nt some of his plans
askew, and he is hardly responsible for what he says or does. Don't
let it worry you."

"I wonder if he knows where my father is?"

"I don't believe he does. If he did he would hardly come here,
hoping to deceive you or your mother. No; Sullivan wants to find out
where Mr. Potter is just as much as we do. Why, I can't tell yet,
but he has a good reason, a strong reason, or he would not have
acted as he did."

"What had I better do?" asked the girl.

"Do nothing. Leave it to me. I will write something for the
_Leader_ that will make Sullivan wish he had stayed away from here."

"Mother doesn't like this newspaper publicity."

"I can imagine it is not very pleasant for her," admitted Larry.
"But it has to be borne if we are going to find your father. The
more the papers print of the affair the better chance there is of
finding him. If he is staying away for some reason he will see what
a stir his disappearance has caused, and will be anxious to arrange
matters so he can come back. If he is being detained against his
will, the publicity will cause his captors an alarm which may result
in their releasing him. So, too, if any one sees him wandering about
they will recognize him by his picture, or by the description, and
inform the police."

"Suppose--suppose he--should be--dead," and Grace whispered the
words.

"Don't think that for a moment!"

"It is over two weeks now since he disappeared, and not one word
have we heard from him."

"Persons have been known to disappear for longer periods than that,
and yet turn up all right," said the young reporter, endeavoring to
find some consolation for the girl. He related several instances of
similar cases that had come to his attention since he had been in
newspaper work.

"Now don't put too much in the paper about Mr. Sullivan--and me,"
said the girl as Larry was going. "There has been sufficient
printed all ready, and some of my friends think I must have a staff
of reporters at my beck and call, to get my name mentioned so
often," and she smiled at Larry.

"I'll not mention you any more than necessary," he promised,
thinking that Grace was much prettier when a smile brought out a
dimple in each cheek.

Larry's description of Sullivan's visit to the Potter house proved
to be what Mr. Emberg described as "a corking good scoop." None of
the other papers had a line about it, of course, for Larry was the
only reporter in a position to get inside