Canaan and help me order meals. That was the most scrumptious lunch I've had in a month of Sunday

h the affairs of Janet Jordan. Now that I understand something of the young lady's background and her family, I want to hear all there is to tell about her present position." He pulled a briar pipe and tob

thrust his hands into trouser pockets and jumped into his story. "Janet had a date to meet me l

business man-?" Thi

ill Corporation. But I am free on Thursday afternoons, inst

rn large mining co

aves this coming Saturday. I was fearfully pepped up about it. I'm going down there as assistant manager of our Lima office, the job carries a considerable increase in salary, and, if I make good, a fine future with the firm. My plan was to get Janet to marry me, with or without her father

r?" asked Dorothy, who w

if her father knew she had a boy friend, he'd pack he

't think!" obser

on, Howard. If you couldn't talk to Janet,

are directly opposite my sitting room, two flights below. The shaft is only twenty feet wide, so I bought one of those headphone sets that are used in airplanes for conversation between the cockpits of a plane while it is being flown. I lengthened the wires of course, and got a long, collapsible pole. After

ed Bill. "I'll sa

uite as enthusiastic. "You certainl

was watching Janet's window. Presently she appeared. Even at that distance, I could see that she had been crying. She held up a slate, for we never dared to use the headphones in the day time, and slates are a good medium for short messages. On it she had wr

course, she could not see them, but she could hear every word they said. By the clock on the wall above her head, she saw that it was one in the morning. She soon realized that this was a meeting of the heads of some large society or organization and that these men had come there from all parts of the world. There was an air of mystery about them and their talk. No names were mentioned but they addressed each other by numb

Sanborn. "Has Janet ever told you

en she asked him outright what is was, Mr. Jordan flew into a rage. He said it was his own affair, and that so long as it brought them in enough money to live comfortably, he did not wish her to bring up

ow, with Janet

respective sectors at the same time on the same day. He also proposed that Number 5 (Janet's father) interview Number 1 and learn from him when the demonstrations should be made. This motion was carried unanimously. Then Number 3 asked the chairman if they could not in future hold their meeting in some safer place than the Jordans' apartment.

hy. "I'll bet that scar

o pay. All the men started talking at once. The Chinaman pulled a revolver and pointed it

e wandered in here before the meeting, and she is sleeping now-look!' Then he lit a match and held the fla

ew that the slightest sign on her part that she was conscious would mean a bullet through her brain. A furious argument followed. Most of the men-there were eight of them including Mr. Jordan-wanted her put out of the way at once. But at last, her father and Number 2, a big man with a long beard who seemed to be mor

nce was enough to unhinge a person's mind. Janet may be shy and retiring, but she evidentl

as a black man who wore a turban-an East Indian, probably. Another, also pretty dark, wore a red fez. The others were apparently Europeans, but as they all spoke English together she had no way of

," proposed Dorothy. Her coffee, no

h, then left the room and locked the door after her. At nine this same woman came back, brought some books and magazines to her, made up the bed and put the room straight. Whenever Janet spoke to her, she shook her head and put her

n's house?" asked Bill Bolton, who had shown an

e explained. "I'm not much of a story teller and I seem to be taking an

to keep quiet. "You're doing noble, Howard!

ed to keep up that pretense before Lawson, though what he had to do with the affair she hadn't any idea, nor does she yet know where he comes into the picture. Anyway, he wasn't at the meeting. She let him know, though, that she was very indignant and astonished to find herself kept a prisoner, and demanded to see her father. Lawson, she told me, was most affable and kind to her. He said that she of course did not realize that she had been very ill during the night and that she was now under doctor's orders. He also told her that her father had been called away on business, so he had come to her as an old fri

mean to harm her after al

t of it is all right, but I believe with her that one slip, one sign that she is deceiving them, will mean that she will simply vanish and never

just as soon as you knew all this, you didn't go to

was thoroughly wretched. "I worked out some other

crazy?" Thi

y will have him killed out of hand, once they discover that. To make matters worse, if possible, my firm thinks I'm going to sail for Lima the day after tomorrow! If I turn them down, I'll lose my job here and ruin my future. I've be

poor dears are in an awful fix! I do wish I could help you. Do

anborn knocked the ashes fr

three voices