ich was Herman Klein was ready
for the wheel. Even while he was cursing the girl his cunning mind was
already plotting, revenge for the Spencers, self-aggrandizement among
his fellows for himself. His inordinate conceit, wounded by Anna's
defection, found comfort in the early prospect of putting over a big
thing. He carried the coal in, to find Herman gloomily clearing his
untidy table. For a moment they worked in silence, Rudolph at the stove,
Herman at the sink.

Then Rudolph washed his hands under the faucet and faced the older man.
"How do you know she bought herself that watch," he demanded.

Herman eyed him.

"Perhaps you gave it to her!" Something like suspicion of Rudolph crept
into his eyes.

"Me? A hundred-dollar watch!"

"How do you know it cost a hundred dollars?"

"I saw it. She tried that story on me, too. But I was too smart for her.
I went to the store and asked. A hundred bucks!"

Herman's lips drew back over his teeth.

"You knew it, eh? And you did not tell me?"

"It wasn't my funeral," said Rudolph coolly. "If you wanted to believe
she bought it herself?"

"If she bought it herself!" Rudolph's shoulder was caught in an iron
grip. "You will tell me what you mean."

"Well, I ask you, do you think she'd spend that much on a watch?
Anyhow, the installment story doesn't go. That place doesn't sell on
installments."

"Who is there would buy her such a watch?" Herman's voice was thick.

"How about Graham Spencer? She's been pretty thick with him."

"How you mean--thick?"

Rudolph shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't mean anything. But he's taken her out in his car. And the
Spencers think there's nothing can't be bought with money."

Herman put down the dish-cloth and commenced to draw down his shirt
sleeves.

"Where you going?" Rudolph demanded uneasily.

"I go to the Spencers!"

"Listen!" Rudolph said, excitedly. "Don't you do it; not yet. You got
to get him first. We don't know anything; we don't even know he gave her
that watch. We've got to find her, don't you see? And then, we've got to
learn if he's going there--wherever she is."

"I shall bring her back," Herman said, stubbornly. "I shall bring her
back, and I shall kill her."

"And get strung up yourself! Now listen?" he argued. "You leave this to
me. I'll find her. I've got a friend, a city detective, and he'll help
me, see? We'll get her back, all right. Only you've got to keep your
hands off her. It's the Spencers that