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Rh It was opened by Nan, the younger daughter of the house, and looking beyond her, Odell saw a tall, good-looking young man rise slowly from the davenport.

"Oh, did—did you want to see me?" The girl's tone was surprised and a trifle confused. "Is there anything that I can do?"

"Look here, is this Sergeant Odell?" The young man had advanced with a certain truculence in his manner.

"Yes, Tad." Nan turned again to the detective, and he noted the blush which crept up into her cheeks. "This is my—our neighbor, Mr. Traymore."

"I'd like a word with you, sir," young Mr. Traymore announced. "I'm a lawyer—at least I'm going to be—and I know enough about the legal side of an investigation like this to be assured that you can't keep the whole household prisoners here till you have made up your mind who is at the bottom of the things that have been going on—"

"Oh, Tad!" the girl interrupted in faint remonstrance.

"I mean what I say," Tad went on doggedly. "This man has got you all buffaloed, but they can't hold you in your own home on suspicion; they have got to get a warrant and arrest you, if they want you detained; and they must show some grounds for that. This young lady says that you have given orders no one is to leave the house."

"Not at all," Odell replied gravely, although his mouth twitched a bit at the corners. "Miss Chalmers is free to come and go as she wishes; but of course, under the circumstances, anyone who leaves the house will be strictly watched and guarded until their return."

"I don't mean that. I want Miss Chalmers to come to my mother's, next door, and stay. She isn't safe here; no