“If this young lady’s there, it’s something very wrong.”
“She is, sir, and to my way of thinking, she’s kept there against her will.”
“You bet she is! But she won’t be there long! Thank you, my man,—here’s another five. It’s worth it. Now, good morning!”
The milkman left and Coe made ready to depart also.
“You’d better come with me, Joe,” he said; “and I think I’ll be on the safe side and take a brace of policemen. I’m looking for trouble. Hold on,—I want a word alone with Mrs. Powell,—just a minute.”
And then, Coe was ready and he and Allison went off.
“I’ll let you know as soon as possible, Gerty,” Coe called back, and the two hurried on.
It took a little time to gather up two policemen and get over to the Madison Avenue house, but they arrived before two o’clock.
The house was boarded up after the manner of houses vacated for the summer, and repeated pulls at the bell brought no response.
“Nothing doing,” opined a policeman. “Guess you people were stung.”