"And that's ridiculous, isn't it?" But Bobo was obstinately silent. "Good God!" cried Jack. "Are you my boss or aren't you?" "No," muttered Bobo. "Then what possible motive could I have for wishing to turn you against her?" "I don't know," said Bobo sullenly. "I can't read your mind." Jack threw up his hands. "You're so stuck on your role of multi-millionaire, that you're always forgetting it's only a role you're playing. Now listen. I'm going to tell you the whole truth about Mrs. Cleaver and Miriam. It's all I can do for you. In the first place Mrs. Cleaver has been in the pay of the old man for three years. It was he who supplied the coin to keep up that house. I caught her with the goods." "Impossible!" gasped Bobo. "A society woman like that! You're sure you are not mistaken?" "Read that," said Jack, handing him Mr. B.'s letter to Mrs. Cleaver. Bobo's hair almost stood on end as he recognized the handwriting, and appreciated the significance of what he read. "But--but Miriam didn't know anything about this. She said she was stunned when she learned of what her cousin----" "Please don't give me any more of that stuff. Mrs. Cleaver was only the old man's catspaw, but Miriam is a confidential insider." "How do you know that?" "Well, for one thing Mrs. Cleaver told me the old man had sent Miriam to her." "But you've just said the woman was a crook. That's no proof." "Oh, that's not all I have against Miriam. It appears that she was practicing her wiles on Silas Gyde before he was killed." From his desk Jack got the unfinished letter that the dead millionaire had left behind him. To Bobo he read that part of it which referred to Miriam. Bobo was shaken but unconvinced. "That description might fit dozens of girls," he said. "Sure," said Jack, "all except the peculiar mole on the inside of her right forefinger. Ever noticed that?" "N-no." "Well, I have. If you're going to see her again, I recommend that you look for it." Bobo was now weakening fast "What do you suppose her game is?" "That's easy. To marry you and get a strangle hold on your supposed millions. Now I didn't want to tell you all this because it endangers the game I'm playing. But I got you into it, and I don't want your blood on my conscience either." "My b-blood!" stammered Bobo, white as a sheet. Jack said simply: "If you let yourself be inveigled into marrying that girl, when she finds out you haven't got a sou, she'll kill you. She's that kind." Bobo shook as with an ague. "I'll never see her again," he whispered. "I swear it!" 22