said, with a choke in the throat.
"She's--she's the girl."

Christie stared at him, her lips parted, unable to grasp what it all
meant.

"You mean I--I am actually Phyllis Gale? That--that there is no
mistake?"

He nodded, not yet able to put It more clearly into words. She swayed as
though about to faint, and Fairbain caught her, but she slipped through
his arms, and fell upon her knees, her face buried in her hands upon the
chair.

"Oh, thank God," she sobbed, "thank God! I know who I am! I know who I
am!"

Chapter XXXI. The Search for the Missing

The note of unrestrained joy of relief in the woman's voice rang through
the room, stilling all else, and causing those who heard to forget for
an instant the sterner purpose of their gathering. Fairbain bent over
her, like a fat guardian angel, patting her shoulder, her eyes so
blurred with tears as to be practically sightless, yet still turned
questioningly upon Waite. The sheriff was first to recover speech, and a
sense of duty.

"Then this lets Miss Maclaire out of the conspiracy charge," he said,
gravely, "but it doesn't make it any brighter for Hawley so far as I can
see--there's a robbery charge against him if nothing else. Any one here
know where the fellow is?"

For a moment no one answered, although Keith took a step forward,
reminded instantly of Hope's predicament. Before he could speak,
however, Christie looked up, with swift gesture pushing back her
loosened hair.

"He was to have met me at the theatre to-night," she said, her voice
trembling, "but was not there when I came out; he--he said he had
important news for me."

"And failed to show up--did he send no message?"

"Doctor Fairbain was waiting for me instead. He said that Mr. Hawley was
called suddenly out of town."

The eyes of the sheriff turned to Fairbain, whose face grew redder than
usual, as he shifted his gaze toward Keith.

"That was a lie," he confessed, lamely. "I--I was told to say that."

"Just a moment, Sheriff," and Keith stood before them, his voice clear
and convincing. "My name is Keith, and I have unavoidably been mixed up
in this affair from the beginning. Just now I can relieve the doctor of
his embarrassment. Miss Hope Waite and I have been associated together
in an effort to solve this mystery. This evening, taking advantage of
the remarkable resemblance existing between herself and Miss Maclaire,
Miss Hope decided upon a mask--"

"What's that," Wait