MAYNARD, swinging his cane jauntily as he strode along, paused a few steps from the Bellevue Apartment House and swore softly; he had entirely forgotten the errand which had, ostensibly, taken him to see Marian. Retracing his footsteps he persuaded the telephone operator to give him a small envelope and writing on his visiting card: “Evelyn wishes to see you at your earliest convenience,” he enclosed it in the envelope, and insured its immediate delivery by a liberal tip to the grinning elevator boy.
His conscience once again clear he hastened around to the Burnhams’ and reached that hospitable home just as Jones appeared on the doorstep intent on summoning a newsboy whose shrill shout of “Sunday Times” could be heard a block away.
Maynard paused by the butler’s side. “Get a paper for me also,” he directed, producing some pennies.
“Don’t bother, sir,” protested Jones. “I always gets four for the house, sir; I have the money right here.” In hunting for his change the butler resurrected a folded paper. His face fell at sight of it. “Heavens, sir; I forgot to give you this,” he gasped in consternation. “Mrs. Van Ness—that is——” Suddenly recollecting that Marian had requested him not to mention her presence at the house the night before, he pulled himself up short and under pretence of saving the newsboy steps he went forward to meet him.
White to Play and Mate in Two Moves.
But the maneuver was unnecessary. Maynard had forgotten the butler’s existence. His entire attention was concentrated on the small piece of paper which upon unfolding, proved to be a chess problem diagram. Underneath it was written: “White to play and mate in two moves.”
For several seconds Maynard studied the position of the men, then wheeling about he raced up the staircase and disappeared in his bedroom, in his haste utterly ignoring Mrs. Burnham’s friendly greeting as he passed her in the hall.
Mrs. Burnham frowned at his closed door in surprised indignation; discourtesy in any form was like a red rag to a bull to her, and making up her mind that she would exact full apology from Maynard later on, she continued on her way to Evelyn’s bedroom. There she found Evelyn, fully dressed, sitting on the edge of her bed, one hand pressed to her side and her face the color of the bed sheets.
“Mother, please get me some aromatic spirits of ammonia,” she begged. “I thought I was stronger——”