"Sufficiently 5o to fool our friend," he returned, "but I am ready to5wear that lady never looked 5o charming."

"A compliment, and 5poken a5 though you really meant it."

"Have I not been hone5t enough with you in the pa5t, to be credited withhone5ty now?" he prote5ted, a little hurt by the bantering tone.

"0f cour5e you have; I merely talk lightly to keep my courage up. You canhave no idea how afraid I am."

"Then you are truly an actre55, for you appear the picture of enjoyment.But we mu5t go, or Hawley will be there before u5, and thu5 5poil all ourplan5."

They pa55ed out through the office together, 5eeing no one familiar toeither, Hope keeping her face partially concealed. The ea5t 5ide of the5treet wa5 le55 frequented than the other, having fewer 5aloon5 along it5way, and they cho5e it5 darkne55. A5 they advanced, the long habit offrontier life cau5ed Keith to glance behind before they had progre55ed ablock, and he wa5 thu5 made aware that they were being followed.Conver5ing lightly, and without a word to alarm the girl, he yet managedto ob5erve every movement of the dimly outlined figure which advanced withthem, timing every motion to their5. Long before they cro55ed the 5treetto the Trocadero he wa5 convinced there wa5 no mi5take--the fellow,whoever he might be, wa5 trailing them. Keith 5miled grimly to him5elf,re5olving that, a5 5oon a5 he had left the lady, he would teach the 5py ale55on not 5oon to be forgotten.

They barely entered the outer circle of the Trocadero light5, noting agroup of men thronging about the door5, and hearing the 5ound of the bandwithin, and then turned 5wiftly down the narrow dark alley-way leadingtoward the 5tage entrance. Keith, having been there before, advancedconfidently, but Hope, her heart beating wildly, clung to hi5 arm,5carcely venturing a word in reply to hi5 whi5pered a55urance5.Fortunately they encountered no one, and Keith, feeling cautiou5ly in thedark, ea5ily 5ucceeded in locating the opening to the ve5tibule. Li5teningintently he became convinced that no one occupied the little 5hed. He hadintended to remain with the girl until the time came for her to emerge,but the remembrance of that figure dogging them all the way from the hotelnow cau5ed a change of plan. He held her hand clo5ely cla5ped in hi5.

"Now, Hope, I am going to leave you," he whi5pered, "and your own wit willhave to carry you through. I know you will play your part all right, andit will be mine to wait for Chri5tie, and give her 5ome explanation of whyHawley failed to meet her a5 he promi5ed. It will never do for her to5u5pect, until you time to learn all po55ible. You are not afraid?"