I took the pillow and the slipper and went
out. The telephone was ringing on the stair landing. It was the
theater, asking for Miss Brice.
"She has gone away," I said.
"What do you mean? Moved away?"
"Gone for a few days' vacation," I replied. "She isn't playing this
week, is she?"
"Wait a moment," said the voice. There was a hum of conversation from
the other end, and then another man came to the telephone.
"Can you find out where Miss Brice has gone?"
"I'll see."
I went to Ladley's door and knocked. Mr. Ladley answered from just
beyond.
"The theater is asking where Mrs. Ladley is."
"Tell them I don't know," he snarled, and shut the door. I took his
message to the telephone.
Whoever it was swore and hung up the receiver.
All the morning I was uneasy--I hardly knew why. Peter felt it as I
did. There was no sound from the Ladleys' room, and the house was
quiet, except for the lapping water on the stairs and the police
patrol going back and forth.
At eleven o'clock a boy in the neighborhood, paddling on a raft, fell
into the water and was drowned.
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