CHAPTER II

THE LADY IN NUMBER THREE


The boy was soon found and proved to be more observing in matters of
dress than Mr. Ransom. He described with apparent accuracy both the color
and cut of the garments worn by the lady who had flitted away so
mysteriously. The former was brown, all brown; and the latter was of the
tailor-made variety, very natty and becoming. "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