“It's John!” cried Gertrude. “Why, JOHN!”
Mr. Doane pushed past the butler and entered the hall. His glance took in the group at the foot of the stairs, but it lingered upon only one member of it.
“Gertie!” he said, and stepped forward. Captain and Mrs. Dott looked the other way; Hapgood gave his attention to the closing of the door.
A moment later the young man was ready to shake hands with the less important inhabitants of the mansion. He did so heartily.
“My!” he exclaimed, “but I'm glad to see you all. It seems a hundred years since I did see you. How are you?”
Serena answered. Captain Dan, his first surprise over, seemed nervous.
“We're real well,” declared Serena. “And it seems awfully good to have you here. Gertrude and I—”
Gertrude interrupted.
“But, John,” she said, “how did you happen to come so unexpectedly? I didn't know—you didn't write me a word about it.”
“I didn't know it, myself. That is, I wasn't sure of it. You know our junior partner, Mr. Griffin, has been very ill—I wrote you that. He is very ill even yet, but he is a little better, and so I grabbed the opportunity. I should have come before, just as soon as—”