“My father didn’t run away!” exclaimed Grace indignantly.  “If you are going on that assumption I shall give you no information at all.”

“That was a mistake,” interposed an elderly reporter.  “We are only anxious to know when you last saw him,” and someone whispered a well-deserved rebuke to Peter.

“To begin at the beginning,” Grace resumed, “father went abroad with mother and me several months ago.  He was not in good health and his physician recommended a change of air.  We traveled in England and on the continent, and then went to Italy.  My father preceded us there, as he had some business affairs to look after in Rome.

“When we got to that city we found he had left there, as his business called him away.  He left word that he might have to sail for this country ahead of us, but would try to meet us in Naples.  We proceeded there, only to find that he had sailed, and he told us to come over on the next steamer.  He promised to meet us in New York.

“We sailed on the Messina, expecting my father would meet us at the pier.”

“Did he meet you?” asked Larry, for he recalled that day when he had secured the memorable interview with Sullivan, in which Mr. Potter’s name played an important part.

“He did not,” and there was a catch in the girl’s voice.  “One of his clerks did, and said he had received a letter from my father, stating that he was unavoidably detained, but that he would be with us soon.”

She paused, and pressed her handkerchief to her eyes.

“Well?” asked one of the reporters softly.

“That is all,” said Grace.  “I have not seen my father since parting with him at Munich, whence he proceeded to Rome.  He has never communicated directly with us, and we don’t know what to think.  It is dreadful!” and she wept softly.

There was a pause of a few seconds, while the girl recovered her composure.  Then the reporters began to ask questions, sparing Grace as much as possible.

In this way they learned that Mr. Potter’s family could give no description as to was dressed when he disappeared, for quite an interval had elapsed between the time Grace and her mother had last seen him, and when they learned that he was gone.

Nor had Mr. Potter communicated with his office or his business associates, except so far as to send a clerk to meet the steamer.  Before going to Europe he had arranged matters so his affairs could be conducted in his absence, and his continued failure to come back worked no harm in that respect.  Confidential clerks attended to everything, and the millionaire’s large interests were well looked after.

So there was really not much that Grace could tell.  She said she and her mother had waited some time, after getting home, hoping Mr. Potter would come back or communicate with them, but when he had not done so they became alarmed.  They feared he had met with some mishap, and, after talking the matter over with his lawyers, they had decided it would be best to report the matter to the police.