trued into a reason for the
disappearance.

"The letters Monsieur Boissegur had dictated were laid on his desk by
the stenographer," Monsieur Rigolot rushed on volubly, excitedly. "In
the anxiety and uneasiness following the disappearance they were allowed
to remain there overnight. On Wednesday morning, Monsieur"--and he
hesitated impressively--"_those letters bore his signature in his own
handwriting_!"

Mr. Grimm turned his listless eyes full upon Monsieur Rigolot's
perturbed face for one scant instant.

"No doubt of it being his signature?" he queried.

"_Non, Monsieur, non!_" the secretary exclaimed emphatically. "_Vous
avez_--that is, I have known his signature for years. There is no doubt.
The letters were not of a private nature. If you would care to look at
copies of them?"

He offered the duplicates tentatively. Mr. Grimm read them over slowly,
the while Monsieur Rigolot sat nervously staring at him. They, too,
seemed meaningless as bearing on the matter in hand. Finally, Mr. Grimm
nodded, and Monsieur Rigolot resumed:

"And Wednesday night, Monsieur, another strange thing happened. Monsieur
Boissegur smokes many cigarettes, of a kind made especially for him in
France, and shipped to him here. He keeps them in a case on his
dressing-table. On Thursday morning his valet reported to me that _this
case of cigarettes had disappeared_!"

"Of course," observed Mr. Grimm, "Monsieur Boissegur has a latch-key to
the embassy?"

"Of course."

"Anything unusual happen last night--that is, Thursday night?"

"Nothing, Monsieur--that is, nothing we can find."

Mr. Grimm was silent for a time and fell to twisting the seal ring on
his finger. Mr. Campbell turned around and moved a paper weight one inch
to the left, where it belonged, while Monsieur Rigolot, disappointed at
their amazing apathy, squirmed uneasily in his chair.

"It would appear, then," Mr. Grimm remarked musingly, "that after his
mysterious disappearance the ambassador has either twice returned to his
house at night, or else sent some one there, first to bring the letters
to him for signature, and later to get his cigarettes?"

"_Certainement, Monsieur_--I mean, that seems to be true. But where is
he? Why should he not come back? What does it mean? Madame Boissegur is
frantic, prostrated! She wanted me to go to the police, but I did not
think it wise that it should become public, so I came here."

"Very well," commented Mr. Grimm. "Let it rest