“Huh! he smiled in a queer way, and simply said: ‘Well?’ Of course, I pressed him to be frank with me, but didn’t succeed at first. “Finally, though, he let the cat out of the bag in a kind of roundabout way. “I saw that he actually suspected Gov. Bradley himself.” “Well!” exclaimed Nick, “that’s rather interesting.” “Yes—and mysterious. I’ll tell you a fact or two without stopping to say how I squeezed them from the lieutenant governor. “Some six or seven weeks ago a man unknown here called on Gov. Bradley. We know his name was Leonard and that he and the governor had been in some sort of business deal together years before. “That much is known, because a part of their conversation was accidentally overheard. “Nobody thought anything of it at the time, of course, for it all seemed natural and straight enough. “The lieutenant governor heard Leonard asking about some papers of some kind. “‘They’re safe,’ Gov. Bradley told him. “‘That’s all well enough for you to say,’ Leonard responded, ‘but I’d rather keep them myself. Then I’d know.’” Dinsmore paused. “Does anybody know what the governor said to that?” asked Nick. “He was heard to say something to the effect that that would give Leonard the whip hand. “The men were evidently on bad terms, and that is all that is known of that matter. “Now, some time later—it is rather more than three weeks ago—Gov. Bradley left town. He hasn’t been back since.” “Is there anything strange in that?” “Not exactly. He went away openly enough. Told everybody that he was tired and needed rest. That was natural. He also told the lieutenant governor secretly that he was going to travel without letting anybody know where he was. “‘I don’t want to be bothered with letters,’ he said.” “That was natural enough, too, wasn’t it?” “I suppose so; but just now the lieutenant governor is putting two and two together, and I can see that he is suspicious. He hasn’t said so in so many words, you understand, but that’s what he feels, just the same.” “You haven’t told me all, Dinsmore.” “Not quite. Governor Bradley told the lieutenant governor that he would manage to be within reach at all times, but that his movements and address must be kept private. “‘I will take the name of George Snell,’ said he, ‘and keep you informed where you may telegraph to me, if anything of real importance comes up.’ “So, for some days, the lieutenant governor received a telegram every day, saying: ‘Snell, Auditorium, Chicago,’ or ‘Snell, Planter’s, St. Louis,’ and so forth. “Then there was a break of a few days, after which came word that ‘Snell’ was at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York. “Meantime, nothing had happened that the lieutenant governor couldn’t attend to alone. “Then came the discovery that papers were missing. “As soon as it was certain that the papers had disappeared, the lieutenant governor telegraphed the fact to ‘Snell,’ and told him in the same message that the matter would be placed in my hands.