“I'm going along too,” she said. “You're going to play golf this afternoon, aren't you?”
“No,” replied her father, shortly, “I'm not going to play golf. I'm going to play something else.”
The five-hour ride to Truesdale was for the most part a silent one. Katherine knew that her father was worried about something, and when he was worried he never liked to talk, so she asked no questions and made no attempt to draw him away from what troubled him. Only when they reached Truesdale and her father was about to help her into the cart that stood waiting she stopped long enough to kiss him and say:—
“Don't bother too much about it, dad. And don't plan any business for this evening; I want you to take me out on the river.” As she turned the cart around and started up the broad smooth street toward home she frowned, and thought, “I wish he would tell me more about things. I believe I could help.”
Porter went straight to Judge Black's to continue his conversation with the stenographer, but it needed no more than a glance to convince him of the futility of trying to get any information from that source.
The new stenographer was a boyish-looking person who tried to convince one that he was much older than his appearance would indicate. He had big feet and a high voice; he used only the bottom notes for conversational purposes save when in unwary moments Nature would assert herself in a hoarse falsetto. He patronized Mr. Porter. He said that the Judge had left town the week before, and that he would probably be back in about ten days. He would send him no messages whatever, from anybody: those were Judge Black's orders.
The young man seemed willing to go on talking at great length, and he doubtless would have done so had not Porter suddenly left the room. The Vice-President had thought of a possible clew. He walked rapidly to the railroad ticket office and spoke to the agent.
“Did Judge Black leave town a few days ago?” he asked.
“Yes, sir,” answered the agent. “I don't remember just what day, but he went up on twenty-two.”
“Oh, he went east then. Do you remember where?”