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Keep smiled encouragingly. “The car!” he assented. “So you’ve been riding around in the moonlight?”

The other nodded, and was about to speak when there burst in upon them the roaring scream of the siren. The note now was of deeper rage, and came in greater volume. Between his clinched teeth the naked one cursed fiercely, and then, as though to avoid further questions, burst into a fit of coughing. Trembling and shaking, he drew the canvas cloak closer to him. But at no time did his anxious, prying eyes leave the eyes of Keep.

“You–you couldn’t lend me a suit of clothes could you?” he stuttered. “Just for to-night? I’ll send them back. It’s all right,” he added; reassuringly. “I live near here.”

With a start Keep raised his eyes, and distressed by his look, the young man continued less confidently.

“I don’t blame you if you don’t believe it,” he stammered, “seeing me like this; but I DO live right near here. Everybody around here knows me, and I guess you’ve read about me in the papers, too. I’m–that is, my name–” like one about to take a plunge he drew a short breath, and the rat-like eyes regarded Keep watchfully–“my name is Van Warden. I’m the one you read about–Harry–I’m Harry Van Warden!”

After a pause, slowly and reprovingly Fred shook his head; but his smile was kindly even regretful, as though he were sorry he could not longer enjoy the stranger’s confidences.

“My boy!” he exclaimed, “you’re MORE than Van Warden! You’re a genius!” He rose and made a peremptory gesture. “Sorry,” he said, “but this isn’t safe for either of us. Follow me, and I’ll dress you up and send you where you want to go.” He turned and whispered over his shoulder: “Some day let me hear from you. A man with your nerve–“

In alarm the naked one with a gesture commanded silence.

The library led to the front hall. In this was the coat-room. First making sure the library and hall were free of servants, Fred tiptoed to the coat-room and, opening the door, switched: on the electric light. The naked man, leaving in his wake a trail of damp footprints, followed at his heels.

Fred pointed at golf-capes, sweaters, greatcoats hanging from hooks, and on the floor at boots and overshoes.

“Put on that motor-coat and the galoshes,” he commanded. “They’ll cover you in case you have to run for it. I’m going to leave you here while I get you some clothes. If any of the servants butt in, don’t lose your head. Just say you’re waiting to see me–Mr. Keep. I won’t be long. Wait.”

“Wait!” snorted the stranger. “You BET I’ll wait!”

As Fred closed the door upon him, the naked one was rubbing himself violently with Mrs. Keep’s yellow golf-jacket.

In his own room Fred collected a suit of blue serge, a tennis shirt, boots, even a tie. Underclothes he found ready laid out for him, and he snatched them from the bed. From a roll of money in his bureau drawer he counted out a hundred dollars. Tactfully he slipped the money in the trousers pocket of the serge suit and with the bundle of clothes in his arms raced downstairs and shoved them into the coat-room.

“Don’t come out until I knock,” he commanded. “And,” he added in a vehement whisper, “don’t come out at all unless you have clothes on!”

The stranger grunted.

Fred rang for Gridley and told him to have his car brought around to the door. He wanted it to start at once within two minutes. When the butler had departed, Fred, by an inch, again opened the coat-room door. The stranger had draped himself in the underclothes and the shirt, and at the moment was carefully arranging the tie.

“Hurry!” commanded Keep. “The car’ll be here in a minute. Where shall I tell him to take you?”

The stranger chuckled excitedly; his confidence seemed to be returning. “New York,” he whispered, “fast as he can get there! Look here,” he added doubtfully, “there’s a roll of bills in these clothes.”