"What is it?" asked Joe.
"I don't know," was the reply. "A boy just brought it and told me to give it to you."
Joe had a half minute to wait while the ringmaster was talking. Quickly he read the note—it was really a scrawl. But it said:
"Please forgive me and still believe in me. I am suffering! I can't come to you in the condition I'm in now. But I have something to tell you if you could come to me. The boy will bring you."
The note was signed "Hamilton Logan."
"Whew!" whistled Joe. "Worse and more of it!"
CHAPTER XXIV
THE TRAP IS SET
Pausing only long enough to tell the man who had given him the note to be sure and detain the boy who had brought it, Joe Strong hurried over to the stage to begin his box trick. That was to be followed by the "disappearing lady" act.