'No,' Annette replied; 'madame had not asked for any newspapers, and she had taken none up to her.'
'You need not be frightened on that point,' said Mrs. Jenkins; 'for I never saw a lady with so little curiosity about news as Mrs. Griswold. She reads the weeklies sometimes, when they are all about books and interesting things that are happening in the world; but I have known her go a whole week without looking into a daily; and we will keep them out of her way, if by any perverse chance she should take it into her head to want to see them. She is not given to scolding, but I daresay Jim would not mind taking a scolding from her for not having thought of fetching an evening paper, if it is for her.'
'Don't make yourself uneasy, sir; not but what we should like to have a look at what they say.'
'They don't say anything,' said Thornton Carey; 'at least, they have not said it yet. The news has come by private cable message, and I am only afraid of its getting into the later editions. I shall be here tomorrow early, and implicitly trust you in this matter. There is another thing, too, you will have to be very careful about, if you please.'
'Certainly, sir,' said Mrs. Jenkins. 'What is that?'
'It is just possible that a telegram may come, directed to Mrs. Griswold.'
'From Europe, sir?'
'No,' said Thornton Carey; 'from Chicago.'
Mrs. Jenkins started slightly, and said:
'Chicago! Is there anything wrong there?'