ht in from the
steamship pier?" he inquired. "We've never been able to obtain his
name."

"I can tell you what it is," answered Larry. "We have every reason
to believe he is Hamden Potter, the missing millionaire, and this
young lady's father. May we see him?"

"Hamden Potter!" exclaimed the superintendent.

"That's who he is," declared Larry. "He went by the name Mah Retto
while he was away. May we go up now?"

"I am sorry," said the superintendent slowly, "but that patient
escaped from the ward about half an hour ago, and we have not been
able to trace him!"

"Escaped!" cried Larry.

"My father gone again!" gasped Grace.

"Too bad, but that's what has happened," the superintendent
repeated. "The nurse left him sleeping quietly, and went downstairs
to get some medicine. When she came back he was gone."

"But how could he go out without any clothing?" asked Larry.

"He got some clothing," the head of the institution replied. "In the
bed next to him was a patient who was to be discharged as cured
to-day. That man's clothes were brought to him and laid out on a
chair beside the bed. While he was in the bathroom Mr. Potter, as
you call him, got possession of the clothes, put them on, and
walked out. Several patients saw him go, but said nothing, as they
thought it was all right. When the nurse got back she missed your
friend and gave the alarm."

"Can't you tell in what direction he went?" asked Larry.

"So far we have been unsuccessful. We have made inquiries outside,
but so many persons are passing in the street that it has been
impossible to trace him."

"Was he able to walk very far?" the reporter asked.

"He was strong; much stronger than the usual run of patients who are
recovering from such a wound as he had. He must have been more fully
recovered than we thought. He had written a letter, the nurse tells
me, and this is also gone. Probably he was temporarily out of his
mind, and went out to mail the missive. It is a strange occurrence."

"My poor father!" exclaimed Grace. "I thought I had found him, and
now he is missing again."

Larry did not know what to do. It was a curious state of affairs. He
had been so sure of uniting Mr. Potter and Grace, but now all his
plans had come to nothing. Then, too, there was the paper to be
considered. Mr. Emberg would expect him to send in the story of the
mysterious disappearance of the hospital patient. Yet Larry did not
like to leave Grace while he went to