Ryder might have uttered that exclamation himself, there was so much emphasis in it. The dull red of rage rose in his cheek. He was tempted to leap up and kick aside the screen and---- "It--it is awful!" wailed Mrs. Judson. "And people have seen me with them. I--I was over-urged by them to take supper at their table last night. And it was in their rooms I had my bad spell later. You know, dear, I am not at all myself when I get hysterical. I am not accountable for what I do. The doctor says so himself. But when Miss Solomons interfered and kept them from robbing me----" "Robbing you!" gasped the other woman. "How terrible!" "Wasn't it? That girl really is sharp. Of course, it seems strange to have a girl for a house detective, and she is dreadfully slangy and bookish----" "Yes, yes!" murmured the other. "But tell me about this Ryder and the woman? Of course, he would not have robbed you. It must have been the woman--some awful creature he has brought here, of course. Men are such beasts!" "Aren't they?" agreed the widow. "And she gave me quite another name from Ryder. The bold thing!" "Are they here under an alias?" gasped the other gossip. "I was told they had only just been married." "They can't be married at all. She doesn't go by his name. I never heard of anything so disgraceful--and right here at the Pinewood Inn which is supposed to be so select." Ryder rose up so suddenly that he kicked over his chair. He wanted to kick away the screen, too, and fall tooth and nail upon "that old cat who dared say such vile things about Ruth." Not daring to trust himself even to look at the two women, he hurried out of the room, completely forgetting his breakfast. "There!" he muttered, striding in the direction of the café. "That serves us right for associating with strangers. Ruth shouldn't have taken up with her in the first place. "Hang it! I should not have allowed the woman's familiarity myself. I could have nipped it in the bud last night at supper. I shouldn't expect an unsophisticated girl like Ruth to see through such an old stager as that Judson. And Miss Solomons! Gad! "How can human beings be so cruel to each other? Women in particular! It is a mystery to me! "What did the old cat mean about Ruth giving her another name? I swear I must have a talk with Ruth. Not my wife? Heavens on earth! when I've got the certificate of our marriage right here in my pocket?" and he struck himself on the breast with emphasis. "If that old fool keeps up her clatter I may have to have the certificate photographed and a copy handed to every guest of the Pinewood Inn!" CHAPTER XVI THE DUTY AGAIN DEVOLVES Ryder feed a waiter to bring him some breakfast into the café and did something he had never done before in his life--drank a "life saver" before the morning meal.