Detective Cutts had not been closeted with Mr. Callister ten minutes, when the door of the outer office opened again, and a sweet, womanly voice was heard inquiring for the broker without the glass partition.
As the voice fell upon the ears of the disguised Frank Mansfield his heart seemed to rise in his throat.
It was the voice of Miss Edna Callister, loved by him as deeply as her father was despised.
By the earnest advice of Detective Hook, to whom the young man had confided his tender feelings for this beautiful girl, Frank had refrained from visiting the object of his affection or holding any communication with her at all.
Difficult and trying as this had been, it was certainly a wise precaution, as can be readily seen.
How much under the influence of her father the girl might be it was impossible to tell.
Not that Frank loved her the less for the wrong that parent had attempted to do him. But he now saw things by a new and less selfish light than ever before.
Had he the right to aspire to the affections of the daughter, when against the father he was working night and day?
The severest test to which his disguise had yet been subjected was now about to occur.
Could the eyes of love be deceived?