He knitted his brows, bit his lip and looked down on the floor in thought for a moment.
Then he said to the servant:
“Take him into some room where I can see him alone. I will excuse myself to the bride for a moment or two.”
The two turned away, the servant to run downstairs into the basement, and the young man to push his way through the hall to a rear room on the first floor.
All this time the guests were arriving in increasing numbers for the reception, but the bride and groom, however, had not yet taken their places in the great parlor, where Mr. and Mrs. Sanborn were already in place.
Patsy, watching, saw the servant of Ellison come up the stairs from the basement, leading a man who was carrying his hat with him, and who wore a long cape overcoat.
This man was ushered by the valet into a small room at the extreme end of the hall. Then the servant returned to the bridegroom.
Together, the two entered this small room, as Patsy could very well see.
Only a moment or two elapsed before the stranger, who had called on the bridegroom at such an inopportune time, came out of the room, accompanied by the valet, who led him downstairs into the basement again, and, of course, out of sight.
Something occurring at the door attracted Patsy’s attention for a moment, so that he did not see Mr. Ellison emerge from that room.