“I remained in the summerhouse, standing guard over the two handcuffed men, with a revolver, while Chick used the automobile as the men had been directed to use it. Just what the plan was, neither of us knew, but Chick decided to be on the spot when it happened.
“Now, you know when the woman, supposed to be me, but who was in reality that man there on the floor, disguised in a wrapper that he had taken from my room, rushed from the house, don’t you? He dashed out at the door, and sprang into the car; Chick started the car ahead, according to the directions that the two captured men had received; but the disguised man in the tonneau leaped from the car when it started, seized a rope ladder that hung from one of the windows of the red suite, occupied by Ledger Dinwiddie, ran up it like a squirrel, and disappeared into the house. A moment later, it appears that he was here, on the stairs, tying the cord of a bath robe around him. That was the man of many names, who lies there, a prisoner now.
“Chick leaped from the car and came to me in the summerhouse. He tied up the two men so that they could not escape—and then we came here together.
“But we did not enter the house at once.
“Neither Chick nor I could understand just what the plot was, or exactly how the thief intended to have it work out.
“The instructions given to the men were to leave me in the summerhouse, bound and gagged, and the supposition is that it was part of Bare-Faced Jimmy’s plan to go there later, and release me, permitting me to return to the house, where, if I told the story of what had really happened, I would not be believed.
“For don’t you see, he had made it appear that it was I who had escaped from the house, pursued by Nick Carter, who was tripped and thrown by a rope which Jimmy had stretched in the hallway for that purpose. How Mr. Carter saw him and gave chase, I do not——”
“He tapped at my door,” said Nick. “That was probably a part of his plan. The necklace was to be discovered in your room, and he was foolish enough to suppose that even I would believe that you were more or less implicated.”
“No, Mr. Carter,” replied Nan, “he knew that you would never believe that; but he did hope to implicate me so deeply that you would be discredited. Perhaps he did not intend to free me, unless you compelled him to do so. I do not know.
“Well, when Chick and I returned to the house, you had all entered here. I came up the stairs alone, telling Chick that I would call him when he was needed. He thought that it was better that he should remain outside for a time.