o the district attorney, and while he read it she
seated herself and conferred with Frank. "Where in the world did you get
it?" she asked.

"Carroll and spooks," he began, and then went on more seriously, "but
where on earth did you hide yourself? We have been madly tearing around
New York, and telephoning all over the adjacent territory in a wild
endeavor to find you and get this into your hands. I'm not going to tell
you about the letter itself; that's Carroll's story. We've been to the
Studios, and everywhere else we thought there was a possibility of
finding you, and waited at your office until the last minute in the hope
that you'd come there."

"I spent the night at Nutwood, making a last search for the letter," she
said. "It was only a chance, but I felt that I couldn't give it up.
This morning I motored down, and we had some delay, so that I had to
come directly here. But it's all right."

The Judge finished reading the letter, and called Silvia to the bench,
where they held a whispered conversation with the district attorney,
glancing once or twice toward the little group of witnesses where the
large man sat. Then Silvia returned to her seat, and the district
attorney gave some hurried directions to a deputy, who immediately left
the room, while the Judge gave whispered instructions to a bailiff, who
stationed himself at the general entrance.

"You may read the letter, Miss Holland," said the Judge, and the tension
in the courtroom grew almost intolerable as she rose, holding the letter
in shaking hands, and began reading:

"'NEW YORK, August 9.

"'MY DEAR MISS HOLLAND:

"'The secret I have longed and yet hesitated to tell you must now be
disclosed. Of course my trouble has been caused by a man, a man whom I
have known a long time and loved too well. He was here day before
yesterday and we had a stormy interview--which he says shall be the
last. For a long time his manner has been changed toward me, and for the
last few months he has neglected me. He didn't seem to like it when I
got acquainted with you, or when you paid so much attention to Allie; he
said he didn't see what you wanted of her, and asked me how you came to
take her to the country and when she would be back, and wanted to know
if I had told you or Dr. Earl of my relations with him. I said certainly
not, and when I reproached him for not coming to see me he said he
couldn't come here. Since Allie was hurt, I have only met him a few
times.