ered with books, boots, and articles of clothing which by
their number proclaimed the dandy, the few selected for the valise
had been deftly packed and with extreme economy of space.) In the
first drawer below the writing flap the Rector found the register and
parish account-books in an orderly pile. He seized on the register
at once, opened it, and ran his eyes down the later pages, muttering
while he read.

"There is no entry here of Miss Brooks's marriage," he announced.
"One, two, three, five marriages in all entered in his handwriting:
but no such name as Brooks or Plinlimmon. Stay: what is the meaning
of this?--a blank line between two entries--one of March 20th, the
other of the 25th--both baptisms. Looks as if he'd left room for a
post-entry. Let's have a look at the papers."

He tossed the bundles over and found one labelled "Marriages"; spread
the papers out and rubbed his head in perplexity. Isabel's licence
was not among them.

Next he began to open the books and shake them, pausing now and again
as a page of figures caught his eye.

"Accounts seem in order, down to the petty cash." He stooped, picked
up and opened a small parcel of coin wrapped in paper, which his
elbow had brushed off the ledge. "Fifteen and ninepence--right, to a
penny. But where in the world's that licence?"

There were drawers in the lower half of the bookcase, and he directed
me to search in these while he hunted again through the bureau.
And while we were thus occupied the door opened and Miss Belcher
re-entered the room with Mr. Rogers at her heels. Had it been
possible to associate tears with Miss Belcher, I could have sworn she
had been weeping. Her first words, and the ringing masculine tone of
them, effaced that half-formed impression.

"What the dickens are you two about?"

"We are searching for a licence," the Rector answered. "I am right,
Mr. Rogers--am I not?--in my recollection that Whitmore indicated it
to be here, in this room, and easily found?"

"To be sure he did," said Mr. Rogers.

"I cannot find it among his papers--which, for the rest, are in
apple-pie order."

Thereupon we all fell to searching. In half an hour we had ransacked
the room, and all to no purpose; and so, as if by signal, broke off
and eyed one another in dismay.

And as we did so Miss Belcher laughed aloud and pointed at the valise
lying in the middle of the floor--the only thing we had left
unexplored.

Mr. Rogers flung hi