“Oh,” said young Sanborn, “if it is a matter of business, I’ll give it if I can, and I won’t ask why.” “Will you tell us if you know a family of the name of Rainforth?” “I know of a family of that name living down here in Sixty-eighth Street.” “Colonel Rainforth, a widower, with one son and a daughter?” asked Chick. “Yes.” “Can you tell me anything about the daughter?” “I know her quite well,” said young Sanborn; “have known her a good many years, and have never known anything against her.” “Isn’t she rather queer?” asked Chick. “Oh, I don’t know but that she is in some of the things she does. She goes in for things that most of the young women do not. She rides, fences, drives tandems and four-in-hands, shoots, is gymnastic, and boxes--in fact, she goes in for all sorts of out-door sports. In that way, she is one of the new women.” “She and her brother are great chums?” asked Chick. “There’s no doubt of that,” said young Sanborn. “They’re very chummy. Travel together a good deal.” Young Sanborn suddenly turned sharply on Chick, looking at him very intently, and then said: “Oh, I say, here! Why, yes, I forgot.” He stopped a moment to think, and then said: “I see that you have got onto a little thing that escaped my memory. A year ago or more Julia Rainforth made a dead set for Ellison. She was so sweet on him that she followed him up constantly, put herself in his way to such an extent that people talked about it. But it’s all over, and has been since the time the engagement of my cousin and Ellison was announced.” “You are sure of that?” asked Chick. “There’s no doubt about it at all,” replied Sanborn, positively. Chick had no further questions to ask, and, a few moments later, young Sanborn went his way. Turning to Patsy, Chick said: “Well, Patsy, we’ve got something to report to the chief at last.” Then, they, too, walked away in the direction of their homes. CHAPTER XXI. IDA SEES MISS RAINFORTH. The next morning Nick Carter listened with surprise and deep interest to the tale which his two efficient aids had to tell him. “When we parted last night,” he said, “there hardly seemed to be an opening anywhere in this case. The only one was that which Patsy had suggested as to Lannigan. Now, after a night’s work, there seems to be so many that they are conflicting.” “Yes,” said Chick, “it seemed very straight when Patsy suggested that we could get to the woman who had written those letters by following up Lannigan. Well, we have found the woman who wrote the letters, but have learned nothing to show that she was connected with Lannigan, while the woman who is connected with Lannigan does not seem to have had anything to do with the letters, although if the string is right, she did have to do with Ellison.” “That’s why I say that our openings conflict,” said Nick.