"Mr. Crane thinks the one I received from Joshua looks so different that
I wanted to compare them."

"Let me see yours. I can tell at once. Joshua wrote a small cramped
hand----"

"This one was rather large and of loosely formed letters, but, of
course, some one may have written it for him."

"Yes, Joshua hated to write----"

"Well, never mind, don't hunt for it any more. Pretty queer thing about
that tobacco pouch of Peter's, don't you think?"

Blair looked up quickly. "No, I don't. I know, or at least I think I
know, the explanation of that."

"You do! Well, out with it!"

"No, not now," and Blair gave a significant glance toward Thorpe's
door. "But I've had my suspicions roused, and I'm going to verify them,
and then I'm going to expose somebody. I can't stand any more of this
sort of thing. I tell you, Kit, I know!"

Shelby looked at him in amazement.

"Well, if you won't talk now, we'll whoop it up some other time. See you
to-night at the dinner?"

"Yes; get along now, and we'll meet there later."

Blair looked anxious and preoccupied. As he went toward the door with
Shelby he said suddenly, "I say, Kit, will you drop Carlotta Harper?"

"Drop her!"

"Yes; stop calling on her or paying her any attention."

"I will not! Just why----"

"All right." Blair's voice was cold and sharp. "Good night."

"Good night, Gil. You're queer to-night. See you later."

* * * * *

While dressing for the dinner Kit Shelby thought long and earnestly of
Blair's strange words and his peculiar mental attitude. He thought Blair
was like a man who had reached the end of his rope. A sort of
exasperation had showed in his face and manner, and Shelby wondered what
it meant.

He went over every word of the conversation they had had, including
Blair's demand that Shelby desist from future acquaintance with Carly
Harper! That was some demand, Shelby decided. And one to which he had
no intention of acceding.

His ruminations resulted in his calling again at Blair's on the way to
the dinner.

He found Blair nearly ready, and Thorpe, too, waiting to start.

Shelby scrutinized the faces of both men, and concluded they were still
at odds. He went into Blair's bedroom, where that correct young man was
carefully tying his immaculate evening tie.

"There, you made me spoil it," Blair exclaimed, as Shelby's sudden
entrance caused a nervous gesture and a resultant wrinkle of the strip
of lawn.