IX


It was about this time that the firm of Blackwell, Hanover & Dunham had a
difficult case to work out which involved the gathering of evidence from
Chicago and thereabouts, and it was with pleasure that Judge Blackwell
accepted the eager proposal from the junior member of the firm that he
should go out and attend to it.

As Tryon Dunham entered the sleeper, and placed his suit-case beside him
on the seat, he was reminded of the night when he had taken this train
with the girl who had come to occupy a great part of his thoughts in these
days. He had begun to feel that if he could ever hope to shake off his
anxiety and get back to his normal state of mind, he must find her and
unravel the mystery about her. If she were safe and had friends, so that
he was not needed, perhaps he would be able to put her out of his
thoughts, but if she were not safe----He did not quite finish the
sentence even in his thoughts, but his heart beat quicker always, and he
knew that if she needed him he was ready to help her, even at the
sacrifice of his life.

All during the journey he planned a campaign for finding her, until he
came to know in his heart that this was the real mission for which he had
come to Chicago, although he intended to perform the other business
thoroughly and conscientiously.