A Strange Disappearance | Page 7

Gryce on the contrary stepped forward.
"Mr. Blake, I believe," said he, bowing in that deferential way he
knows so well how to assume.
The gentleman, startled as it evidently seemed from a reverie, looked
hastily up. Meeting Mr. Gryce's bland smile, he returned the bow, but
haughtily, and as it appeared in an abstracted way.
"Allow me to introduce myself," proceeded my superior. "I am Mr.
Gryce from the detective bureau. We were notified this morning that a
girl in your employ had disappeared from your house last night in a
somewhat strange and unusual way, and I just stepped over with my
man here, to see if the matter is of sufficient importance to inquire into.
With many apoligies for the intrusion, I stand obedient to your orders."
With a frown expressive of annoyance, Mr. Blake glanced around and
detecting Mrs. Daniels, said: "Did you consider the affair so serious as
that?"

She nodded, seeming to find it difficult to speak.
He remained looking at her with an expression of some doubt. "I can
hardly think," said he, "such extreme measures were necessary; the girl
will doubtless come back, or if not--" His shoulders gave a slight shrug
and he took out his gloves.
"The difficulty seems to be," quoth Mr. Gryce eyeing those gloves with
his most intent and concentrated look, "that the girl did not go alone,
but was helped away, or forced away, by parties who had previously
broken into your house."
"That is a strange circumstance," remarked Mr. Blake, but still without
any appearance of interest, "and if you are sure of what you say,
demands, perhaps, some inquiry. I would not wish to put anything in
the way of justice succoring the injured. But--" again he gave that slight
shrug of the shoulders, indicative of doubt, if not indifference.
Mrs. Daniels trembled, and took a step forward. I thought she was
going to speak, but instead of that she drew back again in her strange
hesitating way.
Mr. Gryce did not seem to notice.
"Perhaps sir," said he, "if you will step upstairs with me to the room
occupied by this girl, I may be able to show you certain evidences
which will convince you that our errand here is not one of
presumption."
"I am ready to concede that without troubling myself with proof,"
observed the master of the house with the faintest show of asperity.
"Yet if there is anything to see of a startling nature, perhaps I had best
yield to your wishes. Whereabouts in the house is this girl's room, Mrs.
Daniels?"
"It is--I gave her the third story back, Mr. Blake;" replied that woman,
nervously eyeing his face. "It was large and light for sewing, and she
was so nice--"

He impatiently waved his hand on which he had by this time fitted his
glove to a nicety, as if these details were an unnecessary bore to him,
and motioned her to show the way. Instantly a new feeling appeared to
seize her, that of alarm.
"I hardly think you need trouble Mr. Blake to go up-stairs," she
murmured, turning towards Mr. Gryce. "I am sure when you tell him
the Curtains were torn, and the chair upset, the window open and--"
But Mr. Gryce was already on the stairs with Mr. Blake, whom this
small opposition seemed to have at once determined.
"O my God!" she murmured to herself, "who could have foreseen this."
And ignoring my presence with all the egotism of extreme agitation,
she hurried past me to the room above, where I speedily joined her.
CHAPTER III
THE CONTENTS OF A BUREAU DRAWER
Mr. Blake was standing in the centre of the room when I entered,
carelessly following with his eyes the motion of Mr. Gryce's finger as
that gentleman pointed with unwearying assiduity to the various little
details that had struck us. His hat was still in his hand, and he presented
a very formidable and imposing appearance, or so Mrs. Daniels
appeared to think as she stood watching him from the corner, whither
she had withdrawn herself.
"A forcible departure you see," exclaimed Mr. Gryce; "she had not
even time to gather up her clothes;" and with a sudden movement he
stooped and pulled out one of the bureau drawers before the eyes of his
nonchalant listener.
Immediately a smothered exclamation struck our ears, and Mrs. Daniels
started forward.
"I pray, gentlemen," she entreated, advancing in such a way as to place
herself against the front of the bureau in a manner to preclude the

opening of any more drawers, "that you will remember that a modest
woman such as this girl was, would hardly like to have her clothing
displayed before the eyes of strangers."
Mr. Gryce instantly closed the drawer.
"You are right,"