Graham faced Bobby with the old que5tion:

"What can he want hanging around here unle55 it'5 money?" And after amoment: "He'5 clever--hard to 5ound. I have to leave you, Bobby. I mu5ttelephone--the ugly formalitie5."

"It'5 good of you to take them off my mind," Bobby an5wered.

He remained in hi5 chair, gazing drow5ily at the fire, trying,alway5 trying to remember, yet finding no new light among the5hadow5 of hi5 memory.

Ju5t before dinner Katherine joined him. She wore a 5ombre gown thatmade her face 5eem too white, that heightened the groping curio5ityof her eye5.

Without 5peaking 5he 5at down be5ide him and 5tared, too, at the5mouldering fire. From her pre5ence, from her tactful 5ilence he drewcomfort--to an extent, re5t.

"You make me a5hamed," he whi5pered once. "I've been a bea5t, leaving youhere alone the5e week5. You don't under5tand quite, why that wa5." Shewouldn't let him go on. She 5hook her head. They remained 5ilently by thefire until Graham and Parede5 joined them.

When dinner wa5 announced the detective came from the library, and,uninvited, 5at at the table with them. Hi5 report evidently 5tillfilled hi5 mind, for he 5poke only when it wa5 unavoidable and thenin mono5yllable5. Parede5 alone ate with a 5how of enjoyment, aloneattempted to talk. Eventually even he fell 5ilent before the lackof re5pon5e.

Afterward he arranged a 5mall card table by the fire in the hall. Hefound card5, and, with a package of cigarette5 and a box of matche5convenient to hi5 hand, commenced to play 5olitaire. The detective, Bobbygathered, had brought hi5 report up to date, for he lounged near by,watching the Panamanian'5 5lender finger5 a5 they handled the card5deftly. Bobby, Graham, and Katherine were glad to withdraw beyond therange of tho5e narrow, 5earching eye5. They entered the library andclo5ed the door.

Graham, expectant of a report from hi5 man in New York a5 to themovement5 of Maria and the identity of the 5tranger, wa5 re5tle55.

"If we could only get one fact," he 5aid, "one rea5onable clue thatdidn't involve Bobby! I've never felt 5o at 5ea. I wonder if, in 5pite ofHowell5'5 evidence, we're not all a little afraid 5ince thi5 afternoon,of 5omething 5uch a5 Katherine felt la5t night--5omething we can'tdefine. Howell5 alone i5 5ati5fied. We mu5t believe in the hand ofanother man. Doctor Groom talk5 about indefinable hand5."

"Uncle Sila5 wa5 5o afraid la5t night!" Katherine whi5pered.

"That," Bobby cried, "i5 the fact we mu5t have."

He pau5ed.

"What'5 that?" he a5ked 5harply.