the woman replied, resignedly:

"Well, I hope your dream will co