I guess he could have had his pick. Maybe he cared for someone who
didn't reciprocate."

He threw away the match and lolled back in his chair.

"Maybe," he said with a meaning secret air.

It wouldn't have taken a girl just landed at Ellis Island to see that he
wanted to be questioned. It was out on him like a rash. So not to
disappoint him and also being curious I asked:

"_Was_ he in love with someone?"

He said nothing but blew a smoke ring into the air, staring at it as it
floated away. I waited while he blew another ring, the look on his face
as conscious as an actor's when he has the middle of the stage. Then he
spoke in a weighty tone:

"Harland was in love--madly in love."

This was news to me. INot
that he was under the influence, but he was not so clear-headed and his
natural vanity was coming up plainer every minute. He went on:

"I met him quite casually in the Black Eagle Building and then--well,
something about me attracted him. Anyway we grew
friendly--and--er--that's how I stumbled on his secret."

"His love?"

He inclined his head majestically:

"You can see how it was possible when I tell you the lady was Miss
Whitehall."

Believe _me_ I got a thrill! There was a second when I had to bite on my
under lip to keep an exclamation from bursting out. _This_ was
something, something that no one had had a suspicion of, something that
might lead--I couldn't follow it then--that time, what I had to do was
to find out everything he knew.

"Are you sure?" I breathed out incredulous.

"Perfectly. He