and the trap was laid here, and he slipped through it. Got
away through a certain room which Fernand would give a million to keep
secret. At any rate the fellow has shown that he is slippery and has a
sting, too. He sent a bullet a fraction of an inch past Fernand's head,
at one point in the little story.

"In short, the price is too high. What I want is to secure Caroline
Smith from the inside. I want you to go to her, to persuade her to go
away with you on a trip. Take her to the Bermudas, or to Havana--any
place you please. The moment the Westerner thinks his lady is running
away from him of her own volition he'll throw up his hands and curse his
luck and go home. They have that sort of pride on the other side of the
Rockies. Will you go back tonight, right now, and persuade Caroline to
go with you?"

She bowed her head under the shock of it. Ronicky Doone had begged her
to send Caroline Smith to meet her lover. Now the counterattack
followed.

"Do you think she'd listen?"

"Yes, tell her that the one thing that will save the head of Bill Gregg
is for her to go away, otherwise I'll wipe the fool off the map. Better
still, tell her that Gregg of his own free will has left New York and
given up the chase. Tell her you want to console her with a trip. She'll
be sad and glad and flattered, all in the same moment, and go along with
you without a word. Will you try, Ruth?"

"I suppose you would have Bill Gregg removed--if he continued a
nuisance?"

"Not a shadow of a doubt. Will you do your best?"

She rose. "Yes," said the girl. Then she managed to smile at him. "Of
course I'll do my best. I'll go back right now."

He took her arm to the door of the room. "Thank Heaven," he said, "that
I have one person in whom I can trust without question--one who needs no
bribing or rewards, but works to please me. Good-by, my dear."

He watched her down the hall and then turned and went through room after
room to the rear of the house. There he rapped on a door in a peculiar
manner. It was opened at once, and Harry Morgan appeared before him.

"A rush job, Harry," he said. "A little shadowing."

Harry jerked his cap lower over his eyes. "Gimme the smell of the trail,
I'm ready," he said.

"Ruth Tolliver has just left the house. Follow her. She'll probably go
home. She'll probably talk with Caroline Smith. Find a way of listening.
If you hear anything that seems wrong to you--anything about Caroline
leaving the house alo