CHAPTER XIV
A TRAP FOR MR. CHEATHAM
The time had come for mince pie and plum pudding, wine, jelly and ice cream—not that anyone had room for everything, but one could always try. The table was being cleared and there was a lull in the hubbub of conversation as well as the clatter of knife and fork.
“Father,” Teddy said quite distinctly and in a voice that carried to the foot of the table where Colonel Trask had been carving the ham as only he could, “Father, I heard the other day at the club, at least I think it was there, but I can’t remember just who it was that said it, that Mr. Ben Benson was dead.”
“Ah, indeed!”
“Yes! The man said he had seen a notice of it in some foreign newspaper. At least, I think that was what he said.”
“Poor Ursula!” ejaculated Mrs. Trask. “I wonder if it is true. But you must know, Mr. Cheatham,” she said, turning to that guest.
“By Jove! Of course!” said the perfidious Teddy, pretending he had forgotten the connection between Cheatham and the subject of his remark. “Why he was your brother-in-law!”
If at this juncture a fellow diner had taken the trouble to notice the young lady introduced by the son of the house as Miss Josie Friend, he would have seen a remarkably stupid-looking young person with dull eyes and no expression to speak of—quite a different person from the gay, clever girl who had been riding in Teddy’s cutter not so many minutes before. In fact, Mr. Cheatham did glance at her when Teddy had first mentioned the name of Ben Benson. Not that he was attracted by her in the least, or had any curiosity concerning her, but he had to look somewhere and it happened to be at her. In spite of his confusion over Teddy’s announcement it flashed through his mind that the girl across the table had no doubt eaten too much turkey and roast ham. He wondered if she could hold plum pudding.
The truth of the matter was Josie had eaten sparingly, although every mouthful had been enjoyed, but she felt that her wits must not be dulled by over-feeding. Mr. Cheatham, not foreseeing that his wits would be in demand, had helped himself plentifully and genially to every dish that came his way and was in consequence not in a condition to control his countenance when Teddy blurted out that he had heard Ben Benson was dead.