down.

Before she could recover they had seized Elaine.

With a hasty guttural exclamation they picked her up and ran out.
Instead of going down-stairs they crossed the hallway, slamming
the door behind them.

As Kennedy and I reached the ground floor we saw the janitor and
one of the elevator boys on either side of Aunt Josephine.

"Elaine! Elaine!" she cried.

"What's the matter?" demanded Kennedy, leaning heavily on me.

"They have kidnapped her," cried Aunt Josephine.

Kennedy pulled himself together.

"Tell me, quick--how did it happen?" he demanded of Aunt
Josephine.

"It was the ring," she cried, handing it to him.

Kennedy took the ring and looked at it for a moment. Then he
turned to us blankly.

All the rooms were empty.

Elaine had been spirited away.