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162 morning and leave immediately for the Pacific Coast via Santa Fé Route."

Comparison between this and the message purporting to be from Rose distilled the conviction that the same hand was responsible for both.

Alan shrugged. So he was to be lured away from New York and Rose by this transparent trick, was he? No fear! But—he had a plan!

Promptly Alan called up the Aviation Fields at Hempstead Plains and got into communication with a gentleman answering to the surname of Coast, the same bird-man who had come to Alan's rescue with his hydroplane. Their arrangements were quickly consummated. Coast agreeing to wait for Alan with his biplane in Van Cortlandt Park from midnight till daybreak, prepared if need be to undertake a trans-continental flight.

Another man would have needed twelve hours in bed at the least to compensate for such a day; Mr. Law after three hours of sleep awakened in a lamb-like temper when called at 11:30.

At midnight he committed an act of burglarly [sic], calmly and with determination breaking his way into the house of Seneca Trine through the area windows and basement. Nothing hindered and none opposed him. He explored the dwelling minutely, room by room, story