Page:Waylaid by Wireless - Balmer - 1909.djvu/214

Rh between the time of his leaving us at the Tudor and the sailing of the Bahia; but I can prove satisfactorily, I think, that he had not even left the Tudor till the Bahia had already sailed!"

The American caught himself about, his sudden amazement startling him from his stupor.

"Miss Var—" he started again; but the girl looked up and caught his gaze, and for the second time she held him helpless before her strange, imperative appeal to him. He checked himself, wondering, and watched her silently. Again the officers appeared not to have noticed his exclamation.

"You appreciate, Miss Varris," the inspector warned gravely, "that it is not sufficient for you merely to state this; you must prove it."

"I appreciate that, Inspector."

She thought a moment and then looked about the group of the local authorities in the background which had given way to the Plymouth police.

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