CHAPTER XVI.
THE ENGINEER PUZZLED.
A young man ran up the steps at the Alstine mansion and rang the bell.The servant who answered stared at the gentleman as though there was somenoticeable curiosity about him.
There was nothing curious, however, in the make-up of the gentleman.
He was young and handsome, and the reader knows him as August Bordine,the young engineer.
The young man had been laid up for more than a week by the hurt he hadreceived when his horse ran away.
He had seen or heard nothing of Rose during this time.
The unaccountable absence of the detective troubled the young man not alittle as well, and he resolved to make an investigation immediately.
"Is Miss Alstine at home?"
The servant answered in the affirmative, and showed the young gentlemanto the elegant parlor.
Usually Rose received him in person, thus doing away with the ceremony ofservants.
She was not expecting him.
This of course accounted for her not coming at once to meet him.
Ten minutes passed, and then the maid returned.
August looked up, expecting to see the smiling face of Rose.
"Miss Alstine can't receive visitors."
"Is she ill?" questioned the young man in sudden alarm.
"No, she's as well as usual."
"Did you tell her who called?"
"Yes, sir."
The face of the young engineer was a puzzle to look at.
He refused to depart until the maid went once more to see her mistress.
On her return she brought a note from Rose, that was as great a puzzle tothe engineer as was the curious acting of his betrothed.
"MR. BORDINE:--There can be no necessity for an interview. Noexplanation you can make will sunder the facts. I beg you not to comeagain, as, under no circumstances, will I consent to see you. Your comingnow assures me that you have impudence as well as a double nature.R. ALSTINE."
The young man walked from the room like one in a dream.
What did, what could it all mean? It was impossible for August tounderstand.
His was a dejected mien as he walked slowly homeward. A pair of brighteyes watched him from a curtained upper window of the great house, and ina maiden's heart was the suddenest longing possible to one broken underthe cruel treachery of its hero.
"What is the trouble, August?" questioned Mrs. Bordine the moment heentered the presence of his mother.
"Nothing."
"Ah, you cannot deceive me in that way, my son. I know something iswrong, and--"
"Yes, something is wrong," he interrupted with bitter vehemence. "I havebeen spat upon by a girl, and never until now did I realize what a fool Iwas to think of losing my heart to a flirt like Rose Alstine."
"August, what do you mean?"
"That Rose has jilted me."
"I am glad of it."
"Mother!"
"I always warned you not to look so high," proceeded the old lady, witharms akimbo, regarding her son. "Not that I consider Rose Alstine highonly in money matters, but such girls are always heartless."
Then she went back to her work leaving the young man to fight out hisgrief as best he could alone.
That evening, while the young engineer sat meditating over the events ofthe past few days, a sharp ring at the door-bell roused him from hissomewhat bitter thoughts.
He went into the hall, opened the door, and peered out into thedimly-lighted street.
No one was to be seen, but a small bit of folded paper fell at his feet,evidently having been but slightly attached to the edge of the casing.
Seizing the paper, the young man closed the door and went back to thecozy cottage parlor.
"Who was it, August?"
But just then the young man was too busy imbibing the contents of the bitof paper to heed the words of his mother.
"MR. BORDINE--Be ever on the alert. A conspiracy has been formed foryour destruction. It is time you were up and doing. Silas Keene hasalready fallen, and you have been marked. I implore you, be on yourguard.
"A. FRIEND."
After a moment given to thought, August handed the note over to hismother.
"What does it mean?"
This was her comment after she had possessed herself of the contents ofthe mysterious note.
"It may mean a good deal," he answered. "I hope, however, that no harmhas come to Silas Keene; yet I am at a loss to understand why he remainsaway so long."
"He promised to return?"
"Yes."
For some moments a silence fell between mother and son, broken at lengthby a second ring at the bell.
"We seem to have visitors in plenty," uttered the young engineer, as hewent again to the door.
On the step stood a small boy.
"Well, my little man."
"A letter for you, sir," and the lad placed an envelope in the hand ofthe engineer.
Would wonders never cease?
"Wait a moment."
But the boy was gone.
August went slowly back into the house.
"Another letter?" questioned Mrs. Bordine.
"It seems so."
He opened it slowly.
"MR. BORDINE,--It is important that you come at once if you would seeSilas Keene alive. He has met with a terrible and unexpected accident,and has something of importance to communicate before he dies. He hasimportuned me all day to send for you. I have been unable until now, butI sincerely hope this may reach you before the poor man is no more. Ahack will be at you door at precisely nine o'clock to take you to Keene'sside. If you disappoint him it will certainly hasten his death.Confidently expecting you, I remain 'HENRY JONES.'"
After reading this to himself, the young engineer read it aloud to hismother.
"So the poor gentleman has met with an accident," murmured the kind oldlady. "How sad. If we had only known this at the outset we might have hadhim brought here."
"Certainly we might."
Bordine came to his feet and began pacing the floor.
He was not yet wholly recovered from the shock he had received from beingthrown against a telegraph pole some days before, and he would muchrather have remained at home than venture out into the chill air ofnight. He had a duty in the premises, however.
This was the first word he had heard from Silas Keene since he left hishome to meet the notorious tramp, Perry Jounce, in Billy Bowleg's saloon.
August thought of the first note he had received--a warning to beconstantly on his guard, and found himself wondering who wrote it. Notthe detective, for in this note was a statement that Keene had beenstricken down. And this bore out the statement of the last letter. Itseemed evident that a terrible accident had happened to the detective, orelse he had been criminally assaulted. In either case it seemed evidentto the young man his duty to visit Keene if possible.
"What had I best do, mother?" finally questioned the young man.
Before asking the question August had fully determined upon his course,but he was anxious to have his mother's approval as well.
"Go, by all meant, August."
"That was my determination," assured the engineer.
She was wholly unsuspicious, and had no thought that her son might go tohis own doom.
Why should she feel suspicious? Who would care to harm her son, who, shefully believed, had never injured a human soul?
August had suspicions, however, and he secured a revolver upon his personere venturing out upon his mission.
Promptly at nine the sound of wheels was heard, ceasing in front of theengineer's cottage.
Kissing his mother good-by August hastened forth. A hack stood near thesidewalk, the door standing open.
It was dark within, but the young man noted the outlines of a man uponthe forward seat.
August stepped inside and closed the door. Then the hack rattledaway. For some moments silence reig
ned. August wondered who hisfellow-passenger was. Perhaps the one who had sent him the noterequesting his presence at the side of the dying detective.