marry."

"There are grounds," said Gatewood guardedly, "for your suspicions. _Et
après?_"

"Good. Then there's a way! I know--"

"Oh, don't tell me you 'know a girl,' or anything like that!" began
Gatewood sullenly. "I've heard that before, and I won't meet her."

"I don't want you to; I don't know anybody. All I desire to say is this:
I do know a way. The other day I noticed a sign on Fifth Avenue:


KEEN & CO.
TRACERS OF LOST PERSONS

It was a most extraordinary sign; and having a little unemployed
imagination I began to speculate on how Keen & Co. might operate, and I
wondered a little, too, that, the conditions of life in this city could
enable a firm to make a living by devoting itself exclusively to the
business of hunting up missing people."

Kerns paused, partly to light a cigarette, partly for diplomatic
reasons.

"What has all this to do with me?" inquired Gatewood curiously; and
diplomacy scored one.

"Why not try Keen & Co.?"