"Well," I replied, "of course there's a lot of talk now in the
papers about aphasia and amnesia and all that stuff. But, you
know, we reporters are a sceptical lot. We have to be shown. I
can't say we put much faith in THAT."

"But what is your explanation? You fellows always have an opinion.
Sometimes I think the newspapermen are our best detectives."

"I can't say that we have any opinion in this case--yet," I
returned frankly. "When a girl just simply disappears on Fifth
Avenue and there isn't even the hint of a clue as to any place she
went or how, well--oh, there's Kennedy now. Put it up to him."

"We were just talking of that Betty Blackwell disappearance case,"
resumed Carton, when the greetings were over. "What do you think
of it?"

"Think of it?" repeated Kennedy promptly with a keen glance at the
District Attorney; "why, Judge, I think of it the same as you
evidently do. If you didn't think it was a case that was in some
way connected with your vice and graft investigation, you wouldn't
be here. And if I didn't feel that it promised surprising results,
aside from the interest I always have naturally in solving such
mysteries, I wouldn't be ready to take up the offer which you came
here to make."

"You're a wizard, Kennedy," laughed Carton, though it was easily
seen that he was both pleased and relieved to think that he had
enlisted Craig's services so easily.