Dan stood by the door of the office irresolute. He turned at his sister’s voice. She had just rowed over in the cool of the afternoon breeze to get their tea ready.
George Chard was to have sat to table with them. Dan, who guessed at many things, could not see his way clear for the moment; but when it occurred to him that if he were not the news-bearer another would be, and before long he called his sister in.
“I have something to tell you, Nora,” he said, simply; “better sit down.”
“What is it?” she asked. “You look worried; is anything wrong. The heat to-day has been awful!”
“I haven’t felt it,” said Dan. “It is not the heat; something else. The bank has been robbed!”
“Robbed! The bank! Tell me!” she cried, springing up. “Has anything happened? Is George Chard hurt?”
Nora’s hand grasped her bodice tightly. Her face was pale. A wild concern showed in her eyes.
Dan noticed these things, and his mouth tightened.
“No.” he said, “he is not hurt in body, but in mind. His character—”