s own. "You are a
fortunate fellow. I hope you may succeed in making her think so. Do you
know, she interests me more than most young women, and in some way I
cannot disconnect her with an occurrence which happened in my office this
afternoon."

The young man showed a deep interest in the matter, and the Judge told the
story again, this time more in detail.

They drew a little apart from the rest of the men. The host, who had been
warned by his wife to give young Dunham an opportunity to talk with the
Judge, saw that her plans were succeeding admirably.

When the music began in the other room the Judge paused a moment to
listen, and then went on with his story.

"There is a freight elevator just opposite that left door of my office,
and somehow I cannot but think it had something to do with the girl's
disappearance, although the door was closed and the elevator was down on
the cellar floor all the time, as nearly as I can find out."

The young man asked eager questions, feeling in his heart that the story
might in some way explain the mystery of the young woman in the other
room.

"Suppose you stop in the office to-morrow," said the Judge. "Perhaps
you'll get a glimpse of her, and then bear me out in the statement that
she's like your friend. By the way, who is making such exquisite music?
Suppose we go and investigate. Mr. Bowman, will you excuse us if we follow
the ladies? We are anxious to hear the music at closer range."

The other men rose and followed.

The girl did not pause or look up as they came in, but played on, while
the company listened with the most rapt and wondering look. She was
playing with an _empressement_ which could not fail to command attention.

Tryon Dunham, standing just behind the Judge, was transfixed with
amazement. That this delicate girl could bring forth such an entrancing
volume of sound from the instrument was a great surprise. That she was so
exquisite an artist filled him with a kind of intoxicating elation--it was
as though she belonge