Cap'n Warren's Wards Part 7

"Yes, ma'am," said Edwards once more, and departed.

The lady visitor heard voices in the pa.s.sage. She listened, but could hear nothing understandable. Evidently the butler was having an argument with someone. It could not be Graves.

Edwards reappeared, looking troubled.

"It's a--a gentleman to see Miss Caroline," he said. "He won't give his name, ma'am, but says she's expecting him."

"Expecting him?"

"Yes, ma'am. I told him she was out, but he said he was intending to stay a while anyway, and would wait. I asked his business, but he wouldn't tell it."

"That's odd." Mrs. Dunn was slightly interested. "A tradesman, perhaps; or an agent of the landlord."

"No-o, ma'am. I don't think he's either of them, ma'am."

"What sort of a person is he, Edwards?"

The butler's face twitched for an instant with a troubled smile. Then it resumed its customary respectful calm.

"I hardly know, ma'am. He's an oddish man. He--I think he's from the country."

From behind him came a quiet chuckle.

"You're right, Commodore," said a man's voice; "I'm from the country.

You guessed it."

Edwards jumped, startled out of his respectable wits. Mrs. Dunn rose indignantly from her chair.

"I beg your pardon, ma'am," said the intruder, appearing in the doorway.

"You mustn't think I'm forcin' my way where I ain't wanted. But it seemed to take so long to make the Admiral here understand that I was goin' to wait until Caroline came back that I thought I'd save time and breath by provin' it to him. I didn't know there was any company. Excuse me, ma'am, I won't bother you. I'll just come to anchor out here in the entry. Don't mind me."

He bowed politely, picked up the large suit-case, plainly bran-new, which he had momentarily placed on the rug at his feet, and, with it in one hand and a big soft felt hat in the other, stepped back into the hall out of sight. The astonished Mrs. Dunn and the paralyzed Edwards heard a chair crack as if a heavy weight had descended upon it.

Evidently he had "come to anchor."

The lady was the first to recover the power of speech.

"Why!" she exclaimed, in an alarmed whisper. "Why! I never heard of such brazen impertinence in my life. He must be insane. He is a lunatic, isn't he, Edwards?"

The butler shook his head. "I--I don't know, ma'am," he stammered.

"I believe he is." Mrs. Dunn's presence of mind was returning, and with it her courage. Her florid cheeks flamed a more vivid red, and her eyes snapped. "But whether he is or not, he sha'n't bulldoze me."

She strode majestically to the door. The visitor was seated in the hall, calmly reading a newspaper. Hat and suit-case were on the floor beside him.

"What do you mean by this?" demanded the lady. "Who are you? If you have any business here, state it at once."

The man glanced at her, over his spectacles, rose and stood looking down at her. His expression was pleasant, and he was remarkably cool.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, gravely. "I'll be glad to tell you who I am, if you'd like to have me. I'd have done it before, but I thought there weren't any use troublin' you with my affairs. But, just a minute--"

he hesitated--"I haven't made any mistake, have I? I understood your steward--the feller with the bra.s.s b.u.t.tons, to say that Abijah Warren's children lived here. That's so, ain't it? If not, then I _am_ mistaken."

Mrs. Dunn regarded him with indignation. "You are," she said coldly.

"The family of the late Mr. Rodgers Warren lives here. I presume the slight resemblance in names misled you. Edwards, show the gentleman out."

"Just one moment more, ma'am. It was Rodgers Warren's children I was lookin' for. A. Rodgers Warren he called himself, didn't he? Yes. Well, the A stood for Abijah; that was his Christian name. And he left two children, Caroline and Stephen? Good! I thought for a jiffy I'd blundered in where I had no business, but it's all right. You see, ma'am, I'm their uncle from South Denboro, Ma.s.sachusetts. My name is Elisha Warren."

Mrs. Dunn gasped. Edwards, peering over her shoulder, breathed heavily.

"You are--their _uncle_?" repeated the lady.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm 'Bije's brother. Oh, don't worry. It's all right. And don't fret yourself about me, either. I'll set right down out here and read my paper and wait till Caroline or Stephen get home. They're expectin' me. Mr. Graves, the lawyer, told 'em I was comin'."

He calmly seated himself and adjusted his spectacles. Mrs. Dunn stared at him, then at Edwards. After an instant's indecision, she stepped back into the library and walked to the window. She beckoned, with an agitated finger, to the butler, who joined her.

"Edwards," she whispered, "did you hear what he said?"

"Yes, ma'am," replied Edwards, wide-eyed and wondering.

"Is it true?"

"I don't know, ma'am."

"Did Mr. Warren have a brother?"

"I didn't know that he had, ma'am."

"Do you--do you think it likely that he would have a brother like--like _that_?"

"I don't know, ma'am."

"Was Miss Caroline expecting him?"

"I don't know, ma'am. She--"

"Oh, you don't know anything! You're impossible. Go away!"

"Yes, ma'am," said Edwards thankfully; and went. Mrs. Corcoran Dunn stood for some minutes by the window, thinking, or trying to think a way to the truth in this astounding development. Of course the man _might_ be a lunatic who had gained his information concerning the Warren family from the papers; but he did not look like a lunatic. On the other hand, he certainly did not look as one would have expected a brother of Rodgers Warren's to look. Oddest of all, if he was such a brother, why had neither Caroline or Stephen mentioned his existence? According to his story, Graves, the Warren lawyer, had warned the children of his coming. Caroline had been very reticent concerning her father's will, the amount of his estate, and the like. And Mrs. Dunn had repeatedly, though discreetly, endeavored to find out these important details.

Neither hints nor questions had resulted satisfactorily. Was it possible that this was the reason, this country uncle? If so--well, if so, here was a Heaven-sent opportunity for a little genteel and perfectly safe detective work. Mrs. Dunn creakingly crossed the room and spoke.

"Mr. Warren," she said, "I feel guilty in keeping you out there. Won't you come into the library?"

"Why, thank you, ma'am, I'm all right. Don't you trouble about me. Go right on with your readin' or sewin' or knittin' or whatever you was doin' and--"

"I was not reading," replied Mrs. Dunn, with a slight shudder. "Come in, please. I wish you to."

Captain Elisha folded his paper and put it in his pocket. Entering the library, he stood quietly waiting.

"Won't you sit down?" asked his impromptu hostess, trying hard to be gracious.