onk!"

The signal! At last! The automobile went rushing on, full tilt, while
Mr. Grimm removed his feet from the seat and dropped them noiselessly to
the floor. Thus, with his hands on his knees, and listening, listening
with every faculty strained, he sat motionless, peering toward the open
door that led into the hall. The car was gone now, the sound of it was
swallowed up in the distance, still he sat there. It was obviously some
noise in the house for which he was waiting.

Minute after minute passed, and still nothing. There was not even the
whisper of a wind-stirred drapery. He was about to rise when, suddenly,
with no other noise than that of the sharp click of the switch, the
electric lights in the room blazed up brilliantly. The glare dazzled Mr.
Grimm with its blinding flood, but he didn't move. Then softly, almost
in a whisper:

"Good evening, Mr. Grimm."

It was a woman's voice, pleasant, unsurprised, perfectly modulated. Mr.
Grimm certainly did not expect it now, but he knew it instantly--there
was not another quite like it in the wide, wide world--and though he was
still blinking a little, he came to his feet courteously.

"Good morning, Miss Thorne," he corrected gravely.

Now his vision was clearing, and he saw her, a graceful figure,
silhouetted against the rich green of the wall draperies. Her lips were
curled the least bit, as if she might have been smiling, and her
wonderful eyes reflected a glint of--of--was it amusement? The folds of
her evening dress fell away from her, and one bare, white arm was
extended, as her hand still rested on the switch.

"And you didn't hear me?" still in the half whisper. "I didn't think you
would. Now I'm going to put out the lights for an instant, while you
pull the shades down, and then--then we must have a--a conference."

The switch snapped. The lights died as suddenly as they had been born,
and Mr. Grimm, moving noiselessly, visited each of the four windows in
turn. Then the lights blazed brilliantly again.

"Just for a moment," Miss Thorne explained to him quietly, and she
handed him a sheet of paper. "I want you to read this--read it
carefully--then I shall turn out the lights again. They are dangerous.
After that we may discuss the matter at our leisure."

Mr. Grimm read the paper while Miss Thorne's eyes questioned his
impassive face. At length he looked up indolently, listlessly, and the
switch snapped. She crossed the room and sat down; Mr. Grimm s