"Not with the police."
"Franklin talked to the girl a few minutes longer, and then, satisfied that she would act as he desired, left the house.
The young electrician's first work on reaching the business portion of the city again was to send two telegrams, one to Walter Robinson, telling him that Mrs. Bliss wished very much to see him at once, and the second to Belden Brice, acquainting that gentleman as briefly as possible with the situation.
"I don't know if Mr. Brice will blame me or not," thought Franklin as he left the telegraph office. "But I am doing what I think is best."
The telegrams sent, Franklin started off in the direction of the river. He expected he would find Montague Smith, Captain Cosgrove and Fipher at the freight boat, or in its vicinity, and he was anxious to ascertain the next move this trio of conspirators intended to make.
But at the river a surprise greeted him. The Sunflower had left her mooring and was nowhere in sight!
"Hullo, this is strange!" murmured Franklin to himself. "I wonder where they have taken her."
He hunted up and down the water front for several blocks in both directions, but without success, and finally came back to the point from which he had started.
