“Ready now,” the captain looked at his watch. “Yes, I should think so. It’s way into the forenoon. You have waited for me, haven’t you? I’m awfully sorry.”
“No, we have not waited. Our breakfast hour is nine. Pardon me for neglecting to tell you that last evening.”
“Oh, that’s all right. Now you trot right out and eat. I’ve had mine.”
“Had your breakfast?”
“Yes, indeed. When I’m home, Abbie and I usually eat about seven, so I get sort of sharp-set if I wait after that. I cal’lated you city folks was late sleepers, and I wouldn’t want to make any trouble, so I found a little eatin’ house down below here a ways and had a cup of coffee and some bread and butter and mush. Then I went cruisin’ round in Central Park a spell. This is Central Park over across here, ain’t it?”
“Yes.” The girl was too astonished to say more.
“I thought ’twas. I’d been through part of it afore, but ’twas years ago, and it’s such a big place and the paths run so criss-cross I got sort of mixed up, and it took me longer to get out than it did to get in. I had the gen’ral points of the compass, and I guess I could have made a pretty average straight run for home, but every time I wanted to cut across lots there was a policeman lookin’ at me, so I had to stick to the channel. That’s what made me so late. Now do go and eat your breakfast. I won’t feel easy till I see you start.”
Caroline departed, and the captain, after a visit to his own room, where he left his coat and hat, returned to the library, picked up the paper which his nephew had dropped, and began reading.
After breakfast came the “business talk.” It was a brief one. Captain Elisha soon discovered that his brother’s children knew very little concerning their father’s affairs. They had always plenty of money, had been indulged in practically every wish, and had never had to think or plan for themselves. As to the size of the estate, they knew nothing more than Mr. Graves had told them, which was that, instead of the several millions which rumor had credited A. Rodgers Warren with possessing, five hundred thousand dollars would probably be the extent of their inheritance, and that, therefore, they must live economically. As a first step in that direction, they had given up their former home and moved to the apartment.
“Yes, yes,” mused the captain, “I see. Mr. Graves didn’t know about your movin’, then? You did it on your own hook, so to speak?”