The boy advanced toward the apartment designated. Miss Hollingsworth made no attempt to detain him as he passed her; but there was a strange, meaning smile on her face, the significance of which our hero did not comprehend. He entered the adjoining room. His sister lay upon the bed, fully dressed and apparently asleep. He was about to lift her in his arms when there came from the other room a strange, wild peal of laughter. It was immediately followed by a terrific explosion. Al was thrown to the floor, half stunned by the shock. In a few moments he had risen. The wall separating the two rooms was partially destroyed; the drawing room was in flames, there was no possibility of escape in that direction. The boy rushed to the window and threw it open. An exclamation burst from his lips; there was a fire escape outside. He lifted the still unconscious girl in his arms, and a moment later he had begun the perilous descent of the frail iron ladder. It was made in safety; in a few moments Al had deposited the girl in a carriage which had been in waiting for him. By this time, early as was the hour, the street was thronged with people, attracted by the terrific explosion. The upper part of the house was in flames, the fire escape was now crowded, and the half-dressed tenants of the building were rushing out, panic-stricken, from the various exits. Al was fortunate enough to attract but little attention; five minutes later he and his sister were in a place of safety. His sudden appearance on the scene may be briefly explained. The hack driver, Tim Story, had given him the card which he had received from Farley, and Al had lost no time in going to the address given. In their excitement Farley and his companion had left the outer door of their flat unfastened, and the boy had been able to effect an entrance without difficulty. As had happened more than once before in his life, his natural energy and push had been supplemented by good luck. A physician, whom Al at once summoned, gave it as his opinion that Gladys was under the influence of an opiate, but that in all probability there was no danger of serious results from the adventure. CHAPTER XXXII. AND LAST. It was nearly ten o'clock that morning when the girl awoke from her stupor; and, to Al's intense relief, she seemed none the worse for her experience. All she could remember of the events of the previous night was that she had been forced to enter the carriage at the stage door of the Rockton Theater, and that as soon as she was inside the vehicle a handkerchief saturated with some drug--chloroform, she believed--had been pressed to her nostrils. Then she lost all consciousness of her surroundings. She had no recollection whatever of the journey to New York, or of any of the subsequent events.