ied and
no one the wiser for our leaving as we did. Ah! it will please me,
mother, to have it so."

"Indeed, it will please us all, Albert," Mrs. Tescheron assured him
sadly, although it seemed to her there could be nothing more
disappointing than an indefinite postponement of her heart's desire.

What those plans were Gabrielle would have given Smith a retainer to
know, for if they involved the arrest of her Jim and his extradition to
another State. She wondered how her father could believe they would get
away safely in a week. If the detectives had lost track of the fugitive
during the time he was in the hospital she did not believe they would
find him now in the hiding-place she had in mind. The moment the
hospital physicians consented, Jim Hosley would be removed to a spot
where he might convalesce without fear of molestation. Not a soul, not
even her mother, should know of that place, for if the pursuit was to be
renewed in earnest, her vigilance must be all the greater.

Gabrielle's fears, as is usually the case with lovers whose wisdom is
intuitional, were not well founded. The detectives had long ago ceased
to do any actual work in following clues to determine the whereabouts of
the bad man. Why should they? Their idea was to keep him mysteriously at
large, with the district attorney and police always just around the
corner. Suspended interest pays well, for the service was charged at so
much per week with occasionally a bonus for an "extra."

Mr. Tescheron did not have in mind a further pursuit of Hosley after he
had paid the detective bureau for weeks of service, which brought no
results other than rumors. To have the disturber of his peace in hiding
where no man could find him would have pleased Mr. Tescheron; but from
the reports of Smith it seemed certain that a crisis was about to be
reached. Hosley had been located in South Dakota, claiming a residence
antedating our fire by several weeks. A man who has had trouble with his
wives generally goes there. The officials were about to send men on to
arrest him, and then await his extradition. There was enough evidence,
Mr. Smith said, in the Browning case alone to warrant the belief that
the authorities would readily secure the transfer of their man to New
York; but long before that time, all the horrible details would appear
in the papers.

"We have staved this thing off for five weeks, Mr. Tescheron," said Mr.
Smith, in one of his private interviews with