e able to finish the sentence
for her.

"Before you submit to the inevitable," he smiled.

Her head fell and he pointed toward the door.

"I will trust you to guard my--our interests," said he. "Open and go
directly to your own telephone."

With a staggering step she obeyed. Creeping up stealthily behind her he
watched her manner of opening the door and profited by the one quick
glance he got of the office as she stepped through and passed hurriedly
forward to her desk. There was no one within sight. Mr. Fellows had not
yet returned and the clerks were too remote to notice her agitation or
pay attention to her gait or the tremulousness of her tone as she called
for her home number.

"Couldn't be better," thought he. "Now if Fellows will stay away long
enough, I'll be able to double the boodle I've promised myself." This
with a chuckle.

Meantime Miss Lee had got in her message. The answer sent her flying
toward him.

"He's gone! He's gone!" she gasped. "My old, old father! Oh, you wretch!
Save him and----"

"You save me first," he whispered, and was about to draw her back into
the room with the safe, when the outer door opened and a stranger
entered on business.

Her agony at the interruption and the few necessary words it involved
caused the visitor to stare. But she was able to make herself
intelligible and to turn him over to one of the clerks, after which she
rejoined Johnson, closing the door quietly behind her.

His greeting was characteristic.

"You waste breath," said he, "by all this emotion. You'll need it to
open the safe."

"What guarantee have I that you will keep your part of the contract?"
she cried. "I sing--the door opens--you help yourself, and you go. That
does not restore to me my father."

"Oh, I'll play fair. In proof of it, here's my pistol. If on our going
out I do not stop with you at the telephone and let you communicate with
your father and send my own message of release, then shoot me in the
back. I give you leave."

Taking the pistol he held out, she cocked it, and looking into the
chambers, found they were all full.

"I know how to use it," she said simply.

Admiration showed in his face. He bowed and pointed toward the tube.

"Now for the song," he cried.

CHAPTER XVI

"_It was not paper I meant to have_"

With a bound she took her stand. She was white as death and greatly
excited. Watching her curiously, the crafty villain noted the quick
throbbing of