“Surely. I’ll get it. The wall safe is in Lynn’s room. I shall probably have to fuss a long time with the combination.”
In fact she could not have been very familiar with it for it took several minutes before she returned. Meanwhile, Kennedy, who had been drumming absently on the arms of his chair, suddenly rose and walked quietly over to a scrap basket that stood beside an escritoire. It had evidently just been emptied, for the rooms must have been cleaned several hours before. He bent down over it and picked up two scraps of paper adhering to the wicker work. The rest had evidently been thrown away.
I bent over to read them. One was:
—rest Nettie—
—dying to see—
The other read:
—cherche to-d
—love and ma
—rman.
What did it mean? Hastily, I could fill in “Dearest Nettie,” and “I am dying to see you.” Kennedy added, “The Recherche to-day,” that being the name of a new apartment uptown, as well as “love and many kisses.” But “—rman”—what did that mean? Could it be Herman—Herman Schloss?
She was returning and we resumed our seats quickly.
Kennedy took the jewel case from her and examined it carefully. There was not a mark on it.
“Mrs. Moulton,” he said slowly, rising and handing it back to her, “have you told me all?”