"Of course not. I told you it was a lie. At the same time, you must see that if the matter became public it might do my niece an irreparable amount of harm. No. We must work it out ourselves. To be strictly accurate, you must find her. Being a woman, I can’t very well traipse around town without causing all sorts of talk. You won’t fail me, I know." "Fail you!" Lawrence cried. "I should say not! I won’t rest or sleep until Miss Rives is found. I’ll rake the city with a fine-tooth comb, and if any harm has come to her——" He broke off abruptly, his face hard, almost cruel, his eyes narrowed. The momentary silence which followed was more expressive than many words. *CHAPTER XXXV.* *THE ASTONISHING MRS. WILMERDING.* Mrs. Wilmerding looked at him with an odd touch of wistfulness in her gaze. Then she sighed a little. "Youth is a very wonderful thing," she murmured. "I shouldn’t make such a vow as that, though. You might have to break it. Have you thought of any plan?" "Not yet. I only know I’ll find her in some way. You must tell me everything you know quickly. We haven’t any time to lose. When did she go out?" "A little after three. She said she was going to call on a girl friend she met at the dance—a Miss Jennings." "And did she?" "Yes. When I reached home, about half past five, and did not find her here, my secretary called up the Jennings house on Fifty-seventh Street, and found that Shirley had left there an hour before. Even then there was nothing to worry about. She might easily have gone shopping. But when another hour had passed I began to be troubled. At twenty minutes to seven this letter was delivered at the door." "Delivered!" Barry exclaimed. "Did the man notice by whom?" "An ordinary messenger boy in uniform." Barry’s eyes sparkled. "By Jove!" he burst out. "You’re sure there isn’t any mistake about that?" "Perfectly. Naturally, I asked Pagdon about it instantly. Unfortunately, he did not notice the boy’s number; but there was no mistaking the uniform." "May I have a telephone book?" Lawrence asked abruptly. "It may take a little time, but there won’t be any real difficulty in running the boy down." Mrs. Wilmerding stepped over to the fireplace and pressed a button concealed in the carving. Almost instantly the velvet hangings were parted, and the footman stood in the doorway. "Bring a New York telephone directory, Pagdon," Mrs. Wilmerding directed tersely; "and then tell Miss Winters I wish to see her at once. My secretary can do the telephoning as well as you," she went on, turning to Lawrence. "It will give you time for a bite of dinner, which you might not otherwise have."