to
suffer?"

"I think you're in luck if she divorces you!" Anthony stated feelingly.
"A woman capable of that is capable of anything!"

Johnson Boller stayed the angry words upon his lips and smiled grimly.
More, after a moment he thrust out his hand.

"I guess it doesn't matter much what you think now, Anthony," said he.
"Good-by!"

"What?"

"Good-by, old man! You're going to leave this world in about three
minutes, you know--just as soon as he's convinced and able to act again,
Anthony. So long I'll be sorry to think of you as missing--sometimes, I
suppose, but not when I think what you've put over on me."

Anthony laughed viciously.

"Don't use up all your sympathy," he said. "You may need a little for
yourself, Johnson. The things are in what's supposed to be _your_ room,
you know."

"What?" gasped Johnson Boller. "That's true! That----"

Out at the entrance, a key was scraping in the latch; and when it had
scraped for the second time Anthony smiled forlornly.

"Wilkins," he said. "Back to report that the girl's safe at
home--whatever good that may do now. Is that you, Wilkins?"

"That's--that's me, sir!" Wilkins puffed.

And the door closed and in the foyer bump--bump--bump indicated that
Wilkins was carrying something, a trunk one might almost have thought
from the sound. Rather red, gleaming perspiration that had not all come
from exertion, Wilkins appeared, moved into the room, gazed feelingly at
his master, was about to speak and then caught the sound of voices from
David's room.

"The--the parties couldn't attend to the trunk to-day!" said Wilkins.

"_She_--isn't in there?" Anthony whispered.

"I have no reason to think otherwise, sir," said the faithful one.

"You didn't leave her?"

"There was no one to leave her with, sir, and I was ordered out with the
trunk," Wilkins said, smiling wanly. "There wasn't nowhere to come but
here, sir, with the police after me."

From down the corridor issued--

"Yes! I'm--Heaven help me--I'm convinced!"

"I'll be taking her into your room, sir," Wilkins said hastily. "She
must be needing a breath of air by this time, poor young lady!"

Another nightmare figure, he lumbered across the living-room and into
Anthony's chamber; and regardless of possible consequences Anthony
followed and snatched open the trunk.

Mary had not expired. Her face was decidedly red and her eyes rather
bewildered, but she struggled out with Anthony's assistance, breathed