, you
will be all right, and there will be no disagreeable disturbance or
scandal to annoy you. Even should he discover your flight, and succeed in
boarding the vessel before she sails, he will be helpless, for a quiet
appeal to the captain will effectually baffle him. But how about your
baggage?" he asked in conclusion.

"My trunk is in my room," Mona returned.

"Of course you must have that," said Mr. Cutler; "the only difficulty
will be in getting it away without exciting suspicion. We must have this
door between these rooms opened by some means. I wonder if the key to
ours would fit the lock."

He arose immediately and went to try it, but it would not work.

"No. I did not expect our first effort would succeed," he smilingly
remarked, as he saw Mona's face fall. "There is one way that we can do
if all other plans fail," he added, after thinking a moment; "you can go
back to the other room and unpack your trunk, when I could easily remove
it through the window, and it could be repacked in here; but that plan
would require considerable time and labor, and shall be adopted only as
a last resort. But wait a minute."

He sprang to his feet, and disappeared through the window, and the next
moment they heard him moving softly about in the other room.

Presently he returned, but looking grave and thoughtful.

"I hoped I might find a key somewhere in there," he explained, "but the
door bolts on that side. There should, then, be a key to depend upon for
this side. I wonder--"

He suddenly seized a chair, placed it before the door, stepped upon it,
and reached up over the fanciful molding above it, slipping his hand
along behind it.

"Aha!" he triumphantly exclaimed all at once, "I have it!" and he held up
before their eager gaze a rusty and dusty iron key.

A moment later the door was unlocked, and swung open between the two
rooms.

Five minutes after, all Mona's baggage was transferred to Miss Cutler's
apartment, the door was relocked and bolted as before, and the fair girl
felt as if her troubles were over.

Overcome by the sense of relief which this assurance afforded her, she
impulsively threw her arms about Miss Cutler, laid her head on her
shoulder, and burst into grateful tears.

"Oh, I am so glad--so thankful!" she sobbed.

"Hush, dear child," said the gentle lady, kindly, "you must not allow
yourself to become unnerved, for you will not sleep, and I am sure you
need rest. I am going to send Justin a