especially. Within six months of his death the very thing he feared
happened. Eva Wilkinson was at Whiteladies at the time with her
companion, Mrs. Reville. After dinner one evening she went alone on to
the terrace, and from that moment had entirely disappeared. A telegram
was sent that night to Sir Michael, who was in London, Scotland Yard was
informed, and the mystery was given me to solve.

I had commenced my inquiries when on going to Chelsea in the evening
Quarles told me he had met Ewart Wilkinson about three years before, and
under the circumstances he was very interested in the mystery.

"The fact that he was afraid of something happening to his daughter
suggests that he had some reason for his fear," I said.

"It does, Wigan--it does! He mentioned this very thing to me three
years ago, and I thought then there was some one in his past of whom he
was afraid."

"And his past seems to be a closed book," I returned.

"Eva Wilkinson must be between eighteen and nineteen," Zena
remarked. "Kidnaping a girl of that age is a different thing from
kidnaping a child."

"True!" said Quarles.

"Isn't it more probable that she went away willingly?" said Zena.

"You don't help me, my dear," said the professor with a frown, and the
suggestion seemed to irritate him. It stuck in his mind, however, for