“Yes,—I think I know the ones you mean. What about them?” “We found one of them in the middle of the kitchen floor. Do you think anybody could have put it there purposely?” “I can’t imagine why any one should!” “What do you deduce from that?” Lawrence North asked, interestedly, and Claire said: “Why, that’s what you call a clue, isn’t it? What does it show?” “It doesn’t show a thing to me,” declared Dunn; “leastways, nothing sensible. Look here, folks,—either there was somebody else in that house at that time besides Betty and her father,—or else there wasn’t. Now if there was, he surely wouldn’t be moving sofa pillows about. And if there wasn’t, then one of those two people moved it. Now, why? I can’t think of any reason, sensible or not, that would make anybody lug a fine handsome sofa cushion out to the kitchen.” “Was it valuable enough to be worth stealing?” asked North. “No; a good looking affair, but nothing to tempt a thief.” “Looks like the servants’ work, I think,” suggested Claire. “Suppose one of them had stayed behind, and not with any criminal intent, either; and suppose, merely to be luxurious, she had taken a fine pillow out to her kitchen quarters.” “But even so, and even if she were caught by the returning Betty she couldn’t have shot Mr Varian and concealed both herself and Betty——” “You run up against a stone fence whatever you surmise,” exclaimed Landon. He had been a quiet listener, but had done some deep thinking. “There’s only one plausible solution,—and that’s a secret passage.” “Look here, Mr Landon,” Dunn said, sharply, “that speech gets on my nerves. Anybody who thinks there’s a secret passage in that house up there on the cliff is welcome to go up there and find it. But I’m no fool and sheriff Potter isn’t either; nor is Doctor Herbert Varian. And none of us can find a secret passage, and what’s more, we’re positive there isn’t any. So, either show where there could be one,—or let up on that solution.” “Good lord, Dunn, don’t get so wrathy!” Landon said, good-humoredly. “And I will go and look for one,—since you invite me. Go with me, North?” “Yes,” was the willing reply, and Rodney Granniss said: “Well you fellows won’t want to make that search till tomorrow. But I’m going up to the house now. You’ll stay here, won’t you, Miss Varian?” Reluctantly, Eleanor agreed to stay, and Granniss went off alone. Rodney Granniss was a determined man, and when he made his mind to hunt for Betty Varian he also made up his mind to find her. To his mind the very fact that the whole case was so inexplicable made it likely to develop some sudden clue or key that would unlock the situation. He still felt averse to visiting a house where his presence had been forbidden by one who was now unable to resent his coming, but this was offset by his desire to help Mrs Varian and to help in finding Betty.