The chirrup of a telephone bell that seems to come out of the wall
beside him makes him jump.
Then he remembers--that must be Mr. Piper's office through the closed door
there. He remembers, as well, Peter joking with his father once about his
never getting away from business even in the country and pointing at the
half dozen telephones on top of the big flat desk with a derisive gesture
while detailing to Oliver the fondness that Sargent Piper has for secretive
private wires and the absurd precautions he takes to keep them intensely
private. "Why he went and had all his special numbers here changed once
just because I found out one of them by mistake and called him up on it for
a joke--the cryptic old person!" Peter had said with mocking affection.
The telephone chirrups again and Oliver gets up and goes toward the door
of the office with a vague idea of answering it since there seem to be no
servants about. Then he remembers something else--Peter's telling him that
nothing irritates his father more than having anyone else answer one of his
private wires--and stops with his hand on the door that has swung inward
an inch or so already under his casual pressure.
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