rick. They are playing
artfully upon the anxiety, the suspense, the wretched state of fear
and hope and dread in which young Trent's friends are held, to extort
from them a little money, which will keep them in comfort while they
wear out either the father or the son.'

'How? Tell me how.'

'I wish I could! I will tell you how it looks to me. Young Trent has
been missing now more than a fortnight----'

'Three weeks, almost.'

'You are right. Now, here are three theories: First, he may be dead.
He would hardly submit to capture and imprisonment without resistance,
and may have died while a prisoner. Next, he may have been so drugged
as to have driven him out of his senses. Or, he may be a prisoner in
some secure retreat, while his captors are trying to break his spirit
and force him to write to his friends for a great sum of money by way
of ransom. But we must act now and speculate later upon all these
possibilities. Do you think Miss O'Neil can have secured the money?'

'I do; yes. Her father's liberality is well known. She could borrow
the amount if need be; she comes into her mother's fortune in a few
months.'

'Then we must keep a man constantly at the express office on the
look-out for E. Roe.' I got up and caught at my hat.

'Are you going now?'

'Miss Jenrys, there is not a moment to lose. That money, if sent, must
be stopped, if it is possible! And I must see my partner. Thank
goodness, we have an actual clue at last!'

'At last! A clue! What do you mean?'

I turned at the door. 'Don't you see that this is really the first
hint we have had to indicate that young Trent is still alive and a
prisoner. Up to this moment all has been theory and surmise. If this
letter is not a wretched fraud, a bold scheme to obtain money, hatched
in the brain of some villain who has seen the advertised rewards and
knows nothing about Trent, it is our first clue, and through it we may
find him.' And promising to call upon her again that evening, or
sooner if possible, I hastened to the nearest telegraph-office.

CHAPTER XXV.

'IT'S A SNARE.'

My first act upon reaching the telegraph-office was to send a message,
at Miss Jenrys' request and in her name, to Hilda O'Neil.

'Word it as you think best,' Miss Jenrys had said, and accordingly I
had sent this message:

'MISS HILDA O'NEIL,

'Yours received. Will do my best for you. Have courage.

'J