popular. That's what's behind most of these bank embezzlements--
men getting into society and spending more than they make."

Dale hailed the tinkle of the city telephone with an inward sigh of
relief. The detective moved to answer the house phone on the wall
by the alcove, mistaking the direction of the ring. Dale corrected
him quickly.

"No, the other one. That's the house phone." Anderson looked the
apparatus over.

"No connection with the outside, eh?"

"No," said Dale absent-mindedly. "Just from room to room in the
house."

He accepted her explanation and answered the other telephone.

"Hello--hello--what the--" He moved the receiver hook up and
down, without result, and gave it up. "This line sounds dead," he
said.

"It was all right a few minutes ago," said Dale without thinking.

"You were using it a few minutes ago?"

She hesitated--what use to deny what she had already admitted, for
all practical purposes.

"Yes."