"What you would call
'swell,'" was the comment, "if her walk hadn't spoiled the hang of it.
How she did walk! Her shoes must have hurt her most uncommon. I never did
see any one hobble so."
"How's that? She hobbled, and her husband didn't notice it?"
"Oh, he had hurried on ahead. She was behind him, and she walked like
this."
The pantomime was highly expressive.
"That's a point," muttered Gerridge. Then with a sharp look at the boy:
"Where were you that you didn't notice her when she slipped off?"
"Oh, but I did, sir. I was waiting for the clerk to give me the
key, when I saw her step back from the gentleman's side and, looking
quickly round to see if any one was noticing her, slide off into the
reception-room. I thought she wanted a drink of water out of the pitcher
on the center-table, but if she did, she didn't come back after she had
got it. None of us ever saw her again."
"Did you follow Mr. Ransom when he walked through those rooms?"
"No, sir; I stayed in the hall."
"Did the lady hobble when she slid thus mysteriously out of sight?"
"A little. Not so much as when she came in. But she wasn't at her ease,
sir. Her shoes were certainly too small."
"I think I will take a peep at those rooms now," Gerridge remarked to the
manager.
Mr. Loomis bowed, and together they crossed the office to the
reception-room door.
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