Zita was almost beside herself with curiosity, as Balcom repeated only scraps of the conversation that went on below, but finally the real subject of the whole matter was repeated to her and she was satisfied at last.  A peculiar look came into her eyes.  As for Balcom, one would have thought that a whole world’s treasure had suddenly been placed within his grasp.  Yet each was cautious not to betray too much to the other.

Over the dictagraph came the words spoken by Eva, “Mr. Locke and I will come to your workshop at eight this evening to complete the transaction.”

Locke in the mean time had brought the two models into the library and the inventor had almost danced with joy at seeing the children of his brain again.

Sent down by Balcom, Zita had been ordered to spy on Eva and Locke.  She had been nearly caught by Locke as he was returning from the Graveyard of Genius, but had slipped behind a pair of portieres at the end of the hall and had emerged only when Locke had entered the library.  She had crept close to the door and was listening.

She, too, now heard the inventor exact a promise from Eva and Locke not to fail to be at his workshop at eight that night.

Zita had but a second to glide backward from the door as the inventor came out into the hallway where she stood.  He gazed at her in such a strange, fixed manner that an uncanny feeling came over her.  Then he passed out, just as Balcom came down the stairs.

“Why did that man look at me in such a strange manner?” she queried of Balcom.

A moment Balcom considered her, as though undecided to speak, then made up his mind.

“Because,” he replied, slowly, “he knows the secret of your birth, knows who you really are.”

Zita had no further chance to question Balcom, for at this instant Eva and Locke, still carrying the inventions, were leaving the library.  Locke turned down again toward the stairway leading to the Graveyard of Genius, while Eva, nodding pleasantly to Zita and Balcom, mounted the stairs leading to her father’s room.

Zita turned questioningly again to Balcom.

“Half of everything that girl possesses rightfully belongs to you,” he whispered.

Zita apparently did not understand.  “What shall I do to obtain my rights?” she asked.

“Do as I say,” returned Balcom, as he left quickly.

It was some hours later that in the dark corner of the Graveyard of Genius the huge rock slowly swung outward.  There was a clanging and clanking of metal.  Two fiery eyes gleamed through the aperture and out stalked the hideous monster, the Automaton.  With strange ominousness it went directly to the two models which Locke had returned, took them, turned and went back through the great gap in the wall from which it had come.  Again slowly the huge rock swung back into place.

Locke, with some sort of intuition, had deduced that young Paul Balcom by his very absence might have played a leading part in all the events in which both Eva and himself had been thwarted and almost killed.  Accordingly he determined to find and trail Paul.