Mr. Dalton, angry at thus being obliged to wait two successive meals for her, curtly ordered a servant to go and awake her, and tell her he was waiting for her.
The girl hastened to do his bidding, but soon returned, with pale and affrighted face, saying that Miss Editha was not in her chamber, her bed had not been occupied during the night, and that both sitting-room and bedroom were in the direst confusion.
Mr. Dalton, was of course, instantly alarmed at this startling intelligence, and hastened at once to investigate the matter.
He found it was even worse than the girl had stated. Drawers, boxes, and closets had been overturned and emptied of their contents, and lay scattered in every direction upon the floor, chairs, and bed. Clothing had been unfolded, shaken out, and then thrown hastily aside; dresses were lying over chairs, with their pockets turned inside out and rifled of their contents. Editha’s costly writing-desk was overturned upon the floor, her letters and papers scattered in every direction; and then it was for the first time that Mr. Dalton knew for a certainty of her correspondence with Earle, for stooping down to pick up these letters, he had gathered up with others those that the young man had sent across the sea to her.
Never had those beautiful rooms been in such dire confusion before, and nothing seemed to be missing but Editha’s jewelry, which had been taken from its box, and that was left standing, empty and open, in its accustomed place, and a very common hat and circular waterproof, which she had been in the habit of wearing in stormy weather. Editha herself was gone—that was evident, and no one appeared to know when nor whither.
Mr. Dalton was nearly stupefied at first, and the thought flashed upon him that she might have fled to Earle.
But he soon dismissed this idea, for he knew her character well enough to know that if she was bound to marry Earle Wayne she would do it boldly, openly, and in defiance of the whole world; moreover, she never would have gone away voluntarily and left things in that style, taking nothing with her for her own comfort or needs.
No, it was a deep and incomprehensible mystery.
Days and weeks were devoted to the search of her. Detectives were employed, the police were notified, and advertisements were inserted in all the leading papers, but all without avail; no clew could be gained as to the whereabouts of the missing girl; and Mr. Dalton was at last left entirely alone and desolate in his beautiful home.
Only one thing was discovered that seemed to have any bearing on the matter, and that was her adventure with the unknown ruffian after her visit to John Loker’s house.