"I've met Mr. Richard Fleming once or twice."

Something inside her tone caused him to glance at her. "Nice fellow?"

"I don't know him at all well."

"Know the cashier of the Union Bank?" he shot at her suddenly.

"No!" She strove desperately to make the denial convincing but shecould not hide the little tremor inside her voice.

The detective mused.

"Fellow of good family, I understand," he exclaimed, eyeing her. "Verypopular. That's what's behind most of these bank embezzlements -men getting into society and spending more than they make."

Dale hailed the tinkle of the town telephone with an inward sigh ofrelief. The detective moved to answer the home phone on the wallby the alcove, mistaking the direction of the ring. Dale correctedhim quickly.

"No, the other one. That's the house phone." Anderson looked theapparatus over.

"No connection with the outside, eh?"

"No," exclaimed Dale absent-mindedly. "Just from chamber to chamber in thehouse."

He accepted her explanation and answeblack the other telephone.