There was no sign of Minerva Grand, however, at any of the windows. The house appeared to have relapsed into its customary state of dignity and repose. Nor in any direction, moreover, could Chick discover any other person watching it, and he rightly inferred that the crooks felt tolerably sure that the truth was not even suspected.
His vigil proved to be longer than he anticipated. The minutes lengthened into hours. Six o’clock came, but no sign of the suspected girl, though Mrs. Waldmere’s maid had left the house soon after four.
“It may be, by Jove, that she left before I arrived here,” thought Chick, a bit impatient. “I’d better find out positively. I might telephone to Mrs. Waldmere from the next house, or—ah, there comes a light on the top floor. It may be in the girl’s room.”
The sun had set and dusk was deepening to darkness. The light that had caught Chick’s eye caused him to linger and watch. A moment later he saw Minerva draw down the curtain, and he knew he had not waited vainly.
“She may have been waiting for evening,” he said to himself. “She would know, at least, that there is less risk than in daylight. Or she may have an appointment for the evening, as Nick suspects.”
Chick then had not long to wait.
The light in the upper room suddenly vanished. Presently the side door of the house was opened, and in the stream of light from the hall the dainty figure of the girl appeared for a moment, only to be lost briefly in the gloom of the vestibule after she closed the door.
Chick then saw her trip lightly down the steps and out to the street, clad in a trim jacket and a hat that only partly hid her abundance of yellow hair.
After turning the first corner, however, stealthily followed by the detective, Minerva stopped short and took a voluminous veil from her pocket, which she carefully tied over her hat and hair, then drew it down until it completely hid her girlish face.
“That does settle it,” thought Chick, constantly watching her. “She’s off on some evil mission. Nick sized her up correctly, all right. She evidently has no fear of being followed, which will make it all the easier for me. By Jove, this seems like chasing a fairy. She can’t weigh more than ninety pounds.”