"It seems to, yes, but does it? You know yourself, Mr. Chapin, anybody might have a New York Sunday paper--oh, well, I'm going ahead, because I know Win is innocent, and these seeming clues may help to find the real villain." "Good stuff, you are, Iris!" declared the lawyer, looking at her admiringly. "Go in and win!" "Win for Win!" and Iris smiled brightly. "Are you in love with him?" cried Lucille, who had not thought of such a thing. "Yes," said Iris, simply. "Now, Mr. Chapin, are you going to help me?" "Certainly I am, if I can. How?" "Well, first of all, I've changed my mind about that pin. I don't think I'll leave it where it is. I did think it wise, but it seems to me that anyone searching thoroughly, desperately, would look in the chair cushions, and so, I think I'll ask you to put it in your safe, but--don't tell Mr. Hughes we've changed its hiding-place." "Very well, Iris; the pin is certainly yours, and if you give it to me for safe-keeping, I'll do my best to protect it." "And don't tell Mr. Hughes, for he's liable to want to see what it's made of. I'll give it to you now." "Draw the shades first, don't fail to use every precaution. That's right; I'll switch on a light. Why do you have this table light on this long cord?" "It was put in lately, and it was less trouble to do it that way. Now I'll get the pin. It does seem ridiculous to make such a fuss over a pin!" "Here's a little box," said Mr. Chapin, taking an empty one from the desk, "we can put it in this." "Why, where is it?" said Iris, looking blank. "I stuck it right in this corner." But the pin was gone! Search as they would, in the soft cushions, there was no pin there. Nor had it sunk through the upholstery material. The closely woven brocade would not permit of that. They faced the astounding fact--the pin was gone! CHAPTER XII IN CHICAGO The three looked at one another in consternation. "Hughes said it was unsafe," Chapin remarked. "He said you didn't remember to pull down the shades in this room when you hid the pin, Iris." "No, I didn't, but who could get in? The windows are barred----" "But the door to the living room was open, and we were all in the dining room--anyone could have come in at the front door and walked in here----" "Very silently, then, or we could have heard footsteps from the dining room." "But it must have been done that way. Someone looking in at these windows saw you put the pin in the chair, and a few moments later, watching his chance, sneaked in and stole it." "Then it was Pollock, or some messenger of his. But what _can_ he want of it?" "The whole thing is _too_ mysterious!" exclaimed Lucille. "Let's send for a city detective at once." "But," objected Iris, "what could he do?" "Do? He could do everything! Find the murderer, find the jewels, find the pin----"