“No,” he said at last, taking down his arms and leaning back into the chair’s capacious embrace, “I don’t think we’d better take that extreme measure; at least, not yet. In my judgment you’ve acted prudently, my dear, in not letting anybody know his absence is other than an ordinary business matter. It is now about two weeks since he—went away?”
“Two weeks and a half.”
“Well, I think we’d better wait at least another week before we do anything. And, meantime, all that you’ve told me will be a secret between you and me.”
“Thank you, Dr. Annister. You’ve relieved my anxiety very much, indeed. And I’m so glad you think as you do, for I dreaded doing anything about it for fear it might get into the papers and there’d be all that horrid publicity and the reporters coming and catechizing me every day.”
“Wait a bit,” he said as she rose to go. “I want to ask you more about this Gordon. He seems to you an honest, straightforward sort of man?”
“Oh, entirely, Dr. Annister! He is so frank and sincere and direct that you can’t help believing in him. He seems to know Mr. Brand very, very intimately, too. And yet such an angry look crosses his face sometimes when we speak about Mr. Brand that I am very much puzzled. It doesn’t seem as if they could be such good friends as they would have to be for Mr. Gordon to know all he does.”
“I wish I could see him and talk with him myself. Do you know his address?”
“No, sir. And he’s not in either the telephone or the city directory.”
“Well, if he comes to your office again ask him to come up here with you. Explain how anxious we are—doubtless he knows that Felix and Mildred are engaged—and say that it would be a great relief to us if we could hear from his own lips that he is still sure of Mr. Brand’s safety. I’ll see him first and if he inspires my confidence as he does yours I’ll have Mildred come in and talk with him, too. Won’t you go up and see Mildred and Mrs. Annister?”
“I’d love to, Dr. Annister, but—Mildred will be so anxious for news, and I can’t tell her anything more than I have a dozen times already, and——”