"Tell me first," I said, "and I may be able to advise you. In any
case, it will be confidential."

"You are kind," she said, and her grateful eyes smiled appreciatively.
"It's this. I'd rather not have that--that Miss Van Allen traced, if
it can be prevented in any way. I have a special reason for this,
which I think I will tell you. It is, that, on thinking it over I have
become convinced that my husband must have known the young woman, and
the acquaintance was not to his credit. For some reason, I think, she
must have forbidden him the house, and that is why he went there under
an assumed name. Mr. Lowney succeeded in getting Mr. Steele on the
long distance telephone--"

"Why, where is Steele?"

"In Chicago. Mr. Lowney says that he had to go there on the midnight
train, and that is why he left the lady's house--Miss Van Allen's
house, so suddenly."

"Really? Well, I am surprised. But, go on, what else did Steele say?"

"He said that Mr. Schuyler was with him at the club, and that he, Mr.
Steele, said he was going to Miss Van Allen's party and Mr. Schuyler
begged him to take him along, and introduce him as Mr. Somers. It
seems he had asked Mr. Steele before to do this, but this time he was
more insistent. So Mr. Steele did it. Of course, Mr. Calhoun, I asked
Mr. Lowney minutely about all this, because I want to know just what
circumstances led up to my husband's going to that house."