“You must go. I can fight for you better with a thousand miles between us. I’ll play a trick on my Yankee friends this time. I’m going to send you North into the enemy’s country--to college.” Billy was trembling now with a new excitement. His heart was set on a college career and he hadn’t as yet hoped to find the way. “How will you do it?” he asked eagerly. “Old Nickaroshinski will take my note. I’ll borrow the money.” The boy smiled for the first time in a month. “Oh! John, you’ve taken a load off my soul.” John’s hand crushed the letter from Stella, which he was unconsciously grasping in his pocket. “And you’ve piled one on my soul under which I’ll stagger to the grave,” he cried within, outwardly answering with a smile and warm grip of the hand as he said: “Quick now, boy. Don’t lose a minute. There will be some heart-broken mothers in town tomorrow night. There’s but one choice: the plains of the West, or a prison pen.” “I’ll go at once,” Billy cried, seizing his hat and hastily leaving. Pale and haggard, John slowly returned to his office. He looked at his watch. It was five minutes to three. Stella was waiting to receive him. He could hear the low sweet tones of her voice greeting him, and see her great brown eyes smiling their welcome. But his mind was made up. Safety lay in flight. He wrote a brief reply to her letter. _My dear Miss Butler:_ _I thank you for the honour you do me in the request you make. I regret that I cannot see my way clear at present to accept your offer. I have many reasons, and I beg you to believe that they are very serious ones--otherwise I would hasten to answer in person your call._ _With sincere regrets,_ _John Graham_ Stella received the note with mingled surprise and rage, and immediately wired the Attorney General in the cipher code he had given her asking for the assistance for two months of the best detective the Secret Service could command. General Champion replied within two hours. “Mr. Ackerman leaves here to-night. He will report to you in Independence to-morrow.” CHAPTER IV--ACKERMAN SECURES A PLEDGE ACKERMAN sent to Stella his letter of introduction from the Attorney General, stating that he would call the following day and report progress. General Champion’s letter had raised the highest hopes by the declaration that the young detective had developed a well defined and intelligent theory on which to conduct the prosecution of the case. Stella awaited his call impatiently. She had pictured the ideal detective of romance and could not conceal her amazement at his personal appearance when she extended her hand to greet him.