"No. Why?" Garton, sensing from the other's tones that something was
wrong, swept up his crutches and hurried forward.

"She left yesterday morning," Conniston told him, as he went to the
desk and picked up the telephone. "She hasn't come back yet. Mrs.
Ridley doesn't know anything about her." And to the operator:

"Give me the Crawford house. Quick, please! Yes, in Crawfordsville."

Upon the face of each man there were lines of uneasiness. Garton
propped himself up against the desk and lighted a cigarette, his eyes
never leaving Conniston's face.

"Can't you get anybody?" he asked, after a moment.

"No. What's that, Central? They don't answer? Then get me the
bunk-house at the Half Moon. Yes, please! I'm in a hurry."

It was Lonesome Pete who answered.

"No, Con," he answered. "Miss Argyl ain't here. Anything the matter?"

Conniston clicked up the receiver and swung upon Garton.

"It is just possible," he said, slowly, "that she is in
Crawfordsville, after all. May have left the house already. I can call
up the store as soon as it opens up and ask if she has been there."

Billy Jordan had entered at the last words.

"Who are you talking about?" he asked, quickly. "Not Miss Crawford?"

"Yes." Conniston whirled upon him abruptly. "Do you know where she
went yesterday?"

"No, I don't know where she went. But as I was coming to the office I
met her, just getting on her horse in front of her house, and she gave
me a message for you."

"Well, what was it?"

"'If you see Mr. Conniston,' she said, 'tell him that I have gone to
investigate the value of the Secret.' I don't know what she meant--"

"She said that!" cried Conniston, his face going white.

"But she's all right," Billy Jordan hastened to add. "She's back now."

"You saw her?"

"No." He shook his head. "But I saw the horse she was riding. Just
noticed him tied to the back fence as I came in."

Again Conniston hurried to the cottage. Mrs. Ridley was upon the
porch.

"Miss Crawford is back?" he called to her from the street.

She shook her head.

"Not yet. Ain't you--"

He did not wait to listen. Running now, he came to the little back
yard, and to a tall bay horse, saddled and bridled, standing quietly
at the fence. At first glance he thought, as Billy Jordan had thought,
that the animal was tied there. And then he saw that the bridle-reins
were upon the ground, that they had been trampled upon and broken,
that the two stirrups were hang