Though I did not know, yet, of the quarrel, Kennedy had really struggled with himself until he was willing to put his pride in his pocket and had made up his mind to call on Elaine again.
As he entered, he saw that it was really of no use, for only Aunt
Josephine was in the library.
"Oh, Mr. Kennedy," she said innocently enough, "I'm so sorry she isn't here. There's been something troubling her and she won't tell me what it is. But she's gone to call on a young woman, a Florence Leigh, I think."
"Florence Leigh!" exclaimed Craig with a start and a frown. "Let me use your telephone."
I had turned my attention in the laboratory to a story I was writing, when I heard the telephone ring. It was Craig. Without a word of apology for his rudeness, which I knew had been purely absent-minded, I heard him saying, "Walter—meet me in half an hour outside that Florence Leigh's house."
He was gone in a minute, giving me scarcely time to call back that I would.
Then, with a hasty apology for his abruptness, he excused himself, leaving Aunt Josephine wondering at his strange actions.
At about the same time that Craig had left the laboratory, at the Dodge house Elaine and Aunt Josephine had been in the hall near the library. Elaine was in her street dress.
"I'm going out, Auntie," she said with an attempted gaiety. "And," she added, "if anyone should ask for me, I'll be there."
She had showed her a card on which was engraved, the name and address of Florence Leigh.