dressed himself hurriedly.

"What is it?" asked his wife, who had been awakened from a heavy
slumber by the noise at the window.

"Archie Voss didn't get home last night."

"What?" and Mrs. Birtwell started out of bed.

"There are two policemen at the door."

"Policemen!"

"Yes; making a grand row for nothing, as if young men never stayed
away from home. I must go down and see them. Go back into bed again,
Margaret. You'll take your death o' cold. There's nothing to be
alarmed about. He'll come up all right."

But Mrs. Birtwell did not return to her bed. With warm wrapper
thrown about her person, she stood at the head of the stairway while
her husband went down to admit the policemen. All that could be
learned from them was that Archie Voss had not come home from the
party, and that his friends were greatly alarmed about him. Mr.
Birtwell had no information to give. The young man had been at his
house, and had gone away some time during the night, but precisely
at what hour he could not tell.

"You noticed him through the evening?" said one of the policemen.

"Oh yes, certainly. We know Archie very well. He's always been