one word that he read. A worried look crossed his face.

"Suppose Zoie were really in need of help, Aggie would certainly
never forgive him if he failed her." He rose and walked up and
down.

"Why was he not to tell Aggie?"

"Where was Alfred?" He stopped abruptly. His over excited
imagination had suggested a horrible but no doubt accurate
answer. "Wedded to an abomination like Zoie, Alfred had sought
the only escape possible to a man of his honourable ideals--he
had committed suicide."

Seizing his coat and hat Jimmy dashed through the outer office
without instructing his astonished staff as to when he might
possibly return.

"Family troubles," said the secretary to himself as he
appropriated one of Jimmy's best cigars.



CHAPTER IV

LESS than half an hour later, Jimmy's taxi stopped in front of
the fashionable Sherwood Apartments where Zoie had elected to
live. Ascending toward the fifth floor he scanned the face of
the elevator boy expecting to find it particularly solemn because
of the tragedy that had doubtless taken place upstairs. He was