_Baldwin Shows His Hand_ "There's a swarm of reporters down in the lobby all excited over McCarthy," announced Swanson as, in obedience to orders, he, with Kennedy, Norton and Technicalities Feehan, gathered in Clancy's room soon after breakfast. "Let them wait," replied Clancy. "They've been calling up here every five minutes." Briefly each of the players recounted the little they had seen or heard during the preceding evening, Swanson giving his account of his engagement with McCarthy, his telephone conversation with Miss Baldwin, of her evident sincerity when she informed him as to McCarthy's departure from the house and of his vain wait. "But what could have happened?" asked Kennedy. "You're sure he got out of the house? It's only two blocks to the street car line and three to the elevated on lighted streets, you say. If he was hit by an automobile or held up by robbers it would have been in the newspapers." "Manager Clancy," said Feehan softly from his perch upon a trunk, which gave him the aspect of a huge owl, "I have been giving consideration to a plan. Unless Mr. McCarthy should arrive on the 11.45 train I shall catch the noonday express for home, arriving there shortly after five, to put my plan into effect." "But you cannot neglect your work, Feehan," protested the manager. "It's fine of you to offer it, but you've got yourself to think of." "I have a premonition," responded the reporter solemnly, "or what Mr. Swanson so graphically expresses as a 'hunch,' that the story at the other end is bigger than the story of the contest. Besides, Mr. Hardner has kindly consented to report the game of to-day for my paper as well as his own." "What's your theory, Technicalities?" asked Clancy gratefully. "Only one of two things are probable," explained Feehan. "Either McCarthy left of his own accord or because of threats made to him or else he has been kidnapped by certain--ah--interests, let us say, desirous of preventing the Bears from winning the championship emblem." "Ah, Kohinoor wouldn't quit, and they couldn't scare him," growled Swanson. "Precisely, Mr. Swanson. The statistics prove beyond doubt that he is not concerned in the losing of games, putting aside the fact that the young man undoubtedly is honest and sincere. That leaves us only one premise, the other having been found untenable. Mr. McCarthy has been kidnapped." "I can't figure how they could take him in a public street or from a street car," interposed Clancy. "I have calculated that," said the reporter. "Either he is in the Baldwin home and Miss Baldwin ah--er--falsified or he was attacked between her uncle's home and the street car line two and one-half blocks distant." "How do you propose finding him?" asked Clancy. "I shall arrive at 5.11," replied the peculiar little man of news quietly. "Before six o'clock I shall have one of the best detective agencies in the world scouring the city."