over Theodore's latest movement, presently locked up his
office and departed from the building.

He was no more than out on the street than he came upon Theodore's
tracks in a most unexpected direction. A newsboy came by, loudly
calling out his wares. An _Evening Star_, beneath his arm, stared at
Garrison with type fully three inches high with this announcement:

MYSTERY OF MURDER AND A WILL!!

_John Hardy May Have Been Slain! Beautiful
Beneficiary Married Just in Time!_

Garrison bought the paper.

With excitement and chagrin in all his being he glanced through the
story of himself and Dorothy--all that young Robinson could possibly
know, or guess, dished up with all the sensational garnishments of
which the New York yellow press is capable.

Sick and indignant with the knowledge that Dorothy must be apprised of
this at once, and instructed to remain in hiding, to induce all about
her to guard her from intrusion and to refuse to see all reporters who
might pursue the story, he hastened at once towards Washington Square,
and encountered his "wife," almost upon entering the house.

She was white with alarm.

He thought she had already seen the evening sheet.

"Jerold!" she said, "something terrible has happened. When I got up,
half an hour ago to dress--my wedding certificate was gone!"

CHAPTER XXIV

A NEW ALARM

Without, for a moment, comprehending the drift of Dorothy's fears,
Garrison led her to a parlor of the house, looking at her in a manner
so fixed that she realized their troubles were not confined to the loss
of her certificate.

"What do you think? What do you fear? There isn't anything else?" she
said, as he still remained dumb for a moment. "What shall we do?"

"Theodore threatened that something might occur," he said. "He has
evidently done his worst, all at once."

"Why--but I thought perhaps my certificate was stolen here," whispered
Dorothy in agitation. "How could Theodore----"

"No one in this house could have known you had such a document about
you," interrupted Garrison. "While you were drugged, or chloroformed,
in the Robinsons' house, the old woman, doubtless, searched you
thoroughly. You told me your certificate was sewed inside----"

"Inside--yes, inside," she interrupted. "I thought it was safe, for
they put a blank paper in its place, and I might not have thought of
anything wrong if I had not discovered a black thread used instead of
the white s