Judge Warren bowed stiffly and retired from the interview.

Day after day passed and Colonel Dodd was more than ever convinced that the nightmare was continuing.  Politicians agreed with him—­all of them with amazement, many of them with wrath.

Because the Honorable Archer Converse and the man who had called himself Walker Farr had dropped completely out of sight, leaving no explanation of any sort.

“They didn’t even tell me,” confessed Daniel Breed, “and I’m their chief fugler, and here’s the November election right plunk on top of us—­and even the Apostle Paul would have to do at least four weeks of spry campaigning in this state to be sure of being elected if a state committee was getting ready to lay down on him like ours seems to be doing.  I’m jogafferbasted.  I can’t express myself no other way.”

Mr. Breed, in moments of especial anxiety and despondency when he reviewed the situation, darkly hinted that the grand jury ought to look into the thing.  The Consolidated had done about everything up to date except assassinate and abduct, he averred, and everybody knew Colonel Dodd’s present state of mind.

However, Colonel Dodd did receive Miss Kate Kilgour politely when she came to him; he had always held her in estimation next to the bouquets in his office.

“I have come to you,” she explained, “because I could not get the information anywhere else.  I have tried.  I do not want to bother you, sir.”

The girl was pitifully broken, her voice trembled.

“Well, well, what is it?” he demanded, impatiently, and yet with a touch of kindly tolerance.  “You needn’t be afraid of me even if you did leave me in hop-and-jump style, Miss Kilgour.”

“Where is your nephew, Richard?”

And then, in spite of his assuring statement, Miss Kilgour was afraid of him.

His square face was suffused with red, he thwacked his fist on his desk and leaped out of his chair and stamped away from her, cursing viciously.

“Who sent you here to ask me that question?” he shouted, advancing on her from the window.

“It’s my own business—­I came on my own account,” she stammered.

“How comes it to be your business, miss?”

“I gave him my promise to marry him.”

“If you did you made a devil of a mistake; I can tell you that, young woman!”

“I realize it, Colonel Dodd.  I want to know where he is.  I want to take back that promise.”

He controlled himself and stared at her.  “Take my advice and consider your contract with Richard Dodd annulled—­for good and sufficient reasons, Miss Kilgour.  I don’t want to say any more.  I can’t say any more.  This thing touches me on a sore spot.  Don’t be afraid.  I’m not angry at you.  But just forget that fellow and go on about your own business.”

“I will do so, Colonel Dodd, after I have settled certain business with him.”