Page:Harold Macgrath--The girl in his house.djvu/63

 wasn't poring over that globe he was deep in the encyclopedias."

Armitage nodded understandingly. Bordman had planned this day years before.

Miss Corrigan continued. "Sometimes he'd talk. You'd swear he'd been everywhere. And besides that, he was a Who's Who on New York families. You see, there wasn't much work. He handled three other estates like yours. It seems he notified those clients, transferred the papers, and so forth, the day he intended to leave. I had come to the conclusion that he had suddenly determined to retire with his savings and take one of those tremendous journeys he'd always been dreaming about."

"He's taking it—at my expense. What sort of personality?"

"Shy and kindly, and very lonely, I imagine."

"Family?"

"Never heard of any. I think he was all alone, without kith or kin."

"Never any woman came to see him?"

"Never a one."

"I'm going to ask you a big favor. I really haven't the nerve to do it myself.