Nan Nightingale and Chick were nowhere to be seen.
Because Nan was not there, Nick instantly felt undefined misgivings; because Chick was not present, Nick experienced a certain amount of assurance, for he knew that unless Chick were otherwise employed, he would have been among the first to put in an appearance.
It was Jimmy Duryea who gave expression to the first coherent thought, in the midst of that scene. He exclaimed:
“Really, Mr. Carter, if it is a part of the practice of your profession to scare us all to death, you might have given us some warning of it.”
“There has been a burglar in the house!” shouted one of the women.
“Some one entered my room, and stole——”
“Oh dear, I never was so frightened in my life. I——”
“Did he get away?”
“It was a woman. I saw her. She ran out at that——”