if I don't go up now. You needn't bother to announce me," he said
to the bell-boy who offered to accompany Joe to show the way. "I guess
I can find the room all right."

Joe rode up in the elevator, and turned down the corridor leading to
the two rooms occupied by Sanford. Pausing at the door of the outer
room, Joe heard voices. He recognized one as Helen's.

"She's there all right," mused Joe. "I hope I'm not too late!"

He was about to enter when he heard Helen say: "Please give it back to
me. It isn't fair to take advantage of me this way."

"You went into this with your eyes open," Sanford replied. "It was a
straight business deal, and I'm not to blame for the way it turned out.
Now this stock----"

Joe waited no longer. He fairly burst into the room, crying:

"Helen, don't waste any more money on his worthless investments!"

CHAPTER XXV

THE LAST PERFORMANCE

It would have been difficult to say who was the more surprised by the
sudden entrance of Joe Strong--Helen or the law clerk. Both seemed
startled.

Once more Joe cried:

"Helen, don't throw away any more of your money on his stocks!"

"How dare you come in here?" demanded Sanford.

"Never mind about that," answered Joe coolly. "I know what I'm doing.
I'm not going to see you get any more of her money."

"Oh, Joe. How did you know I was here?" asked Helen. "I didn't want
any one to know I came."

"I found out. I feared this was what you'd do."

"Do what, Joe?"

"Buy more stock in the hope of making good your losses on the Circle
City investment."

"But, Joe, I'm not doing that. I don't want to buy any more stock.
I've had too much as it is."

"Then what in the world did you come here for?" cried Sanford. "You
intimated that you wanted more stock. That's why I met you here--to
sell it to you."

"Yes, I thought that's what you'd think," replied Helen, and she seemed
less excited now than Joe Strong. "But what I came for was to sell you
back these worthless oil certificates. I want my money back."

"Well, you won't get it!" sneered the law clerk. "You bought that
stock and now----"

"Now she's going to sell it again," put in Joe. He seemed to
understand the situation now.

"Helen," he went on, "I think it would be well if you left this matter
in my hands. If you'll just go downstairs and to the nearest police
station and ask an officer to step around here, I think we can find
something for him to do."

"