The men smoked in silence until her return. "The room is very dark, won't you light another burner, Douglas?" she asked, on her return. She waited until her wish had been complied with, then, as the men seated themselves near her, she began her story. "On Tuesday morning, just after I had heard of Senator Carew's death, I received a cardboard box containing jewels. That in itself bewildered me, but I was astounded by the message written in an unknown hand which I found on a card inside the box." As she spoke she opened the small box which she had just brought into the room with her. "Here is the card; read the message aloud, Douglas." "'_The appointment was not kept. Well done._'" Douglas laid the card on the desk and the three men looked at each other in amazement. "The message frightened me horribly," continued Eleanor. "I realized that some one must have thought me guilty of the Senator's death--and _approved_ of it. The mystery of it appalled me. I did not know whom to take into my confidence; so I put the jewels into my strong box and said nothing, hoping that I would be able to ferret out the mystery by myself." "Let us see the jewels," suggested Douglas. Eleanor opened the box and pulled off the top layer of cotton, then rolled the necklace of rubies on the table, where the stones lay glittering under the strong light. "They are superb!" exclaimed Douglas, while a low murmur of admiration broke from Lane. "Their almost priceless value frightened me more than anything else," explained Eleanor. "I could not imagine who had sent them to me----" "That's easily answered." Brett picked up the necklace and examined it minutely. "This necklace was sent you by the man who stole it." "What?" ejaculated the two men, while Eleanor collapsed limply in her chair. "These are the Hemmingway rubies," went on Brett. "They were stolen about a month ago in New York, and the police of this country and Europe were notified of their loss. I have here," drawing out a leather wallet and extracting a thin, typewritten sheet, "one of the notices sent to headquarters. Let me refresh my memory." He skimmed over the lines, then a shout of exultation escaped him. "Listen: 'Mrs. Hemmingway was entertaining a house party at the time of the theft. Among her guests were Mr. and Mrs. Henry St. John, of Philadelphia; Miss Snyder, of Chicago; Colonel Dana Thornton, of Washington----'" "Oh, no, no!" Eleanor cried, throwing out her arms as if to thrust the idea from her, then dropped forward and buried her head on her arms on the table.