lost all interest in that? When you were in France you often wrote
what impressions you were getting, and how much you intended to do when
you came home."

"I have done very little at that, and the sketches I made are still
uncompleted. Some day I may do something, but not now."

"You certainly have lost all interest, Tom, in the things that once
gave you so much pleasure."

"It is only too true, although I have honestly tried to return to the
old ways. But I must have a fling at something else to get this
restless feeling out of my system. What do you suggest! Perhaps it is
only a thrashing I need. That does children good sometimes."

The editor smiled as he pulled out a drawer in his desk, and brought
forth a fair-sized scrapbook. He slowly turned the pages and stopped
at length where a large newspaper clipping had been carefully pasted.

"I do not think you need a thrashing, Tom," he began. "But I believe I
can suggest something better than that. Here is an entry I made in
this book over fifteen years ago, and the story it contains appeals
strongly to me now. I read it at least once a year, and it has been
the cause of many a day-dream to me, and night-dream as well, for that
matter. Did you ever hear of the mysterious disappearance of Henry
Redmond, the wealthy merchant of this city? But I suppose not, as you
were young at the time."

"No, I never heard of him," Reynolds acknowledged. "Was he killed?"