"He's lying to you, child," said Mrs. Burton, shooting vindictive glances at Barnes. "Don't you know he's a friend of that wretch Gladwin? But they can't hoodwink me. I know what to do now! Helen is not of age--I'll swear out a warrant--I'll have him arrested for abduction, a State prison offense." "No, no, no," implored Barnes, in real alarm, "you must not do that. That will make the whole thing public, and that is just what Gladwin is trying to avoid." "Don't you suppose I know that," sneered Mrs. Burton. "He's probably a bigamist. He may have a dozen wives living--the beast!" "But won't you understand," insisted Barnes. "He's trying to save her, privately." "Now, what are you talking about?" Mrs. Burton regarded him as if she had suddenly realized he was a raving maniac. And by way of justifying her inspiration he stumbled on blindly: "I don't know--you see, it's this way. Gladwin and I only found it out this afternoon--quite by accident. And we decided to save her." "That's enough--stop!" cried Mrs. Burton. "You're talking all this nonsense to detain us. But I won't stay a minute longer. Come, Sadie, we will go to the police station. I'll never rest until I have that monster in jail." And with another dagger glance at Barnes she swept her niece and herself out of the room and out of the house to the waiting automobile. Barnes gripped his forehead in both hands to steady his reeling brain. "Isn't that just like a woman," he complained. "After explaining explicitly she's going to have him arrested. But, by Jove! I must find Travers and warn him that the police are on his track." Seizing his hat and stick he rushed out into the night, just in time to see Mrs. Burton's--or rather Jabez Hogg's--big car glide away from the curb and shoot down the avenue like a vast projectile. CHAPTER XXV. PHELAN MEETS HIS UNIFORM AGAIN. About the time the Gladwin mansion was ringing with the shrill staccato outbursts of Mrs. Elvira Burton, the owner of that luxurious dwelling was leaning against the Central Park wall a few blocks away engaged in earnest conversation with a small boy. "You ought to be in bed," the young man was saying, severely, looking down at the lad and noting how thinly he was clad and yet how little he appeared to suffer from the sting of the chill night air. "Bed nuttin'," responded the boy, curtly. "I'm lookin' fer me dog. Did yez seen him go by--he's a t'oroughbred an' lost one ear battlin' with a bull." "Oh, so you're her brother, then," laughed Gladwin. "Who's brudder?" asked the boy, suspiciously. "May's," said Gladwin, "or I should say the brother of Miss May Henny." "Hully gee!" ejaculated the boy. "Did dat kid skin out too after me an' the old man tellin' her to stay in bed an' shut up her bellerin?" "Yes," said Gladwin, "and the young lady, with my aid, found the valuable animal you are searching for--a black dog with a white spot over the right eye and no tail."