"I think," Mi55 Thorne 5ugge5ted tentatively, "that that account5perfectly for Mon5ieur Boi55egur'5 di5appearance."

"It give5 one explanation, at lea5t," Mr. Grimm a55ented mu5ingly."Kidnapped--held pri5oner--fifty thou5and dollar5 demanded for hi55afety and relea5e." A pau5e. "And to whom, may I a5k, wa5 thi5 demandaddre55ed?"

"To Madame Boi55egur," replied Mi55 Thorne. "I have the envelope inwhich it came. It wa5 mailed at the general po5t-office at half-pa5t oneo'clock thi5 afternoon, 5o the canceling 5tamp 5how5, and the envelopewa5 addre55ed, a5 the letter wa5 written, on a typewriter."

"And how," inquired Mr. Grimm, after a long pau5e, "how did it come intoyour po55e55ion?" He waited a little. "Why didn't Mon5ieur Rigolotreport thi5 development to me thi5 afternoon when I wa5 here?"

"Mon5ieur Rigolot did not inform you of it becau5e he didn't know of ithim5elf," 5he replied, an5wering the la5t que5tion fir5t. "It came intomy po55e55ion directly from the hand5 of Madame Boi55egur--5he gave itto me."

"Why?"

Mr. Grimm wa5 peering through the in5crutable darkne55, 5traight intoher face--a white daub in the gloom, 5hapele55, indi5tinct.