“I suspect nothing,” replied Chick. “I am trying to say that nothing but a crime, or, a wrong, would make a man like Ellison leave as he did.”
“The reasoning is good,” said Nick. “Let us see. The most important thing that could occur to Ellison, as we know it, is the possible succession to the title and estate of his family. Now, the Earl of Kerleigh is alive, and there are three lives between him and Ellison. Suppose, for instance, that all of those four men were on a yacht and were drowned at one and the same time. That would make Ellison the Earl of Kerleigh and change him from an unimportant person to a very important person in England; in other words, changing the whole course of his life. It is hard to conceive anything more important to occur to Ellison. Suppose that the big cape man Patsy saw, brought him that information. While it would shock and excite him, there could be no reason why he should not tell his newly-made bride and her family, even if it were necessary for him to leave on the minute.”
“And that,” said Ida, “forces us to believe that there was some wrong or some crime back of this hasty departure.”
“I say, chief,” said Patsy, “did any steamer sail to-day since twelve o’clock?”
Chick jumped for the morning paper and quickly looked at the shipping news.
“No,” he said, “no steamer left port to-day after twelve o’clock.”
“What time does the next steamer go out?” asked Nick.
“Every one that leaves to-morrow,” replied Chick, “must sail before nine in the morning.”
“You have made a good suggestion,” said Nick. “I wish, Patsy, you would take care of that end of it, and see that every steamer is properly watched to-morrow morning.”
Patsy smiled with pleasure. The chief had acknowledged that he had made the first practical suggestion in the work.