“But a little excitement of the right sort, will do you good, father. Listen, please. I’ll read you something and try to do so quietly.”
“You act queerly, for a lawyer—”
“Yes, a lawyer, of course; but first—a man. I defy anybody to be composed, who has had the experience we’ve had, chasing over half this wide country in pursuit of something and returning to find it right here in his own library—”
Now seriously alarmed by the strange manner of his usually sedate son, the elder gentleman rose to ring the bell and send for his man, feeling that he would know, at once, if aught were seriously amiss with the “boy,” who acted as if he, too, had caught the fever which had detained them so long in the southwest and from which the father had nearly died.
“That’s all right. Ring, if you need anything for yourself, but I—well, I’ll just wire a few words to Mrs. Sinclair, then read you what will make you stare.”
“Rupert, for peace’s sake, don’t stir up that old woman, to-night. We’re not at the office and it’s past business hours—”
“Beg pardon, father, but it’s a case of ‘needs must.’ And I won’t stop to wire. Since you’ve summoned your man I’ll send the message direct to her house.”
The messenger was hastily dispatched and then the younger lawyer read that same “Associated Press” article which had already startled so many other people into hasty action. When it was finished, Mr. George Disbrow leaned back and sighed in vast relief, saying:
“Well! If anything in this topsy-turvy world could surprise me that story would. It seems incredible, but I’m only too thankful to believe it. It will ‘settle’ our whimsical client as nothing less amazing would; and end for us a ‘case’ that has been much more plague than profit.”
“But how strange that Mr. Manuel has never been heard from! What is your theory in the matter?”