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But his first words relieved her fears

"Spooky sort of place in the dark, isn't it?" he said casually

"Yes--rather" If he would only go away before Brooks ca arrived! But he seely chatty frame of mind

"Left me upstairs without apart of the way and falling the rest Don't suppose I'll ever find the roo the candle in his hand fro to stay up all night, are you?" said Dale nervously, hoping he would take the hint But he seemed entirely oblivious of such ar

"Oh, I may doze a bit," he said He eyed her with a certain approval She was a darned pretty girl and she looked intelligent "I suppose you have a theory of your own about these intrusions you've been having here? Or apparently having"

"I knew nothing about theht"

"Still," he persisted conversationally, "you know about them now" But when she remained silent, "Is Miss Van Gorder usually--of a nervous tes, and all that?"

"I don't think so" Dale's voice was strained Where was Brooks? What had happened to hi "Know the Fle once or twice"

Solance at her "Nice fellow?"

"I don't know him at all well"

"Know the cashier of the Union Bank?" he shot at her suddenly

"No!" She strove desperately tobut she could not hide the little treood fa her "Very popular That's what's behindinto society and spending more than they make"

Dale hailed the tinkle of the city telephone with an inward sigh of relief The detective moved to answer the house phone on the wall by the alcove,Dale corrected him quickly

"No, the other one That's the house phone" Anderson looked the apparatus over

"No connection with the outside, eh?"

"No," said Dale absent-mindedly "Just from room to room in the house"

He accepted her explanation and answered the other telephone

"Hello--hello--what the--" He ave it up "This line sounds dead," he said

"It was all right a fewit a few o?"