Thus encouraged, Leslie turned indoors again, and the man, who was still lingering on the porch, remarked:
“If it isn’t too much trouble, friends, I’d like to come in for a minute or two and ask you folks a few questions about that little fracas this evening and how you came to be mixed up in it. It’s all right and perfectly proper!” he hastened to add, seeing their startled glances. “I can show you my credentials.” He opened his coat and exhibited a shield on his vest—the shield of a detective of the New York police force!
So amazed were they that they could scarcely reply, but the man took matters in his own hands and walked into the house. And Leslie never even thought to warn him to speak softly because of Aunt Marcia!
Unconsciously they grouped themselves about him at the open fire. And Rags, now that the obnoxious stranger had been admitted to the house on a hospitable footing, made no further demonstrations of enmity.
“My name is Barnes—Detective Barnes of the New York force,” he began, “and I’d like to clear up one or two little puzzles here before I go on with this business. It’s a rather peculiar one. I heard this young gentleman refer to a car that was standing in the road near here and say it belonged to one of you young ladies named Eileen. I’d like to inform Miss Eileen that the party who got that little article we were all scrapping for to-night, jumped into her car when he got to the road, tore like mad in it to the station, left it there, and caught the express for New York. I was just in time to see him disappearing in it, but of course I had to walk to the village. I suspected what he was going to do, though, and I went straight to the station and found the car standing there. So I took the liberty of getting in it, driving myself to the village doctor, and then back out here. You will find your car, Miss Eileen, standing just where you left it, but I thought you’d like to know it had had the little adventure!”
Eileen opened her mouth to reply, but the man gave her no chance, turning immediately to Ted. “And as for you, young man, I suppose you thought you were doing a wonderful stunt when you landed into me to-night, just as I’d unearthed the thing I’ve been on the trail of for a week; but I’ll have to tell you that you’ve spoiled one of the prettiest little pieces of detective work I’ve undertaken for several years, and may have helped to precipitate a bit of international trouble, beside. I don’t know what your motive was,—I suppose you thought me a burglar,—but—
“Just a moment!” cried Eileen, springing forward. “Tell me, why are you concerned in this? My name is Ramsay and I have a right to ask!”
Detective Barnes was visibly startled. “Are you a relative of the Honorable Arthur Ramsay?” he demanded; and when she had told him, he exclaimed: “Then you must know all about Geoffrey Gaines and how he disappeared!”
“I’ve known him since I was a baby,” she answered; “but how he disappeared is still an awful mystery to us. My grandfather is very ill in the Branchville hospital, you know.”
“But didn’t he receive my letter?” cried Mr. Barnes. “I sent it two days ago!”