elopement."

"Just a minute," said Whitaker suddenly--"by your leave--"

Ember bowed gravely. For a thought longer Whitaker's gaze bored into his
eyes in vain effort to fathom what was going on behind them, the animus
undiscovered by his words; then, remembering, he looked down at the
cable message in his hand.

"_Martin Ember_ (it ran) _private agency 1435 Broadway Grace Pettit_."

Whitaker folded the paper and put it away in a pocket.

"Go on, please," he said quietly.

"In those days," Mr. Ember resumed, "I did such things indifferently
well. I had little trouble in following the runaways from Southampton to
Greenport. There they parted. The girl crossed to the Connecticut shore,
while the man went back to New York with the automobile. He turned the
machine in at the Ladislas garage, by the way, and promptly fell into
the hands of the police. He was wanted for theft in a former position,
was arrested, convicted and sent to Sing Sing; where he presently died,
I'm glad to say.... I thought this information might interest you."

Whitaker nodded grimly.

"Can I order you something to drink?"

"No, thank you--and I'm already smoking." Mr. Ember dropped the ash from
a cigar. "On the Connecticut side (because it was my business to find
out things) I discovered that Miss Ladislas had registered at the
Commercial House as Mrs. Morton. She was there, alone, under that name,
for nearly a week before you registered as Hugh Morten, and in the space
of a few hours married her, under your true name, and shipped her off to
New York."

"Right," Whitaker agreed steadily. "And then--?"

"I traced her to the Hotel Belmont, where she stopped overnight, then
lost her completely; and so reported to Mrs. Pettit. I must mention
here, in confidence, in order that you may understand my subsequent
action, that my bill for the investigation was never paid. Mr. Pettit
was not in very comfortable circumstances at the time.... No matter. I
didn't press him, and later was glad of it, for it left me a free
agent--under no obligation to make further report."

"I don't understand you."

"In a moment.... I came into a little money about that time, and gave up
my business: gave it up, that is, as far as placing myself at the
service of the public was concerned. I retained my devouring curiosity
about things that didn't concern me personally, although they were often
matters of extreme interest to the general public. In other words, I
con