that funeral gait a good quarter of a mile down to the edge of the grounds, with the cold shivers chasing each other up and down my spine every foot of the way, and the beads of sweat popping out on my forehead as big as hen's eggs. Gosh," with a lively recollection of his experience, "I wouldn't go through it again for twice the haul!"

"At what spot did you finally leave the grounds?" I broke in, with assumed eagerness. It is never wise to let your opponent know the exact number of trumps in your hand.

My feint deceived him.

"Ah," he parried warily; "that was not in the bargain."

"Why are you so keen to recover those old sapphires?" he asked curiously, after a little. "You have no interest in them, have you?"

"Yes, I have," I asserted; "a very strong interest in clearing myself from the charge of having stolen them."

"But outside of that?" he probed.

"None; except that I have always felt myself in a measure to blame for the theft. If I had not agreed to Miss Yeats's plan, they would never have been taken.”

"Oh, don't go to cultivating a sensitive conscience," he broke in impatiently. "It's like nursing a cold; the more you cocker it up, the worse it gets. What I mean, is that beyond your personal connection with the affair, you don't really care a hang whether those stones are ever recovered or not?"

"No; I suppose not."

"Then, why not let them go?" he urged. "You are in no danger. Let Captain McCracken come to me, and I'll show him how to fix things so you need never fear the slightest trouble.-Oh, I'm not blind to what is on between you two," as I strove to interrupt. "I knew long before you ever told me, that there was no chance of your hooking up with us.

"And I'm not blaming you either, mind," he went on heartily enough, although he turned his eyes away, and became suddenly interested in the working of the brake. "He's a good fellow, and he's got money to burn, they say.

"All that I want is to have him burn some of it to get you out of this scrape. A couple of thou. in the right quarter would settle things, so that Baggerly or nobody else would have any license to bother you. You just arrange it so

that the Captain and I can have a ‘heart to heart talk'; and I'll guarantee that you hear nothing more of any suspicions against you."

I smiled at his impetuous pleading. "But the rubies would still be missing," I reminded him.

He laughed in a pleased, mysterious fashion. We had reached the city long ere this, and were now scudding down Riverside Drive. Irrelevantly, as it seemed, he pointed out an evergreen tree some little distance away.

"Not quite time for those things yet," he chuckled; "but maybe Santa Claus is coming ahead of schedule this year. Take my advice, Miss Bramblestone, and hang up your stocking to-night."

A moment later, we had turned into the avenue. "Where shall I put you down?" he questioned. "At home?"

I thought a moment. Yes; it was the safest refuge I could find. Bender and the detectives would search for me every place but there. Beside, it behooved me to be on hand to effect my final stroke.

"Yes," I assented, "at home."

We whirled up to the entrance with a flourish,

and he handed me out of the car with the aplomb of a courtier.

"Don't forget to look for Santa," he again adjured me, as he released my hand. "I am almost certain he will come to-night."

CHAPTER IV

AT THE STROKE OF TEN

It was three o'clock when Harry Glenn landed me at my door. I had seven hours in which to complete my preparations for the next bout in my match with Baggerly. For despite Glenn's advice to forego any further quest into the matter of the sapphires, and his practical promise to restore the rubies, I was still firmly determined to expose my arch enemy.

Nor would I have it believed that I was actuated in this solely by a desire for revenge. It was rather that I was honestly afraid of the man. His persecution of me had been so vindictive, so causelessly malicious, that I could not feel myself protected from future attack by any less assurance than a final scotching of his powers for evil.

Learning through the telephone that Mrs. Van Suyden was not at home, and that her necklace could not therefore be returned before the morrow, I turned the fruits of my expedition over