er turned and regarded him steadfastly. She was deadly
white under her rouge. "Mr. Kent, are you crazy?"

"Yes, crazy to know why you kept your presence in the police court on
Tuesday morning a secret," replied Kent. In their earnestness neither
noticed Kent's absent-minded clutch on a small folded paper which he had
picked up from the floor of the limousine. "Mrs. Brewster, why did you
laugh when Dr. Stone carried Jimmie Turnbull out of the court room?"

Mrs. Brewster sat still in her corner of the car; so still that Kent,
observing her closely, feared that she had fainted. She had dropped her
eyes, and her face, set like marble, gave him no key to her thoughts.

The door of the limousine was jerked open almost before the car came
to a full stop in front of the McIntyre residence, and Colonel McIntyre
offered his hand to help Mrs. Brewster out. On the step she turned to
Kent, who had lifted his hat to McIntyre in silent greeting.

"Your forte lies as a romancer rather than a lawyer, Mr. Kent," she
said, and not giving him time for a reply, almost ran inside the house.

"Glad you could get here so soon, Kent," remarked McIntyre, signing to
his chauffeur to drive on before he led the way into the house. "Grimes
has worked himself almost into a fever asking for you."

"Grimes?"

"Yes. Grimes was attacked in our library early this morning by some
unknown person, and is in bed with a bad wound on his temple and a
tendency to hysteria," McIntyre explained.

"Come upstairs."

Kent handed his cane and hat to the footman and followed Colonel
McIntyre, who stalked ahead without another word. As they mounted the
stairs Kent glanced at the folded paper which he still held, and was
surprised to see that it was a check. The signature showed him that
he had unintentionally walked off with Mrs. Brewster's property. His
decision to hand it to Colonel McIntyre was checked by the Colonel
disappearing inside a bedroom, with a muttered injunction to "wait
there," and Kent stuffed the check inside his vest pocket. It would
serve as an excuse to interview Mrs. Brewster again before leaving the
house. He was determined to have an answer to the question he had put to
her in the limousine. Why had she gone to the police court, and why kept
her presence there a secret?

When Colonel McIntyre reappeared in the hall he was accompanied by
Detective Ferguson. "Sorry to keep you standing, Kent," he said. "I have
sent for you and Ferguson,