The slamming of the front door of the Gladwin mansion struck upon the two young men as a numbing shock. They stood looking at each other with eyes that saw not and with expressions of idiotic vacancy. Within the span of a brief half hour they had been swept along on a rushing tide of emotions. They had been thrilled and mystified, mystified and thrilled. Nor was there any relief in the reaction. There was more mystery and more thrill ahead that demanded immediate action. Naturally the bulk of the thrill was heaped upon Travers Gladwin. He was not only fiercely convinced that he had fallen desperately in love, but the unknown beauty who had kindled this passion had revealed that she was coming that night to his home to meet and elope with a villain and an impostor. Here was a situation to scatter the wits of a Napoleon! It was no wonder that for a few moments his thoughts flattened themselves against an impassable barrier. Whitney Barnes was the first to revive and speak. "Now what do you think of that?" he drew out with a long breath. "I haven't begun to think yet," Gladwin managed to stammer. "I'm in no condition to think. I'm stunned." "And you've travelled all over the universe in search of a thrill, eh? Now you've got one you don't know what to do with it." While Gladwin was groping for a reply to this thrust Bateato breezed in with a swift sidelong rush, carrying a bulging portmanteau. "Bag all packed, sair," announced the little Jap, standing at attention. "Take it back. I'm not going now," said Gladwin, gruffly. Bateato's entrance had nipped another idea in the bud. "You no go?" said the Jap, in surprise. "No go--take back--unpack." "Ees, sair; 'scuse me," and Bateato started off with his usual noiseless rush. "Hold on," Gladwin checked him. "Wait a minute. Don't unpack it. Leave it in the hall. I may want it at a minute's notice." "Ees, sair," and the wondering valet steamed out into the hallway and vanished. "What are you going to do now?" asked Barnes, lighting a cigarette and offering one to his friend. Gladwin took a turn about the room, puffing nervously at the cigarette. Coming to a sudden stop he faced Barnes and reeled off in a quick volley: "I'm going to marry that girl! I've been all over the world, seen all kinds of 'em, and right here in my own house I find the one--the only one, on the verge of eloping with a bogus me. But I'm going to expose that man whoever he is--I'm going to rescue her from him." "For yourself?" "Yes, for myself, and I'm going to put him where he can never annoy her any more." "How the deuce are you going to do all this?" asked Barnes, planking himself down into a chair. "I don't know," said the other, "but I'm going to move the whole Western Hemisphere to do it, if necessary." "Rather a large contract," drawled Barnes. "But I say, Travers, if that fellow is going to steal your pictures it sort of sizes up as a case for the police."