laimed Norah. "How you talk! I've heard you say
a dozen times you'd like to go abroad some winter. Now when the chance
comes--besides you can get your clothes made over there."

"Couldn't you get somethin' over there?" inquired Mrs. Butler. "Besides,
you've got two or three weeks here yet."

"They wouldn't want a man around as a sort of guide and adviser, would
they, mother?" put in Callum.

"I might offer my services in that capacity myself," observed Owen,
reservedly.

"I'm sure I don't know," returned Mrs. Butler, smiling, and at the same
time chewing a lusty mouthful. "You'll have to ast 'em, my sons."

Aileen still persisted. She did not want to go. It was too sudden. It
was this. It was that. Just then old Butler came in and took his seat
at the head of the table. Knowing all about it, he was most anxious to
appear not to.

"You wouldn't object, Edward, would you?" queried his wife, explaining
the proposition in general.

"Object!" he echoed, with a well simulated but rough attempt at gayety.
"A fine thing I'd be doing for meself--objectin'. I'd be glad if I could
get shut of the whole pack of ye for a time."

"What talk ye have!" said his wife. "A fine mess you'd make of it livin'
alone."

"I'd not be alone, belave me," replied Butler. "There's many a place I'd
be welcome in this town--no thanks to ye."

"And there's many a place ye wouldn't have been if it hadn't been for
me. I'm tellin' ye that," retorted Mrs. Butler, genially.

"And that's not stretchin' the troot much, aither," he answered, fondly.

Aileen was adamant. No amount of argument both on the part of Norah and
her mother had any effect whatever. Butler witnessed the failure of his
plan with considerable dissatisfaction, but he was not through. When he
was finally convinced that there was no hope of persuading her to accept
the Mollenhauer proposition, he decided, after a while, to employ a
detective.

At that time, the reputation of William A. Pinkerton, of detective fame,
and of his agency was great. The man had come up from poverty through a
series of vicissitudes to a high standing in his peculiar and, to many,
distasteful profession; but to any one in need of such in themselves
calamitous services, his very famous and decidedly patriotic connection
with the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln was a recommendation. He, or
rather his service, had guarded the latter all his stormy incumbency
at the executive mansion. There were offices fo