e with no unworthy motive.
"Everything will be properly looked after, Miss; you can leave with
perfect safety."

I expected to see her resent this interference; but instead of that, she
manifested a certain satisfaction in beholding him there.

Drawing me to one side, she whispered, "You think this Mr. Gryce very
clever, do you not?"

"Well," I cautiously replied, "he ought to be to hold the position he
does. The authorities evidently repose great confidence in him."

Stepping from my side as suddenly as she had approached it, she crossed
the room and stood before Mr. Gryce.

"Sir," said she, gazing at him with a glance of entreaty: "I hear you
have great talents; that you can ferret out the real criminal from
a score of doubtful characters, and that nothing can escape the
penetration of your eye. If this is so, have pity on two orphan
girls, suddenly bereft of their guardian and protector, and use your
acknowledged skill in finding out who has committed this crime. It
would be folly in me to endeavor to hide from you that my cousin in her
testimony has given cause for suspicion; but I here declare her to be as
innocent of wrong as I am; and I am only endeavoring to turn the eye
of justice from the guiltless to the guilty when I entreat you to look
elsewhere for the culprit who committed this deed." Pausing, she held
her two hands out before him. "It must have been some common burglar or
desperado; can you not bring him, then, to justice?"

Her attitude was so touching, her whole appearance so earnest and
appealing, that I saw Mr. Gryce's countenance brim with suppressed
emotion, though his eye never left the coffee-urn upon which it had
fixed itself at her first approach.

"You must find out--you can!" she went on. "Hannah--the girl who is
gone--must know all about it. Search for her, ransack the city, do
anything; my property is at your disposal. I will offer a large reward
for the detection of the burglar who did this deed!"

Mr. Gryce slowly rose. "Miss Leavenworth," he began, and stopped; the
man was actually agitated. "Miss Leavenworth, I did not need your very
touching appeal to incite me to my utmost duty in this case. Personal
and professional pride were in themselves sufficient. But, since you
have honored me with this expression of your wishes, I will not conceal
from you that I shall feel a certain increased interest in the affair
from this hour. What mortal man can do, I will do, and if in one mont