Brewster sat as one paralyzed, absolutely no sign of emotion in his face.
The others began to clamor for the contents of the telegram, but his tongue
was stiff and motionless, his ears deaf. Every drop of blood in his body
was stilled by the shock, every sense given him by the Creator was centered
upon eleven words in the handwriting of a careless telegraph operator—"Jones
has disappeared and there is absolutely no trace of him."
"JONES HAS DISAPPEARED!" Those were the words, plain and terrible in their
clearness, tremendous in their brutality. Slowly the rest of the message
began to urge its claims upon his brain. "Come to our office immediately"
and "Will wait all night" battled for recognition. He was calm because he
had not the power to express an emotion. How he maintained control of himself
afterward he never knew. Some powerful, kindly force asserted itself, coming
to his relief with the timeliness of a genii. Gradually it began to dawn
upon him that the others were waiting for him to read the message aloud.
He was not sure that a sound would come forth when he opened his lips to
speak, but the tones were steady, natural and as cold as steel.
"I am sorry I can't tell you about this," he said, so gravely that his hearers
were silenced. "It is a business matter of such vital importance that I must
ask you to excuse me for an hour or so. I will explain everything to-morrow.
Please don't be uneasy. If you will do me the honor to grace the board of
an absent host, I'll be most grateful. It is imperative that I go, and at
once. I promise to return in an hour." He was standing, his knees as stiff
as iron.
"Is it anything serious?" asked DeMille.
"What! has anything happened?" came in halting, frightened tones from Peggy.
"It concerns me alone, and it is purely of a business nature. Seriously,
I can't delay going for another minute. It is vital. In an hour I'll return.
Peggy, don't be worried—don't be distressed about me. Go on and have a good
time, everybody, and you'll find me the jolliest fellow of all when I come
back. It's twelve o'clock. I'll be here by one on the 23d of September."
"Let me go with you," pleaded Peggy, tremulously, as she followed him into
the hallway.
"I must go alone," he answered. "Don't worry, little woman, it will be all
right."
His kiss sent a chill to the very bottom of Peggy's heart.
