“Why couldn’t we take it?” asked Billie. “We’re going to Salt Lake City.”
Daniel Moore rested his chin on his hand and sat thinking.
“Why, you could,” he said at last. “You could do that thing for me and I would be everlastingly in your debt. It could be done in this way without any risk for any one concerned. You could write her a note as if you were an old school friend and ask her to meet you.”
“But she wouldn’t know who I was,” protested Billie.
“No; I’m thinking of that, too. But she would recognise this line: ‘Have you forgotten that jolly day at Fontainebleau?’”
“Oh,” said Billie.
“Then you could give her the note from me and that would be all you had to do.”
At this moment the master of the house was called away by one of the servants, and the girls began discussing in low voices the romantic errand which was to cast a glamour of even greater interest around Salt Lake City. As they leaned over the maps chatting together there was a blinding flash of lightning and a terrific clap of thunder. Miss Campbell, frightened from her nap, hurried to them. They waited a moment in silence. Presently far down the avenue they heard the whirr of a motor car. There was something ominous and terrifying in the sound. Another moment, it had stopped in front of the house. The hall door was flung open; there was the noise of hurrying footsteps; then the living-room door was opened and in the dim light there stood before them, just for the fraction of a second, Peter Van Vechten. There was a wild look in his eyes which searched their faces without recognition. The door closed as suddenly as it had opened, and he was gone.
“The third wish came true,” whispered Nancy as they pressed together in frightened wonder.
Presently there was a noise of footsteps and low voices in the hall. All the household must have been gathered there speaking in muffled tones. Tramp, tramp, tramp down the hall went the footsteps. A door closed somewhere and all was as still as death. Then came the sound of the motor again, gradually dying out as it flew down the avenue.