'"DUNDALK HOUSE,
'"_January 3, 1893_.

'"MESSRS. ----.

'"GENTLEMEN,--On November 6th, in the year 1892, Carroll L.
Rae, Esq., of Dundalk House, left his home, ostensibly for a
few days in London. He was never seen again at Dundalk, and
we have been accurately informed that he sailed for America
in that same month. Being of age, he drew from his bankers
while in London one thousand pounds, the full amount
deposited to his credit; since that time no trace of him has
been found.

'"Carroll L. Rae is twenty-six years of age, and tall,
lacking one-half inch of being six feet in height. He is
slender, broad-shouldered, upright; fair skin, blue eyes,
brown hair; features regular and refined; hair worn very
short, but inclined to curl close to skull; strong in
athletic sports; a graduate of Queen's College; has small,
aristocratic feet and hands; a skilled horseman; sings a fine
and unusually high tenor; has a singularly strong control
over all animals. We have no portrait of him since childhood.
Has strong leaning toward military life and somewhat literary
tendencies. Am prepared to send blank cheque for the payment
of expenses of thorough search, and add as reward when found
two thousand pounds. Address all correspondence to

'"SIR HUGO RAE,
'"Dundalk House, Egham,
'"Surrey."'

'Umph!' broke out Brainerd, when I had read the last word. 'Typical
old English paterfamilias! Tyrannical, I'll be bound. I'll bet
something the young fellow ran away from parental tyranny. How did the
thing come out at the first attempt? I don't seem to recall it.'

'And for a good reason. You were in Canada, and I was occupied with
that Rockville murder. I think they put Sturgis on the case. English
himself, you know.'

'Yes--well?'

'Well, as nearly as I remember, Sturgis advertised, to begin,
"something to his advantage," etc.'

'Of course!' contemptuously.

'This failed, and he made the tour of the hotels, swell places first,
then going down in the scale, hunted the registers; haunted the places
most affected by the English tourist; halted good-looking, or
English-looking, blond young men until they turned on him. In fact,
tried all the dodges--and failed.