"Nonsense! I don't mean that. It's something else--the opposite of matrimony." "What is it?" "Oh, never mind, I'll let you know when the time comes. It's a little idea of my own to countermine the widow. But come--don't let's wander off. Your business is the thing to be considered now--not mine. Now listen to me." "Well." "Let's put your case in a plain, simple, matter-of-fact way. You want to find a person whose name you don't know, whose face you can't recognize, and whose voice even is equally unknown. You can't give any clew to her at all. You don't know whether she lives in Quebec or in New York. You only know she is a woman?" "A lady," said I. "Oh, of course--a lady." "And an English lady," I added. "I could tell that by the tone of her voice." "She may have been Canadian." "Yes. Many of the Canadian ladies have the English tone." "Well, that may be all very true," said Jack, after some moments' thought; "but at the same time it isn't any guide at all. Macrorie, my boy, it's evident that in this instance all the ordinary modes of investigation are no good. Streets, churches, drawing-rooms, photographic saloons, hotel registers, directories, and all that sort of thing are utterly useless. We must try some other plan." "That's a fact," said I, "but what other plan can be thought of?" Jack said nothing for some time. He sat blowing and puffing, and puffing and blowing, apparently bringing all the resources of his intellect to bear upon this great problem. At last he seemed to hit upon an idea. "I have it!" he exclaimed. "I have it. It's the only thing left." "What's that?" "Macrorie, my boy," said Jack, with an indescribable solemnity, "I'll tell you what we must do. Let's try-- CHAPTER XIII. "A D V E R T I S I N G!!!" "Advertising?" said I, dubiously. "Yes, advertising," repeated Jack. "Try it. Put a notice in all the papers. Begin with the Quebec papers, and then send to Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston, London, and all the other towns. After that, send notices to the leading papers of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, St. Louis, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Portland, Chicago, Boston, and all the other towns of the United States." "And while I'm about it," I added, "I may as well insert them in the English, Irish, Scotch, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, and Indian journals." "Oh, bosh!" said Jack, "I'm in earnest. What's the use of nonsense? Really, my dear fellow, why not advertise in the Quebec papers? She'll be sure to see it." "Well," said I, after some thought, "on the whole it isn't a bad idea. It can't do any harm at any rate." "Harm? Why, my dear boy, it's your only chance." "All right, then; let's try advertising." And saying this, I brought out my entire writing-apparatus and displayed it on the table. "Will you try your fist at it, Jack?" I asked.