And so he shut up the house and went to his room. No one discovered that
Mr. Rothsay was missing until this morning. When the inaugural committee
came two hours ago, the servants told them all that I have just told
you."

"Who was the last visitor? He might throw some light upon this dark,
evil subject. Who was he?" abruptly demanded Aaron Rockharrt.

"I do not know. No one seems to know. Jasper says he never saw him
before, nor ever heard his name."

"Couldn't he see it on his card?"

"Jasper cannot read, you must remember."

"Where is that card? Let me see it!"

"It cannot be found."

"Conspiracy! Treason! Murder!" interrupted Aaron Rockharrt. "The
governor-elect has been decoyed away from the house by that last caller,
and has been murdered! And the people in the house may not be as
innocent or ignorant as they pretend to be. I will go out and take
counsel with the committee," he said, and he turned and strode out of
the drawing room.

When he reached the hall, however, he found that the officials had gone
to pursue their search for the missing man elsewhere. The men of his own
party were nowhere to be seen. The porter, Jasper, was the only occupant
of the hall, and Aaron Rockharrt opened the hall door and walked out.