Part 3 (1/2)

”I've told James to answer all telephone calls and say that Betty is doing as well as could be expected, but that the doctor says she must have perfect quiet to save her from a nervous breakdown----” she answered him coldly. ”I'm not quite a fool if you do think so----”

”Well, that's all right for to-night, but what'll we say to-morrow if we don't find her----”

”Oh! She'll come back,” said the stepmother confidently. ”She can't help it. Why, where would she go? She hasn't a place on earth since she's lost confidence in that cousin of her mother's because he didn't come to her wedding. She hasn't an idea that he never got her note asking him to give her away. Thank heaven I got hold of that before it reached the postman! If that old granny had been here we should have had trouble indeed. I had an experience with him once just before I married Betty's father, and I never want to repeat it. But we must look out what gets in the papers!”

”It's rather late for that, I suspect. The bloodhounds 'ill be around before many minutes and you better think up what you want said. But I'm not so sure she wouldn't go there, and we better tell the detectives that. What's the old guy's address? I'll call him up long distance and say she was on a motoring trip and intended to stop there if she had time. I'll ask if she's reached there yet.”

”That's a good idea, although I'm sure she was too hurt about it to go to him. She cried all the afternoon. It's a wonder she didn't look frightful! But that's Betty! Cry all day and come out looking like a star without any paint either. It's a pity somebody that would have appreciated it couldn't have had her complexion.”

”That's you all over, Mother, talking about frivolous things when everything's happening at once. You're the limit! I say, you'd better be getting down to business! I've thought of another thing. How about that old nurse, Candace? Betty used to be crazy about her? What became of her?”

Mrs. Stanhope's face hardened, and anxiety grew in her eyes.

”She might have gone to her, although I don't believe she knows where she is. I'm sure I don't. I sent her away just before we began to get ready for the wedding. I didn't dare have her here. She knows too much and takes too much upon herself. I wouldn't have kept her so long, only she knew I took the trustee's letter, and she was very impudent about it once or twice, so that I didn't really dare to let her go until just a few days ago. I thought things would all be over here before she could do any harm, and Betty would be of age and have her money in her own right, and being your wife, of course there wouldn't be any more trouble about it.”

”Well, you better find out what's become of her!” said the young man with darkening face. ”_She_ ought to be locked up somewhere! She's liable to make no end of trouble! You can't tell what she's stirred up already! Ring for a servant and find out if they know where she is. Ten to one that's where Betty is.”

Mrs. Stanhope, with startled face, stepped to the bell and summoned Aileen:

”Aileen, have you any idea where we could find Miss Betty's old nurse, Candace?” she asked in a soothing tone, studying the maid's countenance.

”I think it might be well to send for her in case Miss Betty needs her.

She was so much attached to her!”

Aileen lifted startled eyes to her mistress' face. There was reserve and suspicion in her glance:

”Why, she was here a few minutes ago,” she said guardedly. ”It seems Miss Betty sent her an invitation, and when Miss Betty took sick she was that scared she ran out of the church and come here to find out how she was. She might not have gone yet. I could go see.”

”Here! Was she here?” Mrs. Stanhope turned her head to her son and her eyes said: ”That's strange!” but she kept her face well under control.

”Yes, you might go and see if you can find her, Aileen, and if you do, tell her I would like to see her a moment.”

Aileen went away on her errand and Mrs. Stanhope turned to her son:

”Betty can't have gone to her unless there was some collusion. But in any case I think we had better keep her here until we know something.”

Quick trotting steps were heard hurrying along the hall and a little jerky knock announced unmistakably the presence of Candace.

Mrs. Stanhope surveyed the little red-faced creature coolly and sharply:

”Candace, you have broken one of my express commands in returning here without permission from me, but seeing it was done in kindness I will overlook it this time and let you stay. You may be useful if they bring my daughter home to-night and I presume she will be very glad to see you. Just now she is--umm----” she glanced furtively at her son, and lifting her voice a trifle, as if to make her statement more emphatic--”she is at a private hospital near the church where they took her till she should be able to come home. It will depend on her condition whether they bring her to-night or to-morrow or in a few days.

Meantime, if you like you may go up to your old room and wait until I send for you. I shall have news soon and will let you know. Don't go down to the servant's quarters, I wish to have you where I can call you at a moment's notice.”

Candace gave her ex-mistress a long, keen suspicious stare, pinned her with a glance as steely as her own for an instant, in search of a possible ulterior motive, and then turning on her little fat heel, vanished like a small fast racer in the direction of her old room.

”Now,” said Mrs. Stanhope, turning with a sigh of relief, ”she's safe!

I'll set Marie to watch her and if there's anything going on between those two Marie will find it out.”

But Herbert Hutton was already sitting at his mother's desk with the telephone book and calling up Long Distance.