“Be careful,” cautioned the thrifty Jennings.

Rusty, now recovered, was barking and sniffing at the armor.

“Kick the mutt off,” growled one man.

The other did so and Rusty snarled and snapped at him.  Jennings took him by the collar and held him as the repairers went out, loaded the armor on the wagon, and drove off.

Scarcely had they gone, while Jennings straightened out the disarranged library, when Rusty began jumping about, barking furiously.  Jennings looked at him in amazement, as the dog ran to the window and leaped out.

He had no time to look after the dog, though, for at that very instant he heard a voice calling, “Jennings!  Jennings!”

It was Marie, almost speechless.  He followed her as she led the way to Miss Elaine’s room.  There Marie pointed mutely at the bed.

Elaine was not there.

There, too, were her clothes, neatly folded, as Marie had hung them for her.

“Something must have happened to her!” wailed Marie.

Jennings was now thoroughly alarmed.

Meanwhile the express wagon outside was driving off, with Rusty tearing after it.

“What’s the matter?” cried Aunt Josephine coming in where the footman and the maid were arguing what was to be done.

She gave one look at the bed, the clothes, and the servants.

“Call Mr. Kennedy!” she cried in alarm.

. . . . . . . .

“Elaine is gone—­no one knows how or where,” announced Craig as he leaped out of bed that morning to answer the furious ringing of our telephone bell.

It was very early, but Craig dressed hurriedly and I followed as best I could, for he had the start of me, tieless and collarless.

When we arrived at the Dodge house, Aunt Josephine and Marie were fully dressed.  Jennings let us in.

“What has happened?” demanded Kennedy breathlessly.

While Aunt Josephine tried to tell him, Craig was busy examining the room.

“Let us see the library,” he said at length.

Accordingly down to the library we went.  Kennedy looked about.  He seemed to miss something.

“Where is the armor?” he demanded.

“Why, the men came for it and took it away to repair,” answered Jennings.

Kennedy’s brow clouded in deep thought.

Outside we had left our taxi, waiting.  The door was open and a new footman, James, was sweeping the rug, when past him flashed a dishevelled hairy streak.

We were all standing there still as Craig questioned Jennings about the armor.  With a yelp Rusty tore frantically into the room.  A moment he stopped and barked.  We all looked at him in surprise.  Then, as no one moved, he seemed to single out Kennedy.  He seized Craig’s coat in his teeth and tried to drag him out.

“Here, Rusty—­down, sir, down!” called Jennings.

“No, Jennings, no,” interposed Craig.  “What’s the matter, old fellow?”