w that he cannot be
found, somewhere, this morning?"

"All his household have failed to find him. Our messengers have been
sent in every direction without discovering the slightest clew to
his--fate," gloomily replied the judge.

Mr. Rockharrt turned to the porter, who was still in attendance at the
door, and demanded:

"Where is your mistress?"

The man, a negro and an old family servant of the Rockharrts, replied:

"The young madam is in the back drawing room, sir; and if you please,
sir, I think she would be all the better for seeing the old madam."

"Who is with her now?" shortly demanded Mr. Rockharrt, ignoring his
servant's suggestion, although Mrs. Rockharrt looked nervously anxious
to follow it "There is no one with her, sir."

"Alone! Alone! My granddaughter left alone on the morning after her
marriage? What do you mean by that? Where is your master?

"Show me in to your mistress at once. I will get at the bottom of this
mystery, or this villainy, as it is more likely to prove, before I am
through with the matter. And if my granddaughter's husband is not to be
found before the day is out, I will have all concerned in the plot
arrested for conspiracy!" exclaimed Mr. Rockharrt, with that utter
recklessness of assertion to which he was addicted in moments of
excitement.

The dismayed negro lowered his eyes and led the way. Aaron Rockharrt
strode on, followed by his timid and terrified old wife, his stalwart
sons, his mocking grandson, and the members of the committee. But the
old man, not liking such an escort, turned upon them, and said, with
sarcastic politeness and dignity:

"Gentlemen, permit me. It is expedient, under existing circumstances,
that I should first see my granddaughter alone."

The members of the committee bowed with offended dignity and withdrew to
the front of the hall.

Meanwhile Aaron Rockharrt sent back the members of his own family, and
strode solemnly into the drawing room, which was half darkened by the
closed window shutters.

"Now leave the room, sir; shut the door after you and stand on the
outside to keep off all intruders," commanded Mr. Rockharrt to the
servant who had admitted him.

When the door was closed upon him, Aaron Rockharrt discerned his
granddaughter, who sat in an easy chair in a dark corner of the back
drawing room, which was divided from the front by blue satin and white
lace portieres. Her deadly pallid face gleamed out from the shadows in
startling