Willie Laurens found Colonel Falconer pacing up and down the walk in
front of his house, watching impatiently for his wife’s return from the
errand of kindness on which she had vaguely told the maid she was going.
It was no wonder he was impatient, for it lacked scarcely ten minutes
to train time. The carriage was waiting for Pansy, and Phebe, the maid,
was already seated within it.
“You are Colonel Falconer, sir?” Willie Laurens asked politely.
“Yes. Have you any business with me?”
“A message from your wife. She wishes that I should conduct you to her
side.”
“Has anything happened to my wife?” exclaimed Colonel Falconer
excitedly.
“You will soon know if you will accompany me,” returned Willie
evasively.
“Where is she?”
“At my mother’s house on Church Hill.”
Colonel Falconer gave a keen, scrutinizing glance into the young man’s
face by the light afforded from a gas lamp near by.
Then he started violently.
In the boyish beauty of Willie’s face he detected a strong likeness to
his wife.
“Your name?” he exclaimed.
“Willie Laurens.”
“Are you related to my wife?”
“That is for her to say, Colonel Falconer,” replied the young man
modestly.
“But I don’t understand this at all. My wife should be here to
accompany me at once. She will miss her train,” exclaimed Colonel
Falconer testily.
“I think she expected that, sir,” was the answer he received from
Willie, who began to grow nervous as he scrutinized the big,
good-looking colonel, wondering what he would say if he knew that the
slight youth before him had attempted his wife’s life.
“He would strike me down at his feet in a moment,” he decided
nervously, and, in order to ward off all further questions, he said:
“I think, sir, that if you would come at once with me to Mrs. Falconer
she would explain everything to your satisfaction.”
“Very well, then, I will do so, for I am very much puzzled over all
this. Will you come with me in my carriage, Mr. Laurens?”
“I shall be glad of a seat with you, sir, as it will enable us to reach
Mrs. Falconer sooner.”
“Come, then!” And they entered the carriage, where they found Phebe in
a fever of curiosity.
“Would it be advisable to take my wife’s maid?” the colonel then asked;
and Willie, remembering that Pansy would need a nurse, and that his
mother would have her hands full in caring for Alice, replied in the
affirmative.
He then gave the address to the driver, and in a very short time they
arrived at their destination.
“Perhaps you had better leave the maid in the carriage,” suggested
Willie, and Colonel Falconer readily acquiesced, thinking that Pansy
would be ready to accompany him home in a few minutes.
During the drive to Mr. Finley’s house he had come to the conclusion
that Pansy’s warm sympathies had been enlisted by some charitable
object for which she wished to secure his pity and aid. For this
laudable purpose she had doubtless delayed starting on her trip,
thinking that to-morrow would do as well.
“But Juliette and the Wyldes will have already gone,” he thought. “No
matter; Mrs. Wylde can chaperon Juliette until Pansy goes.”
But his complacent feelings were soon dissipated, for, as they went
upstairs, Willie Laurens said reluctantly:
“Colonel Falconer, your wife was seized with a sudden sickness an hour
ago, and you must not be surprised or frightened if you find her still
in bed.”
Then he threw open Pansy’s door.