It's all accordin', as I've said so often. Enemies? No,
indeed!"
She laughed again. "I'm so glad!" she said. "Malcolm declares he'd
be quite afraid of me--as an enemy. He seems to think I possess
some mysterious and quite diabolical talent for making my un-friends
uncomfortable, and declares he would compromise rather than fight me
at any time. Of course it's ridiculous--just one of his jokes--and I'm
really harmless and very much afraid. That's why I want you and me to be
friends, Captain Warren."
"Sure!" Captain Elisha nodded emphatically. "That's what I want, too."
But that evening, immediately after his return to the apartment,
when--Caroline having gone to her own room to remove her wraps--he and
the butler were alone, he characteristically unburdened his mind.
"Mr. Warren, sir," said Edwards, "a young gentleman left a note here for
you this afternoon. The elevator man gave it to me, sir. It's on your
dressing table, sir."
The captain's answer had nothing whatever to do with the note. He had
been thinking of other things.
"Commodore," he said, "I've got the answer."
"To the note? Already, sir? I didn't know you'd seen it."
"I ain't. I've got the answer to the conundrum. It's Mother!"
"Mother, sir? I--I don't know what you mean.
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