“But how could he go out without any clothing?” asked Larry.

“He got some clothing,” the head of the institution replied.  “In the bed next to him was a patient who was to be discharged as cured to-day.  That man’s clothes were brought to him and laid out on a chair beside the bed.  While he was in the bathroom Mr. Potter, as you call him, got possession of the clothes, put them on, and walked out.  Several patients saw him go, but said nothing, as they thought it was all right.  When the nurse got back she missed your friend and gave the alarm.”

“Can’t you tell in what direction he went?” asked Larry.

“So far we have been unsuccessful.  We have made inquiries outside, but so many persons are passing in the street that it has been impossible to trace him.”

“Was he able to walk very far?” the reporter asked.

“He was strong; much stronger than the usual run of patients who are recovering from such a wound as he had.  He must have been more fully recovered than we thought.  He had written a letter, the nurse tells me, and this is also gone.  Probably he was temporarily out of his mind, and went out to mail the missive.  It is a strange occurrence.”

“My poor father!” exclaimed Grace.  “I thought I had found him, and now he is missing again.”

Larry did not know what to do.  It was a curious state of affairs.  He had been so sure of uniting Mr. Potter and Grace, but now all his plans had come to nothing.  Then, too, there was the paper to be considered.  Mr. Emberg would expect him to send in the story of the mysterious disappearance of the hospital patient.  Yet Larry did not like to leave Grace while he went to telephone.  He was in a curious predicament.

“We will send out a general alarm if we do not find him soon,” the superintendent went on.  “Occasionally delirious patients wander from the wards while the nurses are temporarily absent, but they are always found hiding in some part of the hospital.  We have not yet completed the search.  Only once in a great while do they get outside the institution.  Yet Mr. Potter may have.”

“Then we may never find him again,” spoke Grace.

“Don’t worry,” Larry advised, as cheerfully as he could.  “He’ll come back.”

“I’ll never see him again!” and Grace was on the verge of tears.  “Oh, this is terrible!”

Just then there was heard a confusion of sounds in the corridor outside of the superintendent’s office.  The latter went to the door, and through the opened portal Grace and Larry heard some one exclaim: 

“He’s come back!”

“Maybe that’s him!” cried the reporter.

The superintendent returned to his office.

“I have a pleasant surprise for you,” he exclaimed.  “The patient has come back.  He says he went out to a telephone.”

“Is he—­is he all right?” asked Grace.

“Better than ever.  The little trip seemed to do him good.  Here he is.”