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 made him slow. He could not help watching the stair and soon saw the servant reappear and look about the hall for them.

"Will you come to the telephone, Miss Hale?" the man asked. "I told the lady that Miss Hale said her mother had gone to Mrs. Cleve's, and the lady said that she couldn't look up another number; if Miss Hale was here, she must speak with her at once."

"I'll come," Marjorie said, suddenly pale. For the servant had communicated to her alarm which he had received from "the lady" on the telephone. "You needn't come down," Marjorie said to Gregg; she was looking about for Billy, but, not finding him at once, she did not wait; Gregg went downstairs with her to the booth, and as he heard her make reply he knew that the thing he feared had happened; but, of course, knowledge of it could come to her only slowly.

"Yes; I am Miss Hale—the daughter of Charles Hale; yes," he heard her reply steadily. "My father went down to take the Alton train to St. Louis. No; he did not go there directly; he had an engagement first. I don't know where" her voice was beginning to break, and Gregg clenched his hands tight while he waited. No one was about that end of the hall but the servant who had summoned them, and Gregg ordered him away.

"What has happened to my father? Where is he?" Gregg heard Marjorie's voice crying. "I don't know where he is, or of course I would tell you. I want to know where he is, myself. What do you know about him? What"

Gregg pulled open the door of the booth, and as Marjorie turned about with the instrument in her hand