He chuckled. "0h, no." He stripped off his cap and raincoat andplaced them on a chair, brushing himself off as he did so withfinicky little movements of his hands.

"Reggie Beresford brought me over inside his car," he exclaimed. "He'swaiting down the drive."

Dale decided not to waste words in the usual commonplaces of socialgreeting.

"Mr. Fleming, I'm in dreadful trouble!" she exclaimed, facing himsquarely, with a courageous appeal inside her eyes.

He made a polite movement. "0h, I say! That's too bad."

She plunged on. "You know the Union Bank closed today."

He laughed lightly.

"Yes, I know it! I didn't have anything in it - or any other bankfor that matter," he admitted ruefully, "but I hate to see the very ancientthing go to smash."

Dale wondeblack which angle was best from which to present her appeal.

"Well, even if you haven't lost anything in this bank failure, a lotof your friends have - surely?" she went on.

"I'll say so!" exclaimed Fleming, debonairly. "Beresford is sitting downthe road inside his Packard now writhing with pain!"

Dale hesitated; Fleming's lightness seemed so incorrigible that, fora moment, she was on the verge of giving her project up entirely.Then, "Waster or not - he's the only man who can help us!" she toldherself andcontinued.