“Well, you see I was too busy with you; the others must have overlooked it. Hard on Atkins after he took so much trouble, wasn’t it?”
“I told you he was too subtle. But it is not wise to underrate him, or bombs either; we must get the women and those boys out of the house.”
“But how? You are not really acquainted with my aunt, Mrs. Rebecca Winter, I take it.”
“You think she wouldn’t go if there was any chance of danger?”
“You couldn’t fire her unless out of a cannon; but she would help get Archie away; Mrs. Melville and Miss Smith—”
“Well—ur—Miss Smith, I am afraid, will not be easy to manage; you see, she knows—”
“Knows? Did you tell her?” asked Colonel Winter anxiously.
“Well, not exactly. As the children say, it told itself. There has been a kind of an attempt, already. A box came, marked from a man I know in New York, properly labeled with express company’s labels. Miss Smith opened it; I could see her, because she was in the bath-room with the door open. There was another box inside, wrapped in white tissue paper. Very neatly. She examined that box with singular care and then she drew some water in the lavatory basin, half opened the box and put the whole thing under water in the basin. Then I thought it was time for me and I asked her if it was a bomb. Do you know that girl had sense enough not to try to deceive me? She saw that I had seen every move she had made. She said merely that it was safe under water. It was an ingenious little affair which had an electrical arrangement for touching off a spark when the lid of the box would be lifted.”
“Ah, yes. Thoughtful little plan to amuse an invalid by letting him open the box, himself, to see the nice surprises from New York. Very neat, indeed. What did you do with the box?”
“Nothing, so far. It only came about an hour ago.”