a soul
stirring. He sped lightly up the stoop and let himself in. He was
surprised to find the lights burning brilliantly in the drawing-room
and no sign of Barnes. The heavy curtains, he saw, were carefully
arranged to prevent the merest ray of light from showing outside. He
took the further precaution, however, of turning off all but the
single globe in one lamp.

He speculated on the disappearance of Barnes until he heard a stealthy
step approaching through the corridor that led to the kitchen. Without
noise he glided to the window and concealed himself behind the
curtains.

He had scarcely hidden himself when the hinged panel that answered for
a door opened slowly and the countenance of Michael Phelan protruded
itself into the room. The Phelan shoulders and embonpoint, still in
negligee, followed. Taking a cautious step forward he uttered behind
his hand:

"Pst! Pst! Hey, youse there!"

There was no answer, and Phelan worked his head round like a wary
weazel, muttering:

"Who was that woman, I wonder? She must have took that Slim Jim away
with her. Musha! Musha! If they should call the police. Bad cess to
that feller an' his five hundred dollar bill. Murther! Murther! I'm
done fer!"

Travers Gladwin had stepped out of the folds of the curtain.

"Hey, there!" he blurted. "What are youse up to?"

"Howly Saint Pathrick! I'm gone now, sure!" groaned Phelan, and
trembled where he stood.

"Come, come, Officer 666," laughed Gladwin, "I'm only your ghost."

Phelan exhaled a tremendous sigh of relief.

"The Lord be praised if it ain't yez!" he exclaimed, delightedly. "But
where did ye get that disguise?"

"At a hair store--Madam Flynn's on Avenue A--do you like it?" laughed
the young man. "I didn't want any of my friends or neighbors to
recognize me, you know."

"But fer the love o' heaven where have yez been all the time?" asked
Phelan, sinking into a chair and breathing hard.

"Patrolling my beat--I mean your beat," returned the young man, "and
keeping my eye out for my friend the burglar. Oh, I've had quite a
party. When I got hungry I sent to the Plaza for lunch and sat on the
park wall and ate it. And, by the way, I saw a friend of mine coming
along in an automobile and I arrested him for speeding."

"What!" Phelan exploded, jumping to his feet and turning white as his
boiled shirt.

"Yes, nabbed him for breaking the speed limit," Gladwin nodded,
leaning back against a table and lighting a cigaret