The Secret Toll

by Paul Thorne and Mabel Thorne

  CHAPTER XIII--A PUZZLING WARNING

  "Whatever happened to you last night, Son?" exclaimed Mrs. Forrester.

  Forrester had just strolled into the dining room, late for the oneo'clock Sunday dinner. The excitement of the incident at the tree,together with the strange occurrence related to him by Green, had causedForrester a sleepless night. It was nearly dawn when he had finallyfallen asleep and in his state of nervous and physical exhaustion he hadnot again awakened until just in time to dress for dinner.

  "It seems to me, Bob," observed Josephine, "that of late it has becomequite an event when you honor us with your company."

  "You apparently forget," returned Forrester, testily, as he sat down,"that I have had something more important on my mind this last week thanregular attendance at meals and dances."

  "No, Bob," smiled Josephine, "I had not overlooked the great event thathas come into your life during the past week. It is a well-known factthat a man in love usually loses his appetite. I have not told Motherbefore, but the last time I saw you, you were engaged in an earnestconversation with Miss Sturtevant. When you disappeared so completely Iconcluded that she had probably sent you forth to tilt with windmills."

  "I gather from your words, young lady," retorted Forrester, "that youlook upon me as a modern combination of Don Juan and Don Quixote. Let meinform you that I am neither of these--but simply a re-incarnation of M.Lecoq, the great detective."

  "This repartee bewilders me and does not answer my question," declaredMrs. Forrester. "We missed you right after dinner last night, Bob, andDiana asked for you several times. She said that she had not had onedance with you--not even a word except a formal 'good-evening' when youarrived."

  "If you have forgotten, Mother, at least Josephine must remember thatlast night was the night on which I was to place that extortion money inthe big oak in Jasper lane."

  "Good gracious!" cried Mrs. Forrester. "You assured me, Bob, that youhad fixed that matter up and that there was nothing for us to worryabout. Did you pay them the money they asked for?"

  "I put a package in the tree last night as instructed," returnedForrester, evasively. "There is absolutely nothing for you to worryabout, Mother."

  "I hope you gave them all they asked for, Son, and have not trifled withthem. You know what happened to dear Mr. Nevins, and others who opposedthem."

  "It's all fixed up, Mother. Just go on with your dinner and forget aboutit. By the way, have you seen the Nevins since the funeral?"

  "No, but I talked with Mrs. Nevins over the telephone yesterday,"explained Mrs. Forrester. "They will not open their house here thissummer. Just now they plan to travel for a while, and then stay at theirplace near Pittsfield, in the Berkshires, until fall."

  "I must try to see Charlie before he leaves," said Forrester. "So manythings have happened in the last few days that the time has seemed likeweeks instead of days."

  "Incidentally, Bob," informed Josephine, a moment later, "you will beinterested to know that you have been quite a hero during the past weekbecause of that demand made upon you. It seemed as if every group Iapproached last evening was discussing it, and when your continuedabsence was discovered, it caused considerable concern."

  "You should have assured them," returned Forrester, "that I had a trustybody-guard."

  "Oh, yes," exclaimed Josephine, "William was telling me about that man,Green. I must get a look at him. I don't know that I ever saw a reallive detective before."

  "Any time you want to peek through the window, Josephine, you willprobably see him," replied Forrester, laughing. "He has instructions tohang around outside the house and keep his eyes open."

  "But of course you will let him go, now that everything is settled,"asserted Mrs. Forrester.

  "Yes, of course," returned Forrester, "but I thought it might be just aswell if he stayed around for a few days longer." Then he added,diplomatically, "It is a great protection against burglars and tramps tohave a detective near the house."

  Dinner over, Forrester joined Green in the pergola. Green had selectedthis spot as his permanent station because it formed a splendid vantageground from which he could keep an eye on the principal living rooms ofthe house, and have both the north and south entrance gates under hisobservation as well.

  Green had been stunned when he learned of the actual appearance of theItalians at the tree on Saturday night. While he frankly confessed thatan explanation was beyond him, he refused to believe that the citydetectives were correct in their surmises. He stoutly maintained thatthe real "Friends of the Poor" were undiscovered, and cited themysterious disappearance of the dummy package as proof of this claim.Forrester was inclined to agree with him, and before parting for thenight the two men had decided to go ahead with their investigations,independently of the police. Green, after the conversation he hadoverheard, was in thorough accord with Forrester in the conviction thatMiss Sturtevant was in some way the key to the problem.

  After conferring with Green along these lines for some time, Forresterleft the detective to watch the house, and taking his roadster, startedout to visit the girl.

  To reach the house which Mary Sturtevant had rented it was necessary forForrester to pass through Jasper lane. He stopped his car in front ofthe tree and made a careful examination of the ground in everydirection. From the trampled condition of the undergrowth, and somewithered leaves which had been burned by the flashlight, Forrester wasable to locate the spot across the road where Humphrey had beenconcealed. The wooden pegs which the detectives had placed in the groundnear the tree were still there, though the strings had been broken offand scattered during the struggle. He found no other indications ofanyone having been at the tree. How the package had been removed withoutdiscovery was a baffling puzzle. Standing there in the brilliantdaylight, Forrester felt as though the whole thing were a nightmare. Itwas hard to associate the stories of weird voices, rattling chains andthe notes of a ghostly bell with this peaceful woodland spot. Theflaming hand which Green still maintained he had actually seen was toofantastic for credence. Forrester re-entered his car, more than a littledepressed with the hopelessness of the situation, and continued hisjourney.

  Miss Sturtevant and her companion, Mrs. Morris, were sitting on thefront porch when Forrester arrived. The girl was frankly pleased to seehim, rising from her chair and coming part way down the steps as heapproached.

  Under the spell of her presence Forrester's recent depression tookflight. The startling happenings of the past week seemed like merephantasmagoria to him as he dropped into the chair she indicated. Hesettled back with a sigh of relief that did not escape the girl. Hereyes softened as she looked at him and had Forrester turned at thatmoment he would have been greatly encouraged by the flush which stoleover her cheeks when she perceived his attitude toward her.

  "You are tired," she observed, sympathetically. "It has been a greatstrain. I am sorry the case remains unsolved."

  Forrester glanced around sharply, recalling Green's information aboutthe promised telephone message.

  "You have heard what happened last night?" he queried.

  Miss Sturtevant stiffened perceptibly, and the guarded nature of herreply was evident.

  "Your dejected attitude tells a plain story, Mr. Forrester. Whateverhappened at the oak, I am sure you are still perplexed."

  "I am," admitted Forrester, shortly.

  "I have heard, Mr. Forrester, that you are making a determined effort tounmask these people; that you have taken grave risks which should havebeen assumed by others more experienced. Do you think you are wise?"

  "What do _you_ think I should do?" asked Forrester.

  "Go away!" she answered, quickly, emphatically.

  "Until when?"

  "Until--," she paused a moment, "until the police have cleared thismatter up."

  "Permanent banishment!" laughed Forrester. But immediately his face grewgrave. Why did she want him to go away? Did she really feel a personalinterest in him, and desire to save him from the retribution s
he knewwas sure to come, or had he actually become a menace to the rogues whoapparently held her allegiance? Did this advice come from her heart, orhad she been instructed to warn him? Forrester was confused in a tangleof hopes, doubts and conjectures. Then a passionate longing for the girlsurged within him. In spite of his suspicions and the enigmaticoccurrences in which she was a prominent figure, he knew that he felt arestfulness and enjoyment in her company that was inexplicable. Alwayswhen he was near her it seemed as if he had reached the end of adifficult journey. Despite their short acquaintance Forrester knew thathe was deeply and irretrievably in love. With his usual impulsiveness heswung his chair to face hers and burst out:

  "Mary, I love you!"

  The girl regarded him steadily, a serious, searching look in her browneyes that held Forrester fascinated and for the moment incapable offurther speech. Then she broke the spell.

  "How can you," she asked, "in so short a time?"

  "Mary, I am old enough to know my mind and heart. I have danced anddined and flirted with the women of two continents without a desire forany one of them. But from the moment I saw you, I wanted you--just you.Sometimes love may grow as the result of long friendship or closeassociation; but when a man meets his real mate he knows it--instantly."

  "Robert," said the girl, timidly, and Forrester thrilled at the sound ofthis name on her lips for the first time. It showed at least a partialvictory. "The fate that has so strangely thrown us together still holdsus in its hands. Both of us are entangled in the meshes of a malignantforce and until such time as fate relinquishes its present hold upon usI cannot give you the answer you are seeking."

  This admission from Mary Sturtevant startled Forrester. Yet its greatesteffect upon him was to further strengthen his resolve to pull her backfrom the black pit of disaster before it was too late.

  "I have known from the first that some hidden influence controlled you,"imparted Forrester. "It is that knowledge which impelled me to disclosemy feelings toward you so soon. I want to save you from these people whoare dragging you down. I want to save you from yourself. If you willmarry me, now, we can go away and leave this hideous nightmare behind."

  As Forrester made this statement a peculiar expression drifted over thegirl's face. Then her eyes sparkled as she extended her hand and laid itcaressingly upon one of his which grasped the arm of her chair.

  "Do you think that I am involved in this affair of the 'Friends of thePoor'--that I have guilty knowledge of it?" she asked.

  "I have suspected it," assented Forrester. "Many of your actions haveimplicated you seriously. You must remember," he added, "that I havebeen playing the detective myself."

  "And you still want to marry me?" she queried.

  "Yes; I want you more every minute I know you."

  "Then, I know you really love me," she murmured. "But, Robert--I cannotdraw back now. If you will wait until this thing reaches its inevitableend--and you still feel that you want me--then I will answer you."

  Mary Sturtevant rose to her feet and Forrester knew that she wasdismissing him. Her companion had long since discreetly disappeared andthe dusk of approaching evening already threw the porch into shadow.Realizing that they were free from observation, and acting on a suddenimpulse, Forrester took the girl in his arms and held her close to him.She neither resisted nor responded, but her soft, warm body aroused inForrester a feeling of reckless determination to solve the mysteryquickly and at any cost. Releasing her, he left without a word, dashingdown the steps and across the drive to his car.