over the wire that the will was missing from the safe, and that
it was the only thing missing. From his excitement I judge that
there is more to the story than he cared to tell over the 'phone.
He said his car was on the way to the city, and he asked if I
wouldn't come and help him--he wouldn't say how. Now, I know him
pretty well, and I'm going to ask you to come along, Walter, for
the express purpose of keeping this thing out of the newspapers
understand?--until we get to the bottom of it."

A few minutes later the telephone rang and the hall-boy announced
that the car was waiting. We hurried down to it; the chauffeur
lounged down carelessly into his seat and we were off across the
city and river and out on the road to Great Neck with amazing
speed.

Already I began to feel something of Kennedy's zest for the
adventure. I found myself half a dozen times on the point of
hazarding a suspicion, only to relapse again into silence at the
inscrutable look on Kennedy's face. What was the mystery that
awaited us in the great lonely house on Long Island?

We found Fletcherwood a splendid estate directly on the bay, with
a long driveway leading up to the door. Professor Fletcher met
us at the porte cochere, and I was glad to note that, far from
taking me as an intruder, he seemed rather relieved that someone
who understood the ways of the newspapers could stand between him
and any reporters who might possibly drop in.

He ushered us directly into the library and closed the door. It
seemed as if he could scarcely wait to tell his story.