Page:The Master of Mysteries (1912).djvu/407

 "I wanted to ask his advice."

"You may deal with me; and if he decides to continue with your case I shall let you know." Valeska looked her sweetest, but her voice was crisp and cool.

"Well, the fact is, I've seen Miss Manning three times, and she certainly has got me going. I wanted to talk to Astro about it."

"Talk to me."

"Well, it was this way. I went up to Seventy-third Street and hung around the afternoon you telephoned, and I did succeed in seeing her; but I was across the street, and before I could get to her she had got into a carriage. Well, I've been up there very often since; but I never caught her till about ten days ago. She was walking down the block, and as I passed her she recognized me and stopped. The first thing she said was, 'Can you help me? Will you help me?' I said of course I would. It was romantic. I don't mind saying it was mighty exciting to me. We walked a way, and she told me an extraordinary thing. I can't believe it; indeed, it's impossible. But she believed it, though she said it was impossible, too."

"Well, what was it?"

"Why, she said, 'I'm frightened because something that's obviously impossible is true. One hour ago I was in Chicago!' What do you think of that?"

"I should say that she was insane."

"That was my first idea; but, as you see, she herself admitted that such a thing was impossible, as it takes twenty-four hours to go from Chicago to New York. It was four o'clock. She said she was in Chicago in front of the Auditorium at three."

"Well, what did she expect you to do for her?"