Chapter XV: A Missing Bridegroom

When Nick returned to the house of Mr. Sanborn, it had already taken on a festive air.

The decorators had completed their labor and the florists had, at last, taken themselves off.

It was not long after Nick had returned that the bridal party set out for the church.

Within a few minutes three men made their appearance and said that they had come from the Central Detective Office, under the instructions of the authorities, to take charge of the house in the absence of Mr. Sanborn and his family.

Nick was called to the door by the servant. Listening to the story of the man presenting himself, he said:

“You are not of the detective force. Get away from here, and, if you make another attempt to enter, I will take you in.”

The men, evidently astonished, hurried away with such haste as to show that their reception was unexpected.

After they had gone Nick said to Chick:

“That is the second attempt that has been made to enter the house, the same means being used, the pretense that they are police detectives.”

“They will make another attempt,” said Chick.

“Yes,” replied Nick, “but it will be in a different way. They will hardly try the same thing again.”

“They seem to be pretty determined,” replied Chick.

“The haul is a big one, if they can make it,” replied Nick. “We must post Patsy at this door, and I will instruct the servants, on no account, to allow any one to pass the doors until the return of the wedding party, unless one of us is called.”

“There is a good deal of going in and out of the basement door in the rear of the house,” said Chick. “I fancy that I had better post myself down there for the present.”

“It is a good plan,” said Nick. “Where are the presents displayed?”

“On the second floor in a rear room,” replied Chick. “Finding that out, while you were gone, I put Ida in that room to maintain a close watch.”

“It could not have been better,” replied Nick.

Thus they waited, but not for long, before there was another diversion.

A florist wagon drove up rapidly to the door with two men in it. Hardly had they stopped and gotten down from it, than a third man rushed up in great haste.

Throwing open the rear doors of the wagon, the three took out a variety of flowers and ascended to the top of the steps, ringing the bell hurriedly.

The doorman threw open the door, and one man, rushing through, with his arms full of flowers, said:

“These are for the rear room on the second floor. Come along, men. Bring those other flowers quick.”

Patsy stepped forward and said:

“What is this?”

“We are very late, we know,” replied the man, “but Mr. Sanborn did not order these flowers until this morning.”

“Mr. Sanborn never ordered them,” cried Patsy.

“Do you know all that Mr. Sanborn does,” replied the man, rather indignantly.

In the meantime, the other two men had pushed forward and the three now tried to go by Patsy.

“Stand back,” said Patsy. “You can’t go by here. Now get out.”

“We’re goin’ to do what we were paid to do,” said the leader, “and you mustn’t stop us.”

Nick, upstairs, hearing the altercation, hurried forward. He was about halfway down the stairs when he saw Patsy catch the leader by the throat with both hands, and pushing him against the others, shove all of them, with their flowers, out through the door.

“Take ’em in,” cried Nick. “That’s the third attempt they’ve made.”

One of the men whom Patsy had shoved out, hearing the voice within, turned and caught a glimpse of Nick, who had reached the door by this time. He dropped the flowers on the stoop, running down hastily, at the same time crying out:

“It’s Nick Carter!”

With this, the other two dropped their flowers, and, jumping for the wagon, clambered into it, to be driven away in hot haste.

“That is the third attempt, Patsy,” said Nick. “I don’t think they will attempt it again. If there is another attempt, it will not be until after the house is filled up with guests.”

Nick was right, for no other efforts were made during the time the bridal party was away.

It was after one o’clock before the bride and bridegroom, with the guests bidden to the wedding breakfast, returned to the house. And it was fully two hours later before the guests to the reception began to arrive.

While keeping close watch on all those who entered, Nick Carter and his aids, nevertheless, kept themselves out of sight as much as possible.

Nick had taken for his own post the hallway on the second floor leading to the room where the presents were.

A room in the front of the house on that floor had been set apart for the use of the groom, and, after the breakfast was over and the reception was about to take place, the groom, whose name Nick had learned was Mr. Norman Ellison, entered that room for a short time. Coming from it, he met Nick, face to face, at the door.

There was something strangely familiar to Nick in the face of the groom. For a moment it occurred to him that it was some other person than Mr. Ellison. With the recognition, recollections of London were presented to the mind of Nick.

On the part of Ellison, on meeting Nick Carter, there was an unmistakable start and an expression of surprise on his face.

The young man regained possession of himself, however, instantly, and advancing with a pleasant manner to Nick, extended his hand, saying:

“The celebrated Mr. Carter, I presume.”

Nick bowed, making no reply.

“I was a little astonished at seeing you here, until I recollected that Mr. Sanborn told me that he had secured your services this morning.”

He laughed a little and went on:

“All these things seem to be necessary at modern weddings. Mrs. Ellison tells me that her father forgot all about making the provision until this morning.”

This was all so true that Nick laughed with the groom, and answered that Mr. Sanborn had even neglected to take the proper precautions until after he, Nick Carter, had warned him that an attempt would be made to steal the jewels, of which he, Nick Carter, had had intimation.

The groom looked keenly into the eyes of Carter as he said these things, but merely remarked:

“That is serious.”

Then hastily saying:

“But I must not linger here and keep the bride waiting,” he ran down the stairs.

Nick turned away, his mind busy with recollections of London. The face of the young man, Ellison, was familiar to him.

It was one of Nick’s characteristics that he never forgot a face that he had once regarded earnestly. In fact, his memory in this respect was actually an embarrassment to him, for in his travels in many parts of the world he had met faces that had attracted him, or, under circumstances, had impressed them on his mind which were by no means associated with his business. Something of this he expressed in the words he muttered to himself:

“This habit of suspicion is all very well, but I am letting it run away with me. Because I have seen this young fellow’s face before is no reason why I should suspect him of anything.”

He walked off toward the room over which Ida was on guard.

In the meantime, Ellison had descended the stairs, and, at the foot of it was met by a servant, who stopped him, speaking in a low tone of voice.

This was observed by Patsy, who, standing near the doorman, asked what servant it was, since he had not seen him before.

The reply was that it was Mr. Ellison’s own servant, his valet.

Whatever was communicated by this servant to the young man, at least it gave no little concern to him.

He knitted his brows, bit his lip and looked down on the floor in thought for a moment.

Then he said to the servant:

“Take him into some room where I can see him alone. I will excuse myself to the bride for a moment or two.”

The two turned away, the servant to run downstairs into the basement, and the young man to push his way through the hall to a rear room on the first floor.

All this time the guests were arriving in increasing numbers for the reception, but the bride and groom, however, had not yet taken their places in the great parlor, where Mr. and Mrs. Sanborn were already in place.

Patsy, watching, saw the servant of Ellison come up the stairs from the basement, leading a man who was carrying his hat with him, and who wore a long cape overcoat.

This man was ushered by the valet into a small room at the extreme end of the hall. Then the servant returned to the bridegroom.

Together, the two entered this small room, as Patsy could very well see.

Only a moment or two elapsed before the stranger, who had called on the bridegroom at such an inopportune time, came out of the room, accompanied by the valet, who led him downstairs into the basement again, and, of course, out of sight.

Something occurring at the door attracted Patsy’s attention for a moment, so that he did not see Mr. Ellison emerge from that room.

The house was gradually becoming filled, and the ways of the stairs and the hall much crowded.

By and by Patsy became conscious that something extraordinary had occurred. In a few moments he saw Nick Carter hurriedly descend the stairs and push his way through the hall into the parlor.

While wondering what had occurred, he saw Chick push his way through the hall toward him. Reaching him, Chick bent over and said:

“The work has begun, Patsy. Get into that room, the third down on the right.”

“They haven’t nipped some of those jewels, have they?” asked Patsy, eagerly.

“Oh, no,” said Chick, moving off, “it’s worse than that.”

Patsy threaded his way through the throng, and entered the room spoken of by Chick.

There he found the bride in hysterics, being cared for by her bridesmaids and an elderly woman, whom he recognized to be Mrs. Sanborn.

Nick was already there in close conversation with Mr. Sanborn, and, a moment later, Chick entered.

Patsy looked around for some explanation of the singular scene, but could find none.

Presently Nick beckoned him, and, as he approached, said:

“Perhaps Patsy can tell us something. Mr. Sanborn, this is one of my valued aids, Patsy Murphy.”

Mr. Sanborn, extending his hand, took that of Patsy’s, and the young detective felt that it was trembling with agitation.

“Patsy,” said Nick, “the bridegroom has mysteriously disappeared. The house has been searched and he cannot be found. Did you see him pass out of the door you were guarding?”

“No,” replied Patsy, “he did not pass out of that door.”

“Nor did he go out through the door that Chick was guarding,” said Nick.

“Say,” said Patsy, “who made the search of the house?”

“Some of Mr. Sanborn’s people,” replied Nick, “and a nephew of Mr. Sanborn.”

“Say, chief,” said Patsy, “I saw something. Where is Mr. Ellison’s valet?”

“What was it you saw?” asked Nick.

“I saw Mr. Ellison come down the stairs. His valet met him at the bottom of the steps and whispered something to him. Then Mr. Ellison told him to take a man into a room where he could see him alone, while he himself came into this room to excuse himself to the bride.”

“Yes,” said Mr. Sanborn, “that’s what he did, saying that he would not delay the bride but a minute.”

“Then,” said Patsy, “I saw the valet come to the door of this room for him and take him to meet the stranger.”

“A stranger?” said Nick, sharply.

“Anyhow,” said Patsy, “he didn’t look like a guest, for he wasn’t rigged for it, and he had on a long cape coat. But, anyhow, it wasn’t a minute after they went in before the man in the big cape coat came out and was taken downstairs by the valet.”

“Did you see Mr. Ellison come out of that room?” asked Nick.

“No,” replied Patsy, “I did not.”

Chick, who had been standing within hearing, now said:

“I saw such a man go out of the door below.”

“Mr. Ellison said,” put in Mr. Sanborn, “when he came into this room to ask my daughter to wait a moment, that he was called to a matter of immense personal importance.”

Mrs. Sanborn at this moment called her husband to her, and Patsy, taking the arm of Nick, asked:

“What is it all about?”

“Mr. Ellison, the bridegroom, has singularly disappeared,” said Nick, “or is missing.”

“Do they think he has skipped?” asked Patsy.

“They do not say so,” replied Nick. “But it looks that way to me.”

“But,” put in Chick, “nobody saw him leave the house, and it is believed he is stowed away somewhere in it.”

“Well, look here,” said Patsy. “I’ve got a pointer. Look for the feller the valet brought in. And look for the valet himself.”

“What are you getting at?” asked Nick.

“Well, I’ve only just tumbled now,” said Patsy, “but when that big cape coat went out of the house, it didn’t have the same man inside of it that it had when it came in.”

“You mean?” asked Nick.

“I mean that Mr. Ellison went out of the house in that big cape coat. I recollect now thinking how much bigger the man appeared going out than when he came in.”

“Good boy, Patsy,” said Nick. “You’ve answered one question right away.”

Turning to Chick, he said:

“Now, Chick, go through the house and make a thorough search for the valet.”

He stopped a moment, and then said to Patsy:

“Patsy, go into that room where you saw the man taken and see what you see there. Anyhow, look for the man that stayed behind.”

The two assistants dashed out of the room and began their respective duties.

It soon became apparent to Chick that the valet of Mr. Ellison had disappeared with his master.

As for Patsy, on entering the room, the first thing that attracted his attention was an open window.

Going to the window and looking out, he saw that it would not have been very much of a drop for a man to let himself out of it.

Leaning out he saw that there was a gate in the fence that led to the cross street, for Mr. Sanborn’s house was on the corner.

He heard a voice, and, looking up, saw a man at the open window of a house fronting on the cross street, but which looked out upon the yard in the rear of Mr. Sanborn’s house.

The person opposite was a very young man, not more than a boy. He asked if Patsy were looking for anybody.

“Yes,” replied Patsy, “I am. Have you seen him?”

“I saw a man drop out of that window,” said the young lad, “and go out of the gate into the street.”

“What sort of a looking man was he?” asked Patsy.

“He wasn’t a very big man,” replied the lad, “but he had black whiskers all around his face and long black hair.”

“That’s my man,” replied Patsy. “Was anybody with him?”

“I didn’t see anybody,” replied the lad; “he went into the street through that door in the fence. He had no hat on. Did he steal anything?”

“Great Scot, no!” said Patsy. “His skipping was only a joke.”

Patsy left the window, for he had found out all he could hope to learn.

It was clear to him that Mr. Ellison had taken the man’s coat and hat and left the house, his valet being in the scheme.

Mr. Ellison once out of the house safely, the man who had come to see him had taken his chances for escaping in a bolder and more dangerous manner.

He went back to Nick and reported what he had learned.

“There is no doubt that you have hit the very way in which it was done,” replied Nick. “Chick reports that the valet has made his disappearance as well. The question is now, why have these two men fled? There is a great mystery here somewhere.”

The assurance that the bridegroom had deliberately fled the house, within an hour after he had been married, and immediately after the wedding breakfast, at which he had made a speech expressing his happiness in securing so lovely a partner for life, by no means contributed to the peace of mind of the bride.

She fainted away on hearing it, and remained so long in a state of unconsciousness that the doctor was summoned to attend her.

In the meantime, the guests who crowded the house were wondering over the extraordinary delay.

Rumors were flying, the chief of which was that the bride had been taken violently ill. The nephew of Mr. Sanborn, a young man of the same name, and who alone of the family seemed to keep his head, took advantage of the rumor and of the fact of the calling of the physician to make it the excuse for dismissing the guests from the house.

It was not so easily done, but, in the course of an hour, all the strangers were gotten away, leaving only Nick and his assistants there.

On the first intimation that Ida received that the bride was ill, and the guests were being dismissed, she cleared the room wherein the presents were displayed, and, locking the door, sat there to guard the presents.

Once the house was cleared, Mr. Sanborn pulled himself together and said to Nick Carter:

“This is a most mysterious affair. I am much humiliated over the action of the man to whom I had given my daughter. But I am willing to suspend my judgment until such time as I find whether or not he is really guilty of wrong. I place this case in your hands and I ask you to unravel the mystery, and spare no expense in doing so.”

“The case shall be taken up immediately,” replied Nick. “Now, as the first thing, I wish to call your attention to the fact that one of my assistants is guarding that treasure above, and I want her relieved at once. Is there no place here in which they can be placed in safety.”

“Yes,” replied Mr. Sanborn, “there are safes here in which the valuables may be placed.”

Nick and his assistants superintended the transfer of the jewels from the room to the safe pointed out by Mr. Sanborn, and, having done so, Nick said to the millionaire:

“Roughly estimating, I should say that at least there is a million of value in those jewels and that plate. Your safes are not a sufficient guard for so much value. Let me urge you to take immediate measures toward a better care of them.”

With this Nick went away with Chick, Patsy and Ida for a consultation as to the best means of proceeding to unravel as strange and peculiar a mystery as they had met with in a long time.