Part 23 (1/2)
Helen was quick to note the alteration in his appearance, and her first instinct, naturally, was to a.s.sociate it with her husband. Something was amiss.
”There's nothing wrong, is there?” she asked in alarm.
”No, no, my dear woman!”
But his tone was not convincing. He always called her ”my dear woman”
when nervous or excited, and ”my dear lady” in his calmer moods. She at once remarked it, and it did not tend to rea.s.sure her. Now greatly alarmed she laid a trembling hand on his arm.
”Tell me, please! Don't hide anything from me. Has anything happened to Kenneth?”
”No--no; of course not.” Quickly changing the subject he asked: ”You got a message.”
”Yes--a cablegram. It came just now.”
”Have you got it? Let me see it.”
”Yes, certainly,” said Helen, looking around for the dispatch. Unable to find it, she called to her sister.
”Ray, dear, what did you do with Kenneth's cablegram?”
Her sister came up to a.s.sist in the search, in which even Mr. Steell joined. But the search was fruitless. The cablegram had disappeared.
”Oh, I know!” suddenly exclaimed Ray. ”It must have been carried away with the tea things.”
”That's right! I never thought of that!” said Helen.
The next instant the two women hurried out of the room in the direction of the kitchen.
The instant they had disappeared Mr. Parker turned to the lawyer. In a whisper he said:
”There is terrible news! I don't know how to break it to the poor woman----”
Steell sprang forward. Anxiously he exclaimed:
”Terrible news? Surely not----”
The president nodded.
”Yes--all lost, and the diamonds, too. A dispatch just received in London says that, according to a wireless relayed from Cape Town, the _Abyssinia_ caught fire twelve hours after sailing from that port and all on board perished. It is shocking, and the pecuniary loss to us disastrous. The stones were not insured. Hus.h.!.+ Here they come. Not a word!”
”My G.o.d!” muttered the lawyer, as he fell back and turned away, so they might not see the effect which the shocking news had made on him. With an effort he managed to control himself.
The two women entered the room joyfully.
”Here it is!” cried Helen exultantly, as she brandished the missing telegram. ”You see, he's just sailed, and all's well.”
The president said nothing, but, taking the dispatch from her hands, slowly read it. Nodding his head, he said slowly:
”Yes--he's just sailed, and--all's well.”