"Well, then," I began, "you'll pardon me for saying it, but I don't believe you can help us any, just at present. Besides, you need to pull yourself together." "That's true," he agreed, and glanced at his trembling hands. "Take my advice," I went on earnestly, "and Mr. Royce's advice. Leave Elizabeth for a little while. There isn't much chance of my finding Miss Lawrence for a day or two. You must get your calmness and self-possession back, for you'll need them." "Yes," he said hoarsely; "yes, I'll need them. Very well, I'll do as you say, Mr. Lester. Only it's deuced selfish of me to throw my troubles on your shoulders this way." "Selfish nothing!" cried our junior. "Where will you go?" "I don't know," answered Curtiss helplessly. "Go to one of the beaches near New York. The sea-air and surf will do you good. Let us know where you are; then, if we want you, we won't have any trouble finding you, and you can get back here in an hour or two." "There's one thing Mr. Curtiss can do," I said. "A photograph of Miss Lawrence might prove a great help." "Why, of course," he assented, and thrust his hand into an inner pocket. But, after an instant's hesitation, he drew it out empty. "I can't give you that one," he said; "I must keep that one. I'll send you another. You're at the Sheridan?" "Yes." "I'll leave it there for you. But please don't use it unless you absolutely have to." "I won't use it at all, if I can avoid it," I assured him. "I promise you that it won't go out of my hands." "Thank you," he said. "I knew you'd understand. As soon as you have any news you'll wire me?" "The very moment. I want you to rely on us." "I will." "And not worry." "I'll try not to," and he was gone. As the door closed behind him, Mr. Royce looked at me with a somewhat guilty countenance. "You see, I've got you into it again, Lester," he began. "I hope you don't mind." "I don't. Rather the contrary." "It's a little out of our line," he added. "But for a friend--and I certainly pity the poor fellow--we lawyers have to do peculiar things sometimes." "I've done more peculiar ones than this," I said. "This is, at bottom, merely a matter of finding an important witness who is missing." "Thank you, Lester," he said, and held out his hand. "I didn't want to seem to be imposing on you." "You're not," I assured him again, and rose. "Now I think I'd better be getting to work." "Can I be of any help?" he asked, rising too. "If not, I'll take the four-ten back to New York. I think Curtiss needs a little looking after. I'll hunt him up and take him with me. Besides, my wife is so wrought-up over this affair that she wants to get home." "Very well," I assented. "Curtiss will need some one to protect him from the reporters. It's a wonder they haven't treed him before this." "They tried to," said Mr. Royce, smiling grimly. "I succeeded in keeping them off. He was too preoccupied to notice. There's nothing else I can do?"