Gordon Lockwood looked deeply distressed. His lips set in a tight line, and he said, through his clenched teeth: “I don’t care! Nothing can shake my faith in that girl! She is blameless, and only these misleading circumstances make you think otherwise, Mr. Stone.” The detective looked at him as one might regard a hopeless lunatic. But young McGuire’s face was a study. He looked horror-stricken and then dazed. Then he had an inspiration apparently, for he smiled broadly—only to lapse again into a profound gloom. “If it ain’t the beatin’est!” he said, at last. “Whatcha make of it, F. Stone?” “I’m completely staggered for the moment. Fibs,” the detective returned, “but these cumulative evidences of Miss Mystery’s—er—acquisitive disposition, seem—I say _seem_ to lead to a suspicion of her undue influence over Doctor Waring, at least, as to obtaining money.” “Oh, she didn’t!” Lockwood fairly groaned. “Don’t blame her! Perhaps Waring fell a victim to her beauty and grace, and perhaps he urged these gifts upon her—” “Perhaps,” Fibsy said; “perhaps he threatened to kill her if she didn’t accept his checks and coin and rubies!—and maybe she had to kill him in self-defense—” “Self-defense!” Lockwood cried, grasping at any straw. “Could it have been that?” “No,” Stone said; “be rational, man, whatever made Anita Austin kill Doctor Waring, it wasn’t a case of self-defense.” CHAPTER XVII PLANNING AN ELOPEMENT There was some sort of telepathy or some subconscious impulse that made Anita Austin open her bedroom door in response to a light tap, although she had resolved to talk to nobody just then. But when she saw Gordon Lockwood she was glad she had, and, without waiting for an invitation he stepped inside the room and closed the door. He looked at her with a face full of compassion and love, but he spoke as one who must attend to an important business. “Anita,” he said, speaking very low, “the crisis has come. They have learned of the check Doctor Waring gave you that night, and it is the last straw. Stone is already, I think, convinced of your guilt, and that young chap, McGuire, will get at the bottom of everything, I’m sure.” “Check? What do you mean?” Miss Mystery said, with a blank look on her face. “Don’t equivocate with me, dear.” Lockwood laid his hand gently on hers. “There’s no time now to tell you of my love, as I want to tell it. Now, we can only assume that it is all told, that we are engaged, and that we are to be married at once. We are going to elope, Anita.” “Elope!” she stared at him, but her eyes grew soft and her pale cheeks flushed. “What _do_ you mean?” “It isn’t a pretty word,” Gordon smiled, “but it’s the only thing to do, you see. If you stay here, you’ll be arrested. If you go, I go with you. So—we both go, and that makes it an elopement.” “But, Gordon—” “But, Anita—answer me just one question—do you love me?”