The colonel was the star witness (at least this was young Arnold’s verdict). His narrative was to the effect that he had gone out to see Mercer, who was a family connection; no, he was not alone, he had a young friend with him; confidentially, he would admit that the friend was Mr. Tracy’s son; and, while he could not be sure, he had reason to suspect that he, “young Tracy,” had been conducting some delicate negotiations with Mr. Keatcham. At this point the interlocutor nodded slightly; he was making the deductions expected and explaining to himself Keatcham’s astonishing communication over the telephone. So, he was surmising shrewdly, that was the clue; the old man had been making some sort of a deal with Tracy through the son; well, they were protected, thanks to Keatcham’s orders. Likely as not they never would know all the reasons for this side-stepping.
“I understand, then,” he said, as one who holds a clue but has no notion of letting it slip out of his own fingers, “you and young Tracy got here and you found Mr. Keatcham? How did you get in? Did Mr. Mercer let you in? How did it happen he didn’t discover Mr. Keatcham instead of you, or did you come in on the side?”
Mrs. Winter who was in the room had a diversion ready, but it was not needed; the colonel answered unhesitatingly, with a frank smile: “No, we came in ourselves; young Tracy had a key.”
“Oh, he had, had he?” returned Warnebold with a shrug of the shoulders.
“He is a great friend of young Arnold’s; they were at Harvard together, belonged to the same societies.”
“Yes, I understand; well—”
The rest of the interview was clear sailing. Mrs. Winter’s presence was explained in her very own words. “Of course I was put out a good deal at first,” added the colonel, “by the women getting mixed up in it; but Miss Smith undoubtedly saved Mr. Keatcham’s life. I never saw any one who seemed to think of so many things to do. Half a dozen times, that first night, he seemed to be fading away; but every time she brought him back. I was anxious to have a doctor called in; but Mercer seemed opposed to making a stir—”
“He knew his business thoroughly,” interjected Keatcham’s confidant, “he undoubtedly had his instructions to keep Keatcham’s presence here a secret.”
“He had,” said Mrs. Winter; “besides, Miss Smith is his sister-in-law and he knew that she could be trusted to do everything possible. And, really, it didn’t look as if anything could help him. I hardly believed that he could live an hour when I saw him.”
“Nor I,” the colonel corroborated.