"Say," I leaned over toward him, "wouldn't it have saved wear and tear if you'd told me at the first that you knew Skeels couldn't be Clayte?" "Oh, but, Jerry, you were so sure! And Skeels wasn't possible for a minute--never in his little, piking, tin-horn life!" I don't believe I had seen Worth so happy since he was a boy, playing detective. I glanced around and pulled myself up; we certainly weren't making ourselves very entertaining for the Vandemans. There they sat, at their own table, like handsome figureheads, smiling politely, pretending a decent interest. "All this must be a bore to you people," I apologized. "Not at all--not at all," Vandeman assured us. "Well then if you don't mind--Worth, I'll go and use Vandeman's phone--put my office wise to these Brundage clews of yours." Worth nodded. No social scruples were his. I had by no means given up the belief that Skeels in jail at Tiajuana, would still turn out to be one of the gang. I had just got back to the table from my phoning when the doorbell rang; we saw the big Chinese slip noiselessly through the rear into the hall to answer it, coming back a moment later, announcing in his weighty, correct English, "Two gentlemen calling--to see Captain Gilbert." "Ask for me?" Worth came to his feet in surprise. "Who told them I was here?" "I do not know," the Chinaman spoke unnecessarily as Worth was crossing to the door. "I did not ask them that." "Use the living room, Worth," Vandeman called after him. "We'll wait here." With the closing of the door, conversation languished. Even Skeet was quiet and seemed depressed. My ears were straining for any sound from in there. As I sat, hand dropped at my side, I suddenly felt under shelter of the screening tablecloth, cold, nervous fingers slipped into mine. Barbara wasn't looking at me, but I gave her a quick glance as I pressed her gripping small hand encouragingly. She was turned toward Vandeman. Pale to the lips, her great eyes fixed on the eyes of our host, I saw with wonder how he slowly stirred a spoon about in his emptied coffee cup, and stared back at her with a face almost as colorless as her own. The bride glanced from one to the other of them, and spoke sharply, "What's the matter with you two? You're not uneasy about Worth's callers, are you?" "No-no-no--" Vandeman was the first to come out of it, responding to her voice a good deal as if she dashed cold water in his face, his eyes breaking away from Barbara's, his lips parted in a nervous smile. He ran a hand through his hair--an inelegant gesture for him at table--and laughed a little. "We ought to be in there," Barbara said to me, a curious stress in her voice. "How funny you talk, Barbie," Skeet quavered. "What do you think's wrong?" And Ina spoke decidedly, "Worth is one person in the world who can certainly take care of himself, and would rather be let alone."