ions into Jersey!"

"But you must go in search of him! I cannot let the night pass and do
nothing!"

"My dear sir, I wouldn't have the faintest notion where to begin. The
only thing to do is to send out a general alarm through the police."

Deaves wrung his hands. "I can't do that! I can't risk another
horrible newspaper sensation on top of everything else!"

"Then there's nothing to do but wait to see what happens," said Evan
patiently. "If he's had an accident in the street, you will be
notified."

"You think I'd be glad if something happened to him," said Deaves.
"Everybody thinks so. But after all he's my father. It's the suspense
that drives me out of my mind!"

"It cannot be for long. If the blackmailers have kidnapped him----"

"That is what I fear!"

"They will open negotiations in the morning. And you need not fear
that anything will happen to him during the course of negotiations."

"But what good will it do to negotiate?" cried poor Deaves. "I cannot
possibly meet their demands."

"Tell them so," said Evan. "Put it up to them."

"Then they'll make him suffer."

"In that case he can pay them."

"Ah, you don't know my father! Four hundred thousand dollars! He'd
die rather!"

"Well, that's up to him, isn't it?" said Evan coolly.

"Ah, you have no heart!" cried George Deaves.

"My dear sir," said Evan patiently, "it is your 'heart' as you call it
that these fellows are working on. They would not dare to harm Mr.
Deaves, really. If they did, it would arouse public opinion to that
extent we could catch and hang every man jack of them!"

"Your cold words cannot ease the heart of a son!" cried Deaves.

Evan ushered him gently towards the staircase. "Take it easy!" he said
soothingly. "Wait until to-morrow. Perhaps in opening negotiations
they will give us a good chance to trip them up."

Deaves returned next morning before Evan had finished his breakfast.
He extended a letter in a trembling hand.

"In the first mail," he said.

Evan read:

"One of our members happened to meet Mr. Simeon Deaves on the street
yesterday, and invited him to spend a few days as our guest at the
clubhouse. He is with us now, and appears to be enjoying himself
pretty well, but unfortunately the climate of the vicinity is very bad
for him. At his age one cannot be too careful. We think he should be
returned home at once. A single day's delay might be fatal. If you
agree, hang out the fl