Stephen laughed.
“Nothing very surprising about that,” he said. “You may easily have seen him at some hotel or restaurant. I didn’t notice anything remarkable about his appearance.”
Gretel admitted that such might have been the case, but she did not look altogether satisfied. Somehow the man’s face seemed to haunt her. She had seen it somewhere, and she did not think it was at a hotel or restaurant. Then there was Fritz Lippheim. What was Fritz doing there, and why had that other man addressed him as Martin? She was sure he had recognized her. If he were merely a guest at the dance, why had he avoided speaking to her? It was all very strange and disquieting. In spite of the fact that her visit had been such a pleasant one, Gretel felt suddenly glad that she was leaving New London in the morning. She wanted to be in Washington with Percy and Barbara.
CHAPTER X
THE SUMMONS
Notwithstanding the unusually late hours of the night before, the Chester household was astir early the next morning. Mr. Chester and Gretel were to take the eight-thirty train for New York, which meant an early breakfast for everybody, for it had been decreed that they should all go to the station to see them off.
“I just can’t tell you how I hate to have you go,” Molly declared, hovering over Gretel, as she put the last things into her suit-case. “I wish you would come back and make us another visit later in the season. They say Washington is frightfully hot in August.”
“I know it is,” said Gretel, “but if Percy and Barbara can stand the heat, I guess I can. It’s dear of you to want me, though, and I’ve had a perfectly beautiful time. It doesn’t seem as if I could have been here more than two weeks.”
“I do wish you could have waited till Monday, and gone down with Jerry and me,” grumbled Geraldine. “It’s perfectly dreadful to think I shan’t see you again till we come to Washington in September. Jerry and I wouldn’t mind the heat a bit if Mrs. Douaine could have us in August instead.”
Gretel laughed, and said she would speak to Barbara on the subject, and then they all hurried away to the waiting automobile.