The Chief Legatee

by the lady who had flitted away so mysteriously. The former was brown, all brown; and the latter was of the tailor-made variety, very natty and becoming. "What you would c

bled, and her husban

ead. She was behind him,

e was highly

h a sharp look at the boy: "Where were you th

king quickly round to see if any one was noticing her, slide off into the reception-room. I thought she wanted a drink of water

ansom when he walked

I stayed i

hen she slid thus myst

me in. But she wasn't at her ease, si

at those rooms now," Gerri

the reception-room door. The diagram of this portion of

n no one. This staggered him. It was as if his wife had dissolved into thin air. True, she might have eluded him by slipping out into the hall by means of door two at the moment he entered door one; and alert to this possibility, he hastened back into the hall to look for her. But she was nowhere visible, nor had she been observed leaving the building by the man stationed at entrance A. But there was another exit, that of B. Had she gone out that way? Mr. Ransom had taken pains to inquire and had been assured by the ma

he

fter the gentleman a

dressed i

look at ladies' dresses unles

lame and she c

emembered

the open compartment of the whirling door. "I'm of

en Mr. Ransom was call

tion, Mr.

who ar

rri

ght, go

of the woman you spo

e was looking

ould identify it if

that

all, g

uit was

oor and Gerridge entered. He held a photograph in his hand

aid he. "Do you r

e l

she had seen no one come in

n of surprised inquiry

some dim idea of having seen them before. It was she who rode to the hotel with you; not y

table before which he had been stand

lton's house. More than that, from my wife's room. What

s for the meaning of this outrage, it will take more than two hours to

rs. Ra

ent you did; you and Miss Burton. O

e?

before we're out of this muddle. If you won't mind a bit of advice from a man

hy, Mr. Ransom controlled both his anger and his h

murmured to himself. "