"And so, seeing you, I attracted your
attention as best I could."
Professor Locke read this and stood with his pencil poised, when the
buzzer sounded harshly; he went at once into the hall; they heard him
open the door; and in a few moments he returned, followed by Haines.
The fingers of the two flashed their signals back and forth; then a
look of relief came into Locke's face; he even smiled, and nodded
understandingly at the two young men.
"I beg pardon, gentlemen," said Haines. "But when I got back to the
hall, Dr. Mercer made me return and make sure that you had got to see
the Professor."
"Thanks," replied the investigator. "We had not the slightest
difficulty."
"I'm glad to hear it, sir," said the man. "Good-night to you."
He flashed the same wish to the mute, who answered readily; then he
went out and through the window they saw his light again go bobbing
away in the darkness. Then the professor began to write once more.
"I beg your pardon," was his message in long-hand. "The man tells me
that it was quite as you say. But I must confess I was a trifle
startled."
"The lady," wrote Ashton-Kirk, "seemed startled, too."
For the fraction of a moment the mute halted in his reply. Then the
pencil with much assurance formed the following:
"It was my niece.
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