"I had intended to. I was given leave from this afternoon. But--well--I'd thought it over, and almost made up my mind to go back to my desk." Barbara Wallace uncertain, halting between two courses of action! What did it mean? "See here, Barbara; this isn't a time for Worth Gilbert's friends to slacken on him." "I hadn't slackened," she said very low. And left it for me to remember that Worth apparently had. "Then you're needed at Santa Ysobel," I urged. "But you're going, aren't you, Mr. Boyne?" "Yes. As soon as I can get off. That doesn't keep you from being needed. Worth's one of the most efficiently impossible young men I ever tried to handle. Maybe he's not any fuller of shocks than any other live wire, but he sure does manage to plant them where they'll do the most harm. Cummings, Dykeman--and this Dr. Bowman down there; active enemies." "They can't hurt Worth Gilbert--all of them together!" "Wait a minute. I'm going to Santa Ysobel to find the murderer of Thomas Gilbert. That means a stirring to the depths of that little town. This underneath-the-surface combustion will get poked into a flame--she's going to burst out, and somebody's going to get burned. We don't want that to be Worth, Barbara." "No. But what can I do--what influence have I with him--" she was beginning, but I broke in on her. "Barbara, you and I are going to find the real murderer, before the Cummings-Dykeman bunch discover a way into and out of that bolted study. Those people want to see Worth in jail." There was a long pause while she faced me, the rich color failing a little in her cheeks. "I see," speaking slowly, studying each word. "And as long as we didn't find out how to enter and leave the study, we have no way of knowing how hard or how easy it's going to be for them to find it out. We--" her voice still lower--"we can't tell if they already know it or not." "Yes we can," I leaned forward to say. "The minute they know that--Worth Gilbert will be charged with murder." I hit hard enough that time to bring blood, but she bled inwardly, sitting there staring at me, quite pale, finally faltering, "Well--I can't stop to think of his having followed Ina Vandeman south--on her wedding trip--if he needs me--and I can help--I must--" she broke down completely, and I sat there feeling big-footed and blundering at this revelation of what it was that had put that clear, logical mind of hers off the track, left her confused, groping, just a girl, timid, distrustful of her own judgment where her heart was concerned. "Was that it all the time?" I asked. "Well, take it from me, Worth's done nothing of the sort. He's been playing detective, not chasing off after some other man's bride." Up came the color to her cheeks, she reached that mite of a hand across to shake on the bargain with, "I'll go straight down this evening. You'll find me in Santa Ysobel when you come, Mr. Boyne."