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Miss Todd
23

ham was acting strangely. You wouldn't think he was the same man. He was very queer. I used to wonder if the railway wreck had affected his mind. Instead of getting better, he became worse. Then one night, just before the trial was to come off, he disappeared."

"Disappeared!"

"He walked out of the house one night and from that minute to this we haven't seen hide nor hair of him," declared Evangeline Todd. "We have heard of him, but he's like a will-o'-the-wisp. We have heard of him in different places, but when we come to look for him, he's gone. He has never written to us. There hasn't been any real trace of him. The shock was too much for me, and I collapsed and I haven't been well since. Not a bit well. My nerves have been completely shattered."

"When did your brother disappear?" asked the detective.

"Months ago. This happened four months back."

Fenton Hardy frowned.

"Four months ago! That makes it more difficult. If you had come to me earlier I would have had a better chance of helping you."

"Don't say you won't help me, Mr. Hardy," entreated the woman. "Please don't say you won't take the case."

"I didn't mean it that way," said the de-

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