"Tell me what has happened," demanded Zita.
"Happened?" repeated Balcom. "Why, they've thrown me out of the
company--at least, they think they have."
His mind was working quickly, and after a pause he turned to Zita
sharply. "Can you get Brent out of the house and bring him to me here
behind this hedge at eight o'clock to-night?"
Zita nodded an eager acquiescence and left him, returning to the house.
That evening Locke, returning from a stroll around the grounds, noticed
a movement in some shrubbery at the side of the foot-path. He went
closer to investigate, and a rough-looking individual broke from cover
and ran away through the underbrush as fast as he could go. It was too
dark to follow and Locke hastened his steps to the house, fearing some
new deviltry on the part of the Automaton or his emissaries.
He had just entered the darkened hallway when, much to his surprise, he
saw the figure of a man, leaning heavily on the arm of a woman,
descending the stairs.
He stepped behind some portieres and waited until they reached the foot
of the stairway. Then he stepped out and confronted them.
Zita gave a startled cry, and would have fled had not Locke caught and
held her.
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