Willoughby had evidently revealed to Hawley some hidden family secret, having money involved, no doubt, and in which the discovery of this mysterious Phyllis figured.

She might, perhaps, be a sister, or half-sister, who had disappeared, and remained ignorant as to any inheritance.

Hope's picture shown by the boy, and reminding Hawley at once of Christie Maclaire, had been the basis of the whole plot.

Exactly what the details of that plot might be Keith could not figure out, but one thing was reasonably certain--it was proposed to defraud Hope.

And who in the very truth was Hope?
It suddenly occurred to him as a remarkably strange fact that he possessed not the slightest inkling as to the girl's name.