THE VOICE ON THE WIRE





CHAPTER I

WHEN THREE IS A MYSTERY



"Mr. Shirley is waiting for you in the grill-room, sir. Just
step this way, sir, and down the stairs."

The large man awkwardly followed the servant to the cosey
grill-room on the lower floor of the club house. He felt that
every man of the little groups about the Flemish tables must be
saying: "What's he doing here?"

"I wish Monty Shirley would meet me once in a while in the back
room of a ginmill, where I'd feel comfortable," muttered the
unhappy visitor. "This joint is too classy. But that's his game
to play--"

He reached the sought-for one, however, and exclaimed eagerly:
"By Jiminy, Monty. I'm glad to find you--it would have been my
luck after this day, to get here too late."

He was greeted with a grip that made even his generous hand