lk things over with her and will
expect her between four and five o'clock."

"Very good, Sir."

Dan departed, colliding violently as he did so with an elderly gentleman
who entered the inner office and banged the door behind him.

"Mason, have you heard from her? Do you know where she has gone?"

"Who?" North rose hurriedly. "What is it, Ripley? What has happened?"

"Willa. She's gone!" Ripley Halstead dropped despondently into a chair
beside the desk. "Here's the note the poor, proud little thing left
behind her. Mason, I feel as if, between us, we've given her a beastly,
rotten deal."

But the attorney did not heed the final observation. He pressed the
button in his desk excitedly and when a wondering clerk appeared he
barked:

"That young man who just went out of here! Follow him, stop him!"

"Too late, Sir. He went down in the express elevator as I stepped out of
the local."

North seated himself again with a gesture of hopelessness.

"All right; never mind, then. Ripley----" as the door closed once
more--"if you'd been five minutes sooner I could have located her. Why
under the sun didn't you telephone me?"

"Her absence was only discovered as I was leaving the house and I came
straight to you." Halstead stared. "What young man were you speaking
of?"

"Her messenger. He came with a note from Willa authorizing him to bring
her the photographic copies of those documents, and like a fool I gave
them to him! We've lost our chance of tracing her, and heaven only knows
what difficulties that headstrong wilful child will get into by herself,"
groaned North. "I took her away from her home and friends in Mexico on
this mistaken matter of her inheritance and I feel responsible for her.
I'm fond of the child, too; I like her independent spirit even if it did
raise the deuce with us, and if any harm comes to her----"

"I won't let myself think of that!" Ripley Halstead's kind face had
grown suddenly haggard. "I have a good deal of respect for her
clear-headed ability to take care of herself; nevertheless, I sha'n't
feel easy until she is found. I've taken more comfort in her than in my
own daughter, Mason. My wife doesn't need Willa's share of the Murdaugh
money and I wish young Wiley had never unearthed the truth!"

The attorney had picked up the little note.

"'My dear Mrs. Halstead,' he read.

"'I hope you will forgive me for leaving you so unceremoniously. I do
not mean to be ru