While this whispered conclave was going on Travers Gladwin made a frantic signal to Whitney Barnes behind his back and mumbled:

“Try and find out what it’s all about?”

“I will––leave that to me,” said Barnes confidently.

Leaving her cousin’s side, Helen again confronted the two young men and said tremulously:

“I’d rather not give my name. I know that sounds odd, but for certain reasons”–––

“Oh, of course, if you’d rather not,” answered Gladwin.

“If you will just say,” Helen ran on breathlessly, “that I had to come early to tell him something––something about to-night––he’ll understand and know who I am.”

“Certainly, certainly,” said the baffled young millionaire. “Say that you want to see him about something that’s going to happen to-night”–––

“Yes, if you’ll be so kind,” and Helen gave the young man a smile that furnished him the thrill he had hunted for all over the globe, with a margin to boot.

“I’ll be right back,” he gasped, spun on his heel and passed dizzily out into the hallway.