Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Print project.) THAT AFFAIR AT ELIZABETH BY BURTON E. STEVENSON AUTHOR OF "THE MARATHON MYSTERY," "THE HOLLADAY CASE," ETC. NEW YORK HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 1907 COPYRIGHT, 1907, BY HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY _Published October, 1907_ THE QUINN & BODEN CO. PRESS RAHWAY, N. J. CONTENTS I. AN URGENT SUMMONS II. A BRIDE'S VAGARY III. THE LOVER'S STORY IV. A STRANGE MESSAGE V. DEEPER IN THE MAZE VI. AN ASTONISHING REQUEST VII. TANGLED THREADS VIII. THE PATH THROUGH THE GROVE IX. THE OLD SORROW X. THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHT XI. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE XII. WORD FROM THE FUGITIVE XIII. PURSUIT XIV. RECALLED TO THE FRONT XV. A BATTLE OF WITS XVI. THE SECRET OF THE CELLAR XVII. A TRAGEDY UNFORESEEN XVIII. A NEW TURN TO THE PUZZLE XIX. UNDER SUSPICION XX. AN APPEAL FOR ADVICE XXI. CROSS-PURPOSES XXII. LIGHT AT LAST! XXIII. THE STORY XXIV. THE SECRET XXV. THE REVELATION XXVI. THE RETURN XXVII. THE CURTAIN LIFTS THAT AFFAIR AT ELIZABETH CHAPTER I An Urgent Summons "That seems to be all right, Lester," said Mr. Royce, and handed the papers back to me. "I'll be mighty glad when we get that off our hands." So, I knew, would the whole force of the office, for the case had been an unusually irritating one, tangling itself up in the most unexpected ways, until, with petitions and counter-petitions and answers and demurrers and what not, we were all heartily tired of it. I slipped the papers into an envelope and shot them into a pigeon-hole with a sigh of relief. "I think that'll end it," I said. "I don't see how there can be any further delay." "No," agreed our junior, "neither do I. Are the papers in the Griffin case ready?" "Not yet; I doubt if they will be ready before this afternoon." "Well, they can wait," he said, and glanced at his watch. "I want to catch the ten-ten for Elizabeth." "For Elizabeth?" "Yes. I know it's a mighty awkward time for me to leave, but it's an engagement I've got to keep. You've heard me speak of Burr Curtiss?" "Yes," I said; "I seem to remember the name."