Part 37 (1/2)

”Then you have heard nothing!” repeated Gouger, gravely. ”Prepare yourself for a shock. There was no wedding last night at the Ferns'.

Miss Daisy disappeared yesterday morning, and has not been seen since.”

If Mr. Weil had been pale before, his face was like a dead man's now.

With many expressions of incredulity he listened to the explanations that followed. He declared that the occurrence was past belief, and that he could see no way to account for it. Clearly something had happened that the girl could not prevent. She would never have absented herself of her own accord. She loved the man who was to be her husband, and if she had wished to postpone her marriage she could have easily arranged it.

”I can think of nothing but a fit of temporary insanity,” he added, with a sigh. ”And s.h.i.+rley--poor fellow--how does he take it? Completely broken up, I suppose?”

When he heard the att.i.tude that Mr. Roseleaf had a.s.sumed, Mr. Weil seemed stupefied. Little by little Mr. Gouger revealed to him the answers that the young man had made to Mr. Fern, finally referring to the charge that he (Mr. Weil) had eloped with the bride. Archie's face grew more and more rigid as he listened, but the anger that the relator had antic.i.p.ated did not show there.

”He is crazy,” was the mild reply. ”I will go and see him, at once, and enlist his a.s.sistance in the thorough search that must be undertaken.

Come, Lawrence, leave your work for an hour and go with me.”

Remembering his promise to return in the morning with the latest tidings, Mr. Gouger put on his hat and coat and entered the cab which his friend summoned. He felt that he was about to witness another chapter that would make most dramatic reading in that great novel!

”You had best let me go in first,” he whispered, when they stood at Roseleaf's door. ”He is in an excitable frame of mind, I fear.”

For answer, Archie brushed the speaker aside and preceded him into the chamber, without the formality of a knock. Roseleaf lay before them in his easy chair, bearing evidence in his attire that he had not disrobed during the night. He greeted his visitors with nothing more than a look of inquiry.

”I only heard of your terrible disaster a few moments ago,” said Mr.

Weil. ”I learn that Miss Daisy had not been heard from up to nine o'clock this morning. We must bring all our energies to bear on this matter, s.h.i.+rley. Her father is unable to help us much. For all we know she may be in the most awful danger. Rouse yourself and let us consult what is best to do.”

Incredulousness was written on the quiet face that looked up at him from the armchair.

”Why don't you tell us what you have done with her?” said the bloodless lips, slowly.

Mr. Weil trembled with suppressed emotion.

”This is no time for recriminations,” he replied, ”or I might answer that in a different way. We must find this girl. Before we go to the police let us consider all the possibilities, for they will deluge us with questions. Did any one think,” he asked, suddenly, turning to Gouger, ”of sending word to her sister Millicent?”

Mr. Gouger replied that they had done so. A servant had been dispatched early in the evening to Millicent's residence and had returned with the answer that she had heard nothing of Miss Daisy and did not wish to. She had previously sent a sarcastic reply to an invitation to attend the wedding.

”And she never came to comfort her father in his distress!” exclaimed Mr. Weil. ”What a daughter!”

They could get nothing out of Roseleaf. He answered a dozen times that it would be much easier for Mr. Weil to send Daisy home or to write to her father that she was in his keeping, than to attempt the difficult task of deceiving the police, who would have enough shrewdness to unmask him.

”Then you will do nothing to help us?” demanded Archie, his patience becoming exhausted, though he kept his temper very well. ”In that case we must lose no more time. Ah, s.h.i.+rley! I thought you worthy of that angelic creature, but now--”

He checked himself before finis.h.i.+ng the sentence, and went out into the hall.

”I think I had best go to Midlands and consult with Mr. Fern,” he said to Gouger in a low tone. ”There is a possibility that his daughter has returned since you came away. What an awful list of horrible thoughts crowd on one! If you can help me any I will send you word later.”

When Mr. Weil was gone, Mr. Gouger opened the door and looked again into Roseleaf's room. The young man had not changed his position in the least.

”He has started for Midlands,” he said. ”What do you think of his explanation in regard to his absence last night?”

”I think--I know--it is a lie!” was the quick reply.

”You really believe she went away to meet him--and that he has pa.s.sed the last twenty-four hours with her.”