e, and he could help us. Besides, he's got some rights of
safety himself. He's out in the reception room now, under guard of that
man-eating office boy of yours."

"All right, if you say so."

Accordingly the Reverend Norman Hale was summoned, sworn to confidence,
and informed. He received the news with a quiver of his long, gaunt
features. "I was afraid it was something like that," he said. "What's to
be done?"

"I'll tell you my plan," said Ellis, who had been doing some rapid
thinking. "I'll put the best man in the office on the story, and give
him a week on it if necessary. How soon is the epidemic likely to break,
Doctor?"

"God knows," said the physician gravely.

"Well, we'll hurry him as much as we can. Our reporter will work
independently. No one else on the staff will know what he's doing. I'll
expect you two and Dr. Merritt to give him every help. I'll handle the
story myself, at this end. And I'll see that it's set up in type by our
foreman, whom I can trust to keep quiet. Therefore, only six people will
know about it. I think we can keep the secret. Then, when I've got it
all in shape, two pages of it, maybe, with all the facts, I'll pull a
proof and hit the Boss right between the eyes with it. That'll fetch
him, I _think_."

The others signified their approval. "But can't we do something in the
mean time?" asked Dr. Elliot. "A little cleaning-up, maybe? Who owns
that pest-hole?"

"Any number of people," said the clergyman. "It's very complicated, what
with ground leases, agencies, and trusteeships. I dare say some of the
owners don't even know that the property belongs to them."

"One of the things we might find out," said Ellis. "Might be interesting
to publish."

"I'll send you a full statement of what I got about the burials in
Canadaga County," promised Dr. Elliot. "Coming along, Mr. Hale?"

"No. I want to speak to Mr. Ellis about another matter." The clergyman
waited until the physician had left and then said, "It's about Milly
Neal."

"Well, what about her?"

"I thought you could tell me. Or perhaps Mr. Surtaine."

Remembering that encounter outside of the road house weeks before, Ellis
experienced a throb of misgiving.

"Why Mr. Surtaine?" he demanded.

"Because he's her employer."

Ellis gazed hard at the young minister. He met a straight and clear
regard which reassured him.

"He isn't, now," said he.

"She's left?"

"Yes."

"That's bad," worried the clergyman, half to