The nurse opened the door.
“How is Mrs. Force?” he inquired.
“She is sleeping under the influence of an opiate. The doctor thinks that if she sleeps well through the night she will be very much better to-morrow morning.”
“Thank Heaven!”
The nurse softly closed the door, and Mr. Force returned to the little room, where he lighted the gas, for it was growing dark, made some little improvement in his toilet, for it was dinner time, and then hurried downstairs, for he had eaten nothing since breakfast.
He opened the parlor door, and was surprised to find a group of many people gathered around his own party.
Wynnette sprang out from them all to meet him.
“Oh! papa, I have not seen you since early this morning. Where have you been? We had all begun to fear that you were a ‘mysterious disappearance’!”
“My dear, I have been closely engaged all day. Who are those with you?” inquired Mr. Force.
“Who? Who but your old friends and neighbors, Mrs. Dorothy Hedge, Miss Susannah Grandiere and Mr. Samuel Grandiere. Come! Come and speak to them.”