THE CASE AND THE GIRL BY RANDALL PARRISH 1922 CONTENTS CHAPTER I THE LADY IN THE LIMOUSINE II A SUDDEN ENGAGEMENT III THE COOLIDGE HOME IV MISS COOLIDGE EXPLAINS V WEST WINS THE FIRST HAND VI UNTANGLING THREADS VII A VISIT TO THE INDIGENT VIII A NEW MISS COOLIDGE IX AN UNEXPECTED DISMISSAL X THE BODY OF A SUICIDE XI SUSPICION VERIFIED XII AGAINST A STONE WALL XIII 238 WRAY STREET XIV TRAPPED XV THE EDGE OF COMPROMISE XVI WEST MAKES HIS CHOICE XVII FACING DEATH XVIII UNDER COVER XIX THE COMING OF A MESSAGE XX WHAT THE TELEPHONE TOLD XXI THE YACHT "SEMINOLE" XXII KIDNAPPED XXIII THE FATE OF A PRISONER XXIV THE SINKING YACHT XXV FREE OF THE YACHT XXVI THE COMING OF DAWN XXVII LOVE BREAKS SILENCE XXVIII AN ESCAPE FROM THE RAFT XXIX THE HOUSE IN THE BLUFFS XXX HOBART FORGETS AND TALKS XXXI McADAMS BLOWS IN XXXII A BRIDGE OF LOVE THE CASE AND THE GIRL CHAPTER I THE LADY IN THE LIMOUSINE West, still attired in khaki uniform, but wearing the red chevron of honourable discharge on his left sleeve, sat in the Club writing room, his feet comfortably elevated, endeavouring to extract some entertainment from the evening paper. The news was not particularly interesting, however, and finally, obsessed with the feeling that it would soon be time for him to seriously contemplate the procuring of suitable employment, the young man turned the sheet about rather idly, and ran his eyes down the columns devoted to classified advertising. Half way down the first column, under the head of "miscellaneous," he paused and read a paragraph with some interest; then read it over again, emitting a soft whistle between his teeth. "Well, by Jove!" he said to himself slowly, "That doesn't sound so bad either; out of the ordinary, at least. Say, Thompson," and he turned to a tall young fellow busily writing at the adjoining desk, and shoved the paper under his eyes, pointing at the paragraph which had attracted attention, with one finger, "What do you make out of that, old man?" The other, rather sober-faced, and slow of speech, read the advertisement word by word, with no change of expression. "Rot," he said solemnly. "Either a joke, or some scheme on. Why? interested in it?" "In a measure, yes. Sounds rather business-like to me. I've got a good mind to answer, and take a chance." "You're a fool if you do, Matt," decisively, and turning back to his writing. "That is some game being pulled off, and the first thing you know, you'll be in bad. Likely as not it means blackmail. Besides there is no address."