Two men had been stricken by an unknown hand—stark, stark mad.
CHAPTER V
"Father—please—open the door!"
It was early the following morning that the butler with frightened face had called Eva Brent to tell her that her father and Flint had been locked in the dining-room all night and were still laughing madly.
Eva had hurried down-stairs, encountering Zita as she ran. It was true. She could hear the voices inside. Nor could she get any answer from the two men.
"Oh—Zita—please—can't something be done?" Eva implored.
With a hasty word Zita hurried away just as Herbert Balcom himself entered the house from the street.
In utter surprise Balcom nodded at Zita as she poured forth the story of what had been discovered in the morning, then pushed past her in high excitement.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he came upon the butler and Eva still knocking excitedly at the dining-room door.
Eva was almost in a panic as she answered, "Father and Mr. Flint have been in there laughing ever since last night."