"But my dear Miss Innes!" Mrs. Fitzhugh began. I cut in ruthlessly.
"I will send for you as soon as she can see you," I said. "No, she is
not in a critical state now, but the doctor says she must have absolute
quiet."
When I had hung up the receiver, I sat down to think. So Louise had
fled from her people in California, and had come east alone! It was not
a new idea, but why had she done it? It occurred to me that Doctor
Walker might be concerned in it, might possibly have bothered her with
unwelcome attentions; but it seemed to me that Louise was hardly a girl
to take refuge in flight under such circumstances. She had always been
high-spirited, with the well-poised head and buoyant step of the
outdoors girl. It must have been much more in keeping with Louise's
character, as I knew it, to resent vigorously any unwelcome attentions
from Doctor Walker. It was the suitor whom I should have expected to
see in headlong flight, not the lady in the case.
The puzzle was no clearer at the end of the half-hour. I picked up the
morning papers, which were still full of the looting of the Traders'
Bank, the interest at fever height again, on account of Paul
Armstrong's death. The bank examiners were working on the books, and
said nothing for publication: John Bailey had been released on bond.
The body of Paul Armstrong would arrive Sunday and would be buried from
the Armstrong town house. There were rumors that the dead man's estate
had been a comparatively small one. The last paragraph was the
important one.
Walter P. Broadhurst, of the Marine Bank, had produced two hundred
American Traction bonds, which had been placed as security with the
Marine Bank for a loan of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars, made
to Paul Armstrong, just before his California trip. The bonds were a
part of the missing traction bonds from the Traders' Bank! While this
involved the late president of the wrecked bank, to my mind it by no
means cleared its cashier.
The gardener mentioned by Halsey came out about two o'clock in the
afternoon, and walked up from the station. I was favorably impressed
by him. His references were good--he had been employed by the Brays'
until they went to Europe, and he looked young and vigorous. He asked
for one assistant, and I was glad enough to get off so easily. He was
a pleasant-faced young fellow, with black hair and blue eyes, and his
name was Alexander Graham. I have been particular about Alex, because,
as I said before, he played an important part later.
That afternoon I had a new insight into the character of the dead
banker. I had my first conversation with Louise. She sent for me, and
against my better judgment I went. There were so many things she could
not be told, in her weakened condition, that I dreaded the interview.
It was much easier than I expected, however, because she asked no
questions.