t this time.
If you will meet me at my hotel at two o'clock, I will answer whatever
other demands you may have upon me. I think you know that you may trust
me to keep the engagement. Now, gentlemen, we will proceed." Saying
which he and his friends filed out of the room and down the aisle of the
church, much to the relief of the immense throng awaiting them, leaving
Mr. Barnes utterly discomfited. The ceremony then proceeded without
further delay, and in half an hour Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Mitchel were taken
in their carriage to the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Mr. Barnes did not wait to
see them leave the Cathedral, but hurried away almost immediately after
having read the document which Mr. Mitchel had handed to him. This was a
certificate of marriage dated the day before, and performed at the
Mayor's office. Thus, whatever reason the detective had for stopping the
marriage, the telegram from Sefton had enabled Mr. Mitchel to once more
outwit Mr. Barnes, by simply allowing a civil contract to antedate the
religious ceremony.

CHAPTER XV.

MR. MITCHEL EXPLAINS A FEW THINGS.

Immediately upon his arrival in New York, Mr. Barnes went to his office.
Here he was slightly surprised to find Lucette.

"Well," said he, tersely.

"I came here," said the girl, "so that I could report to you the minute
you got here. There is no time to lose."

"Why, what is up?"

"Your plan about my getting information from the East Orange post-office
did not work. The man said that though he would like to serve you, he
was afraid it might be construed into tampering with the mails. That you
would need an order from the Postmaster-General. I went to work then on
the other line, and began a systematic examination of every house in the
place. It was hard work, but at last I found the child. You don't want
details now, because she has been taken away again. Mitchel went down
yesterday and brought her to New York."

"Why did you not follow him and see where he took her?"

"I did, and this time I am sure he did not suspect that I was after him.
He took the child to the Remsens."

"To the Remsens? What can that mean?"

"I don't know. But Mitchel and Miss Remsen are to be married at St.
Patrick's Cathedral at ten o'clock this morning."

"Not if I can stop it," replied the detective, and he hastened up to the
church with the result told in the last chapter.

Promptly at two o'clock Mr. Barnes presented himself at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel accomp