pretty closely."

"His theory! What is his theory, Mr. Lester?"

"Oh, come," I laughed. "That's telling. It's a good theory, too."

They looked at each other, and, I fancied, gnashed their teeth.

"He seems a pretty clever fellow," I added, just to pile up the agony.
"I fancy you'll say so, too, when you see his theory in to-morrow's
paper."

"Clever!" cried Rankin. "Why, he's a very fiend of cleverness when it
comes to a case of this kind. We're not in the same class with him.
He's a fancy fellow--just the _Record_ kind. You're sure you didn't
tell him anything else, Mr. Lester?" he added anxiously. "Godfrey's
capable of getting a story out of a fence-post."

"No, I'm quite sure I didn't tell him anything else. I only listened
to his theory with great interest."

"And assented to it?"

"I said I thought it plausible."

An electric shock seemed to run around the room.

"That's it!" cried Rankin. "That's what he wanted. Now, it isn't his
theory any more. It's yours. Oh, I can see his headlines! Won't you
tell us what it was?"

I looked up at him.

"Now, frankly, Mr. Rankin," I asked, "if you were in my place, would
you tell?"

He hesitated for a moment, and then held out his hand.

"No," he said, as I took it. "I shouldn't. Shake hands, sir; you're
all right. Come on, boys, we might as well be going."

They filed out after him, and I heard them go singing up the street.
Then I sank back into my chair and thought again of Godfrey's theory;
it seemed to fit the case precisely, point by point--even--and I
started at the thought--to Miss Holladay's reticence as to her
whereabouts the afternoon before. The whole mystery lay plain before
me. In some way, she had discovered the existence of her half-sister,
had secured her address; she had gone to visit her and had found her
away from home--it was probable, even, that the half-sister had
written her, asking her to come--though, in that case, why had she not
remained at home to receive her? At any rate, Miss Holladay had
awaited her return, had noticed her agitation; had, perhaps, even seen
certain marks of blood upon her. The news of her father's death had
pointed all too clearly to what that agitation and those blood-spots
meant. She had remained silent that she might not besmirch her
father's name, and also, perhaps, that she might protect the other
woman. I felt that I held in my hand the key to the whole problem.

Point by point--but what a snarl it wa