th the enormous profit made on selling a common
edition of books, falsely dressed in a garish binding, but they endeavor
to compromise the man in some business or social way, and then threaten
to expose him unless he pays a large sum,--ostensibly, of course, for
the books.

"Morocco Kate, who called on you, has more than one killing to her
credit in this game, and she has managed to keep out of jail because
her victims were afraid of the publicity of prosecuting. And it was
so foolish of them for, in most cases, it was just mere foolishness on
their part, and nothing criminally, or even morally, wrong, though they
may have been indiscreet."

"And you think my father--"

"I don't know anything about it, Viola, my dear!" was the prompt answer.
"Your father may have dealt in a legitimate way with this woman, buying
books from her because she cajoled him into it, though he could have
done much better with any reputable house. As I say, he may have simply
bought some books from her, and not have made the final payments on
account of his death. Whether the contract he entered into is binding or
not I can't say until I have seen it."

"But I found nothing about books among his papers!"

"No? Then perhaps it was a verbal contract. Or he may have been--" The
colonel stopped. Viola guessed what he intended to say.

"Do you think he was--Do you think this woman may make trouble?" she
asked bravely.

"I don't know. We must find out more about her. If she comes again, hold
her and send for me. I didn't want her to see me to-day to know that I
was on this case. But I don't mind now."

"Oh, suppose there should be some--some disgrace?"

"Don't worry about that, Viola. But now, I have some rather startling
news for you."

"Oh, more--"

"Not exactly trouble. But Captain Poland has gone away--his place is
closed."

"The captain gone away!" faltered the girl.

"Yes. I wondered if you knew he was going. Did he intimate to you
anything of the kind?"

The colonel watched Viola narrowly as he asked this question.

"No, I never knew he contemplated ending the season here so early,"
Viola said. "Usually he is the last to go, staying until late in
October. Is there anything--"

"That is all I know--he is gone," said the detective. "I wanted to
ask him about that fifteen-thousand-dollar matter, but I shall have to
write, I suppose. And the sooner I get the letter off the better."

"Please write it here," suggested Viola, in