have you and this other woman met the Baron yet? How far has it
gone?"

The look she gave him was peculiar. I could not fathom what was
going on in her mind. But there was no hesitation about her
answer. "Yes," she replied, "I--we have met him. He is to come
back to New York from Washington to-day--this afternoon--to
arrange a private loan of five million dollars with some bankers
secretly. We were to see him to-night--a quiet dinner, after an
automobile ride up the Hudson--"

"Both of you?" interrupted Craig.

"Yes--that--that other woman and myself," she repeated, with a
peculiar catch in her voice. "To-night was the time fixed in the
drawing for the--"

The word stuck in her throat. Kennedy understood. "Yes, yes," he
encouraged, "but who is the other woman?"

Before she could reply, the buzzer had sounded again and she had
retreated from the door. Quickly Kennedy closed it and opened the
outside door.

It was our old friend Burke of the Secret Service.

Without a word of greeting, a hasty glance seemed to assure him
that Kennedy and I were alone. He closed the door himself, and,
instead of sitting down, came close to Craig.