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Rh until the butler had departed upon his errand and then turned to the others: "I shall be back in a moment, and I must ask that none of you attempt to leave the room in my absence. If you do, my men here have their orders as to how to proceed."

The doctor sank into a chair with a gasp; but Lorne twisted irascibly upon his couch.

"Of all the high-handed—", he began.

"Oh, see it through, Dad," Rannie chuckled. "If he has gone to the trouble of arranging this little entertainment for our edification we might at least listen politely. Eh, Gene?"

"I don't know about its being so entertaining," Gene responded nervously. "I rather fancy we are in for a mighty serious quarter of an hour. I've learned that Sergeant Odell knows what he's about."

Thereafter an awkward silence reigned until the door opened again and the detective reappeared accompanied by the family lawyer, whose usually grim, imperturbable face bore a singularly dazed expression.

He nodded to the rest without speaking and took the chair which Odell turned in the doorway to indicate. Then the latter faced the hall once more in an attitude of anticipation, and the strained silence continued.

Minute followed dragging minute, and even Rannie's twisted face lost its satirical grin when at last soft, padded footsteps sounded up the back stairs and Peters again came into view bearing a cup from the steam of which an appetizing aroma rose.

Odell stepped forward, took the tray from his hands and whispered something which the others could not hear, but which the butler seemed to accept without question or sur-