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"Well, yesterday she sent a telegram to Madame Ybanca saying she understood Madame Ybanca would be coming up from Washington this week and asking her to waive formality and come to the party." "You say my cousin sent such a wire?" "I read the telegram. Likewise I read Madame Ybanca's reply, filed at half after six o'clock yesterday evening, accepting the invitation."
Fast as Madame Ybanca advanced, the rest all managed to evade her. She halted, laughing in admission of the handicap upon her, when before she had been so confident of a capture; then, changing her tactics, she undertook to stalk down some member of the blindfolded flock by stealthy, gentle forward steps.
I felt pretty sure that you would be going to her party. And I am morally sure that at the party Geltmann means to meet his confederate Miss Ballister or Madame Ybanca, as the case may be and to receive from her the bit of paper that means so much to him and to those he is serving in the capacity of a paid agent.
I don't know what train Madame Ybanca will take, but the news will be coming to me by wire before she is aboard the train.
"You're not supposed to know that makes the fun all the better," cried Miss Smith. "You may halt a bit to get your breath, but nobody is to touch his or her blindfold." "I'm sure you took pity on me and let me tag you," said Madame Ybanca in an undertone to her victim as Miss Smith, deftly freeing the younger woman's hands, proceeded to bind the hostess' wrists at her back.
Then swiftly she finished her task of knotting the handkerchief ends and Madame Ybanca, very securely bound, stood forth in the midst of a laughing ring, making a pretty and appealing picture, her face slightly flushed by embarrassment. "One thing more for your adornment and you'll be ready," promised Miss Smith.
But I imagine, when you make inquiry, as of course you will do at once, you'll find that since you saw your cousin she has seen Goldsborough, or Geltmann to give him his real name and that he asked her to send the wire to Madame Ybanca." "That being assumed as correct, the weight of the proof would seem to press upon the madame rather than upon Miss Ballister, wouldn't it?" "Frankly I don't know.
The good-looking widow could always be depended upon to provide something unusual when she entertained. "I've asked my cousin, Mildred, to take charge of this part of our party," went on the hostess. "She has been studying up on the subject, I believe." She looked about her. "Oh, Mildred, where are you?" "Here," answered Miss Smith, emerging from a corner, pretty Madame Ybanca coming with her.
Two tests that I made convinced me that Madame Ybanca was innocent; they quite eliminated Madame Ybanca from the equation. So I centred my efforts on this girl and she betrayed herself soon enough." "Betrayed herself, how?"
In mock solemnity each of the selected twelve in turn drew from between Miss Smith's fingers a colored scrap. "Mine's a blank," called out Miss Vane, opening her bit of paper. "Mine too." "And mine." "And mine is." "Who has it, then?" "I seem to have drawn the fatal number," said Madame Ybanca, holding up her slip for all to see the markings on it. "So you have," agreed Miss Smith.
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