Part 58 (1/2)

Butler shrugged his shoulders and proceeded, ”And they may be well-founded. But we prefer to run no chances in a case of this kind.

The child, you know, is guarded in the house. In his perambulator he is doubly guarded, and when he goes out for his airing in the automobile, two men, the chauffeur and a detective, are always there, besides his nurse, and often his mother or grandmother. Even in the nursery suite they have iron shutters which can be pulled down and padlocked at night and are constructed so as to give plenty of fresh air even to a scientific baby. Master Hazleton was the best sort of risk, we thought.

But now--we don't know.”

”You can protect yourselves, though,” suggested Kennedy.

”Yes, we have, under the policy, the right to take certain measures to protect ourselves in addition to the precautions taken by the Hazletons. We have added our own detective to those already on duty.

But we--we don't know what to guard against,” he concluded, perplexed.

”We'd like to know--that's all. It's too big a risk.”

”I may see Mrs. Hazleton?” mused Kennedy.

”Yes. Under the circ.u.mstances she can scarcely refuse to see anyone we send. I've arranged already for you to meet her within an hour. Is that all right?”

”Certainly.”

The Hazleton home in winter in the city was uptown, facing the river.

The large grounds adjoining made the Hazletons quite independent of the daily infant parade which one sees along Riverside Drive.

As we entered the grounds we could almost feel the very atmosphere on guard. We did not see the little subject of so much concern, but I remembered his much heralded advent, when his grandparents had settled a cold million on him, just as a reward for coming into the world.

Evidently, Morton, Sr., had hoped that Morton, Jr., would calm down, now that there was a third generation to consider. It seemed that he had not. I wondered if that had really been the occasion of the threats or whatever it was that had caused Mrs. Hazleton's fears, and whether Veronica Haversham or any of the fast set around her had had anything to do with it.

Millicent Hazleton was a very pretty little woman, in whom one saw instinctively the artistic temperament. She had been an actress, too, when young Morton Hazleton married her, and at first, at least, they had seemed very devoted to each other.

We were admitted to see her in her own library, a tastefully furnished room on the second floor of the house, facing a garden at the side.

”Mrs. Hazleton,” began Butler, smoothing the way for us, ”of course you realize that we are working in your interests. Professor Kennedy, therefore, in a sense, represents both of us.”

”I am quite sure I shall be delighted to help you,” she said with an absent expression, though not ungraciously.

Butler, having introduced us, courteously withdrew. ”I leave this entirely in your hands,” he said, as he excused himself. ”If you want me to do anything more, call on me.”

I must say that I was much surprised at the way she had received us.

Was there in it, I wondered, an element of fear lest if she refused to talk suspicion might grow even greater? One could see anxiety plainly enough on her face, as she waited for Kennedy to begin.

A few moments of general conversation then followed.

”Just what is it you fear?” he asked, after having gradually led around to the subject. ”Have there been any threatening letters?”

”N-no,” she hesitated, ”at least nothing--definite.”

”Gossip?” he hinted.

”No.” She said it so positively that I fancied it might be taken for a plain ”Yes.”

”Then what is it?” he asked, very deferentially, but firmly.

She had been looking out at the garden. ”You couldn't understand,” she remarked. ”No detective--” she stopped.

”You may be sure, Mrs. Hazleton, that I have not come here unnecessarily to intrude,” he rea.s.sured her. ”It is exactly as Mr.