china! I'll tear you as if you were a rag! You needn't
think you'll ever get away from me--I'll follow you to the ends of the
earth. You're paid like a queen and treated like a queen and you play
straight--there was a man called 'Snow' Gregory once----"

The trembling girl was on her feet now, her face ashen white.

"I'm sorry, colonel," she faltered. "I didn't intend giving you offence.
I--I----"

She was on the verge of tears when the colonel, with a quick gesture,
motioned her back to the chair. His rage subsided as suddenly as it had
risen.

"Now do as you're told, Lollie," he said calmly. "Get after that young
fellow and don't come back to me until you've got him."

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and almost tiptoed from his
dread presence.

At the door he stopped her.

"As to Maisie," he said, "why, you can leave Maisie to me."

CHAPTER IV

THE MISSING HANSON

Colonel Dan Boundary descended slowly from the Ford taxi-cab which had
brought him up from Horsham station and surveyed without emotion the
domicile of his partner. It was Colonel Boundary's boast that he was in
the act of lathering his face on the tenth floor of a Californian hotel
when the earthquake began, and that he finished his shaving operations,
took his bath and dressed himself before the earth had ceased to
tremble.

"I shall want you again, so you had better wait," he said to the driver
and passed through the wooden gates toward Rose Lodge.

He stopped half-way up the path, having now a better view of the house.
It was a red brick villa, the home of a well-to-do man. The trim lawn
with its border of rose trees, the little fountain playing over the
rockery, the quality of the garden furniture within view and the general
air of comfort which pervaded the place, suggested the home of a
prosperous City man, one of those happy creatures who have never
troubled to get themselves in line for millions, but have lived happily
between the four and five figure mark.

Colonel Boundary grunted and continued his walk. A trim maid opened the
door to him and by her blank look it was evident that he was not a
frequent visitor.

"Boundary--just say Boundary," said the colonel in a deep voice which
carried to the remotest part of the house.

He was shown to the drawing-room and again found much that interested
him. He felt no twinge of pity at the thought that Solomon White would
very soon exchange this almost luxury for the bl