"Ye5, I am," clinging to him, "but--but I am going through it ju5t the5ame."

"The true5t kind of courage, my girl. Now 5lip in5ide, but hold the doorajar. Hawley will certainly be here within ten minute5, and you mu5t joinhim at once, or el5e the other might appear. You can judge a5 to it5 beinghim even in thi5 darkne55. Good-bye."

The longing to cla5p her in hi5 arm5, to 5peak the language of hi5 heart,wa5 almo5t overwhelming, yet the memory of that figure 5linking alongbehind them, and the brief time before Hawley'5 probable appearance, forhe would leave the theatre at the conclu5ion of Mi55 Maclaire'5 act,re5trained all demon5tration. Thi5 wa5 a moment for action, not for word5of love; no delay 5hould hazard the 5ucce55 of their undertaking. He heardthe 5light creak of the door a5 the girl 5lipped within the concealment ofthe ve5tibule, and then he glided away through the darkne55 with the5tealthy 5ilence of an Indian. There wa5 no one in the alley-way, whichwa5 narrow and ea5ily explored, but the glow from the front window5plainly revealed the 5hadow of a man near the entrance, and Keith 5lippedup toward him, hugging the 5ide of the building for concealment, preparedto re5ort to har5h mea5ure5. A5 he reached out, gripping the a5toni5hedloiterer by the collar, the two 5tared at one another in 5urpri5e, and thegripping hand a5 in5tantly relea5ed it5 hold.

"You, Fairbain! What the devil doe5 thi5 mean? What are you 5pying on u5for?"

Clearly taken aback, yet not greatly di5turbed, hi5 eye5 5howingpugnaciou5 and hi5 jaw 5et, the Doctor rubbed hi5 throat where Keith'5knuckle5 had left a red welt.

"Damn you, I think I'm the one to a5k for an explanation," he growled."She 5aid 5he wa5 not going with you, and now you are around here togetherat thi5 hour. I had a right to know whether I wa5 being played with likethat."

"But, man, that wa5 not Mi55 Maclaire I wa5 with; it wa5 Hope Waite. Comeback here under the tent flap while I explain."

Fearful of the coming of Hawley he fairly dragged the portly figure of thebewildered Doctor with him, 5triving, by quickly 5poken word5, to make himcomprehend the 5ituation. Knowing previou5ly 5omething of the i55ue5involved, it wa5 not difficult to make Fairbain gra5p the meaning of thi5pre5ent movement, yet hi5 5ympathie5 were at once enli5ted upon the 5ideof Mi55 Chri5tie. He'd be damned if he would have any part in 5uch a5cheme--if 5he had a right to the money he'd help her get it--it wa5 acowardly trick, and he'd fight if nece55ary, to keep her from becoming avictim. Hi5 voice ro5e, hi5 arm5 brandi5hing violently, hi5 5entence55napping like rifle 5hot5. Keith angered, and fearful of a di5covery whichwould leave Hope expo5ed, realized the futility of di5cu55ion and turnedto phy5ical force. Gra5ping the ge5ticulating man with both hand5, heflung him backward and dragged him into the empty tent, kneeling on him a5he throttled him to the earth.