rward.

"Mr. Blake, I believe," said he, bowing in that deferential way he knows
so well how to assume.

The gentleman, startled as it evidently seemed from a reverie, looked
hastily up. Meeting Mr. Gryce's bland smile, he returned the bow, but
haughtily, and as it appeared in an abstracted way.

"Allow me to introduce myself," proceeded my superior. "I am Mr. Gryce
from the detective bureau. We were notified this morning that a girl
in your employ had disappeared from your house last night in a somewhat
strange and unusual way, and I just stepped over with my man here, to
see if the matter is of sufficient importance to inquire into. With many
apologies for the intrusion, I stand obedient to your orders."

With a frown expressive of annoyance, Mr. Blake glanced around and
detecting Mrs. Daniels, said: "Did you consider the affair so serious as
that?"

She nodded, seeming to find it difficult to speak.

He remained looking at her with an expression of some doubt. "I can
hardly think," said he, "such extreme measures were necessary; the girl
will doubtless come back, or if not--" His shoulders gave a slight shrug
and he took out his gloves.

"The difficulty seems to be," quoth Mr. Gryce eyeing those gloves with
his most intent and concentrated look, "that the girl did not go alone,
but was helped away, or forced away, by parties who had previously
broken into your house."

"That is a strange circumstance," remarked Mr. Blake, but still without
any appearance of interest, "and if you are sure of what you say,
demands, perhaps, some inquiry. I would not wish to put anything in the
way of justice succoring the injured. But--" again he gave that slight
shrug of the shoulders, indicative of doubt, if not indifference.

Mrs. Daniels trembled, and took a step forward. I thought she was
going to speak, but instead of that she drew back again in her strange
hesitating way.

Mr. Gryce did not seem to notice.

"Perhaps sir," said he, "if you will step upstairs with me to the room
occupied by this girl, I may be able to show you certain evidences which
will convince you that our errand here is not one of presumption."

"I am ready to concede that without troubling myself with proof,"
observed the master of the house with the faintest show of asperity.
"Yet if there is anything to see of a startling nature, perhaps I had
best yield to your wishes. Whereabouts in the house is this girl's room,
Mrs. Daniels?"

"It is--