explains the whole thing. Miss Nash has gone out of town."

"She hasn't done any such thing," Marion exclaimed indignantly,
springing to her feet. "Helen isn't that kind of a girl. I know she is
peculiar, but she isn't a coward. It's evident now that she knew
something about affairs here that resulted in the sending of that
threatening letter to me, and she kept her information secret for some
reason. Whatever her reason was, she meant all right."

"Did she at any time urge or suggest that it would not be well for the
girls to come here in the holidays?" Mr. Stanlock inquired.

"Never a word," Marion replied, positively. "I admit that once or
twice I noticed that there was something peculiar in her manner, and
it may have had something to do with her condition back of these
developments, but that is all."

"How do you account for her disappearance?" asked Detective Meyer,
with puzzled humility.

"I don't pretend to account for it," Marion replied, quickly. "That's
a problem for you men to solve. All I know is that Helen did not
intentionally desert us. She's gone, and she went for some reason, and
I believe that reason is connected with the letter. Now, it's up to
you men to find her, and, if you don't find her pretty quick, I'll go
and find her myself."

A murmur of applause swept the room.

"We'll do it," declared the tall, thin detective.