"Go and make sure."
Matlock Styles, for it was he, ran from the room and was gone several minutes. When he came back he was more disturbed than ever.
"You are right, he is gone!" he gasped. "Can this be the same man?" He made another examination of Adam Adams. "Yes, you are right. Well, he shall not get away again!" he added, significantly.
CHAPTER XXIII
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF MARGARET
"Tom, I tell you the best you can do is to make a clean breast of it and get Uncle Adam to help you."
It was Letty Bernard who spoke and she addressed Tom Ostrello. The two were seated on a bench in the park, where they had gone to talk matters over without fear of interruption or of being overheard. The conversation had lasted over two hours, and in that time the girl had learned many of the young man's secrets, and in return had told him a few things which had astonished and disturbed him.
He was much downcast and with good reason. For the past month many things had gone wrong with him. The one bright spot had been Letty's love for him, pure and strong, helping him to carry his burdens.
"That's an easy thing to say, Letty," he answered. "But it is not such an easy thing to do. Poor Dick is deep enough in the mud as it is, and it will not be to my credit to mention my connection with Matlock Styles."
"Yes, but Tom, you—you—Oh, how can I explain? Can't you trust me when I tell you that I am speaking for your own good? I—I know many things of which you are ignorant."