"She looks like a good woman," said Mr. Linden, feebly. "I think she will suit me."
"Indade, sir, I"ll try."
"Uncle," said Curtis, "I have to go downtown. I have some business to attend to. I leave you in the care of Mrs. Barnes."
"Shure, I"ll take care of him, sir."
"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Linden?" asked the new nurse, in a tone of sympathy.
"Can you minister to a mind diseased?"
"I"ll take the best care of you, Mr. Linden, but it isn"t as if you had a wife or daughter."
"Ah, that is a sore thought! I have no wife or daughter; but I have a niece."
"And where is she, sir?"
"I don"t know. I drove her from me by my unkindness. I repent bitterly, but it"s now too late."
"And why don"t you send for her to come home?"
"I would gladly do so, but I don"t know where she is. Curtis has tried to find her, but in vain. He says she is in Chicago."
"And what should take her to Chicago?"
"He says she is there as a governess in a family."
"By the brow of St. Patrick!" thought Mrs. O"Keefe, "if that Curtis isn"t a natural-born liar. I"m sure she"d come back if you"d send for her, sir," said she, aloud.
"Do you think so?" asked Linden, eagerly.
"I"m sure of it."
"But I don"t know where to send."
"I know of a party that would be sure to find her."
"Who is it?"
"It"s a young man. They call him Dodger. If any one can find Miss Florence, he can."
"You know my niece"s name?"
"I have heard it somewhere. From Mr. Waring, I think."
"And you think this young man would agree to go to Chicago and find her?"
"Yes, sir, I make bold to say he will."
"Tell him to go at once. He will need money. In yonder desk you will find a picture of my niece and a roll of bills. Give them to him and send him at once."
"Yes, sir, I will. But if you"ll take my advice, you won"t say anything to Mr. Curtis. He might think it foolish."
"True! If your friend succeeds, we"ll give Curtis a surprise."
"And a mighty disagreeable one, I"ll be bound," soliloquized Mrs.
O"Keefe.
"I think, Mrs. Barnes, I will retire to my chamber, if you will a.s.sist me."
She a.s.sisted Mr. Linden to his room, and then returned to the library.
"Mrs. Barnes, there"s a young man inquiring for you," said Jane, entering.
"Send him in, Jane."
The visitor was Dodger, neatly dressed.
"How are things going, Mrs. O"Keefe?" he asked.
"Splendid, Dodger. Here"s some money for you."
"What for?"
"You"re to go to Chicago and bring back Florence."
"But she isn"t there."
"Nivir mind. You"re to pretend to go."
"But that won"t take money."
"Give it to Florence, then. It"s hers by rights. Won"t we give Curtis a surprise? Where"s his wife?"
"I have found a comfortable boarding house for her. When had we better carry out this programme? She"s very anxious to see her husband."
"The more fool she. Kape her at home and out of his sight, or there"s no knowin" what he"ll do. And, Dodger, dear, kape an eye on the apple-stand. I mistrust Mrs. Burke that"s runnin" it."
"I will. Does the old gentleman seem to be very sick?"
"He"s wake as a rat. Curtis would kill him soon if we didn"t interfere. But we"ll soon circ.u.mvent him, the snake in the gra.s.s! Miss Florence will soon come to her own, and Curtis Waring will be out in the cold."
"The most I have against him is that he tried to marry Florence when he had a wife already."
"He"s as bad as they make "em, Dodger. It won"t be my fault if Mr.
Linden"s eyes are not opened to his wickedness."