t up a 'Busy' sign tonight so as
to keep the girls out of here before I start. They know better than to
try to get by it, too."

At precisely twenty minutes to nine that evening Leslie took the "Busy"
placard from her door and locking it proceeded to the rendezvous. She
had put on a long dark motor coat and a black velour sports hat. The
instant she had left the Hall's premises behind her she pulled the hat
low over her face and broke into a run. An expert tennis player, she was
swift and nimble of foot. Only once she paused, stepping behind a
thicket of rhododendron bushes until a party of girls returning from
town passed by. Once off the campus, she kept to the darker side of the
road and was soon at the designated spot.

Her brisk run had brought her to the meeting place ahead of time. It was
five minutes before the faint sound of a footfall among the fallen
leaves rewarded her small stock of patience. Leslie's hand sought the
pocket of her coat. A tiny stream of white light outlined the figure now
very close to her. Instantly she snapped off the light with a soft
ejaculation of satisfaction.

"You should not have turned that light on me," objected the other dark
figure rather pettishly. "We might be seen from the road."

"Not a soul passing," Leslie assured. "I was not going to take chances
of hailing the wrong party."

"Please remember that I have to be even more careful than you. No one
must ever be allowed to suspect that we know each other." Laura Sayres
spoke with cool precision.

"Is that what you came all the way here to tell me?" Leslie gave a
short laugh. It announced that she was on the verge of being unpleasant.

"Of course it isn't." Laura prudently retreated from her lofty stand.
While she enjoyed grumbling, she was too cowardly at heart to venture to
do more. "I couldn't say a word over the 'phone today. I will tell you
now and quickly for I have a long walk home and the road is quite lonely
in places."

"Sorry I couldn't bring my car, but I didn't dare," carelessly
apologized Leslie. She divined that Laura was somewhat peeved because
she had not.

"Oh, it doesn't matter. Now I don't know just how much this information
will be worth to you--" Miss Sayres paused. "I can only--"

"Give it to me and I'll do the square thing by you." Leslie frowned in
the darkness.

"Oh, I don't mean in money," weakly defended Miss Sayres. "I mean that
it's circumstantial. You must form your own opinion from