“Just a light lunch, Ethel,” said Mrs. Ogden, as Professor Norcross rose and pulled back her chair. “Walter telephoned he would not be back from the Capitol, and Julian hasn’t shown up.”
“He’s comin’ now, Mrs. Ogden,” volunteered the butler, and Barclay appeared a second later.
Barclay’s words of apology were addressed to Mrs. Ogden, but his eyes sought Ethel as a needle seeks its magnet. The dining room was not well lighted, and he failed to catch her expression as she returned his greeting, but under cover of Mrs. Ogden’s incessant talk his glance stole again and again to the silent girl on his right. Mrs. Ogden at last awoke to the increasing darkness as wind clouds obscured the sunshine, and directed Charles to switch on the electric lights, to Barclay’s secret satisfaction. He never wearied of looking at Ethel.
“By the way, Julian, why did you disappear so mysteriously last night?” inquired Mrs. Ogden. “You did not come to my supper party.”
“I owe you a thousand apologies,” exclaimed Barclay flushing. “I confess I never gave it a thought, Cousin Jane,” and at sight of her offended look, he added hastily, “I hope that you will pardon my absent-mindedness when I tell you that among the crowd leaving the theater I saw Yoshida Ito.”
“Who is he?” asked Mrs. Ogden. “Oh, now I recollect; the Jap who poisoned Dwight Tilghman.”
“Exactly. And wishing to hand him over to the police, I gave chase.”
“And did you catch him?” demanded his cousin breathlessly.
“No, worse luck! He eluded me in the crowd and disappeared in the direction of the Mall.”
“Did you find any further trace of the Jap?” inquired Ethel, breaking her long silence, and her voice sounded unnatural in her own ears.