ate.

"Give me this special signal and I will be ready: At ten-thirty any
morning flash the light and keep it still on the top of the gate
pillar. Leave it there a moment; then flash it once across the top if
you are coming that day, or twice for night. If you receive this
letter, answer it by flashing the light into my room to-morrow morning.
I shall pray for friendly sunlight.

"Thank you for coming. I don't know how you found out, but somehow I
felt that you would. Love to the dear Father, if he is with you. I
feel pretty sure he is.

"Ruth."

Saunders was the first to speak.

"I think, Father," he said, "that you have a clever niece. This makes
things easy."

The Padre smiled. But Mark was not smiling--one can't do so little a
thing to show unbounded joy.

CHAPTER XIX

CAPITULATION

It was early next morning when Saunders knocked at Mark Griffin's door.
His knock was soft, for Mark's room adjoined Father Murray's. When
Mark rose to let him in, the detective entered on tiptoe.

"I came down to see you early," he said, "because I wanted to dodge the
Padre, and I thought perhaps he'd be over in the church for his Mass."

"A good Yankee guess," said Mark. "I heard him leave a few minutes
ago, so you can talk as loud as you like. What is the matter?
Anything gone wrong?"

"It's just this," said the detective. "We must make our attempt to get
Miss Atheson without the Padre's knowing anything about it. I have
been thinking about the thing, and I have a plan I believe will work.
It's out of the question to get that guard off the watch in any
ordinary way. If we attempt it, the house will be alarmed and we shall
be taken for burglars."

"What difference if we are?" said Mark, very warmly. "If the Ministry
can stand publicity, we can. I am in favor of taking strong measures
right now."

"Not on your life, Griffin. Not on your life," said Saunders. "You
don't seem to realize that the Padre cannot stand strong measures.
Arrest as burglars would mean publicity, and there would be all sorts
of fierce stories in the press. He is a priest--and then some."

"Well, what of it?"

"Sure, I know," soothed Saunders. "But the papers aren't in the
journalistic game for dignity, and they'd play the Padre up for all he
was worth; the more yellow the story, the better. The lady must be
gotten out of the Ministry quietly. Once we have her, it will be up to
the Ministry to make the next move.