We ought to get an order of release at once."
"You've got something to do before that," Godfrey reminded me. "We're
to hear Miss Vaughan's story at ten o'clock. I'm taking it for
granted," he added, with a smile, "that I'll be welcome, as well as
Hinman."
"That doesn't need saying," I retorted, and ten minutes later, we
were on the way to Elmhurst.
There was a man on guard at the library door, but he allowed us to
pass when we gave our names, having evidently had his instructions
from Simmonds. In answer to Godfrey's question, he said that, so far
as he knew, no trace had been found of Silva.
We went on into the room, and found that some one, Simmonds
presumably, had closed the safe and swung the section of shelving back
into place before it. It was not locked, however, and I opened it and
went through its contents carefully, with the faint hope that the
money might have been thrust into some other compartment. But I found
no trace of it, and was replacing the contents, when a voice at the
threshold brought me to my feet.
"Mr. Lester!" it said, and I turned to behold a vision which made me
catch my breath--a vision of young womanhood, with smiling lips and
radiant eyes--a vision which came quickly toward me, with hands
outstretched.
Pages:
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306