"I am driving the Professor in his automobile," Craig explained. "It
occurred to me that if he were going to be long here, I should have time
to go and order another tire. It is of no consequence, though. I will go
down and wait in the car."

Lenora stood at the top of the stairs and watched him disappear. Then she
went thoughtfully back to her work. The Professor and Quest were talking
at the farther end of the room.

"I was in hopes, in great hopes," the Professor admitted, "that you might
have heard something. I promised to call at Mrs. Rheinholdt's this
afternoon."

Quest shook his head.

"There is nothing to report at present, Mr. Ashleigh," he announced.

"Dear me," the Professor murmured, "this is very disappointing. Is there
no clue, Mr. Quest--no clue at all?"

"Not the ghost of one," Quest acknowledged. "I am as far from solving the
mystery of the disappearance of your skeleton and Mrs. Rheinholdt's
necklace, as I have ever been."

The Professor failed entirely to conceal his disappointment. His tone, in
fact, was almost peevish.

"I should have expected this from the regular officials of the law, Mr.
Quest," he admitted, "but I must say that in your hands I had hoped--but