Mary Louise Solves a Mystery

by L. Frank Baum

  CHAPTER XXIVAN INTERRUPTION

  "Before you sign this promissory note," remarked Janet Orme, as Alorareluctantly seated herself at the table, "you must perform the otherpart of your agreement and give me the present address of your father,Jason Jones."

  "He lives in Dorfield," said Alora.

  "Write his street number--here, on this separate sheet."

  The girl complied.

  "Is it a private house, or is it a studio?"

  "A cottage. Father doesn't paint any more."

  "That is very sensible of him," declared the nurse; "yet I wonder howhe can resist painting. He has always had a passion for the thing andin the old days was never happy without a brush in his hand. He had anidea he could do something worth while, but that was mere delusion, forhe never turned out anything decent or that would sell in the market.Therefore the money he spent for paints, brushes and canvas--money Iworked hard to earn--was absolutely wasted. Does your father keep anyservants?"

  "One maid, an Irish girl born in the town."

  "Still economical, I see. Well, that's all the information I require.You have given your word of honor not to notify him that I havediscovered his whereabouts. Is it not so?"

  "Yes," said Alora.

  "Now sign the note."

  Alora, pen in hand, hesitated while she slowly read the paper again.She hated to give fifty thousand dollars to this scheming woman, eventhough the loss of such a sum would not seriously impair her fortune.But what could she do?

  "Sign it, girl!" exclaimed Janet, impatiently.

  Alora searched the note for a loophole that would enable her afterwardto repudiate it. She knew nothing of legal phrases, yet the wordingseemed cleverly constructed to defeat any attempt to resist payment.

  "Sign!" cried the woman. With pen hovering over the place where she hadbeen told to write her name, Alora still hesitated and seeing this thenurse's face grew dark with anger. A sudden "click" sounded from thehall door, but neither heard it.

  "Sign!" she repeated, half rising with a threatening gesture.

  "No, don't sign, please," said a clear voice, and a short, stumpy girlwith red hair and freckled face calmly entered the room and stoodsmilingly before them.

  Janet uttered an exclamation of surprise and annoyance and sank back inher chair, glaring at the intruder. Alora stared in speechlessamazement at the smiling girl, whom she had never seen before.

  "How did you get in here?" demanded Janet angrily.

  "Why, I just unlocked the door and walked in," was the reply, deliveredin a cheery and somewhat triumphant voice.

  "This is a private apartment."

  "Indeed! I thought it was a prison," said the girl. "I imagined you,Mrs. Orme, to be a jailer, and this young person--who is Miss AloraJones, I believe--I supposed to be your prisoner. Perhaps I'm wrong,but I guess I'm right."

  The nurse paled. The look she flashed from her half-veiled eyes was adangerous look. She knew, in the instant, that the stranger had come toliberate Alora, but the next instant she reflected that all was notlost, for she had already decided to release her prisoner withoutcompulsion. It was important to her plans, however, that she obtain thepromissory note; so, instantly controlling herself, she lightly touchedAlora's arm and said in her usual soft voice:

  "Sign your name, my dear, and then we will talk with this person."

  Alora did not move to obey, for she had caught a signal from thered-headed girl.

  "I object to your signing that paper," protested the stranger, seatingherself in a vacant chair. "I haven't the faintest idea what it isyou're about to sign, but if I were you I wouldn't do it."

  "It is the price of my liberty," explained Alora.

  "Well, this is a free country and liberty doesn't cost anything. I've acarriage waiting outside, and I will drive you back to the Colonel andMary Louise free of charge. You won't even have to whack up on the cabhire."

  The nurse slowly rose and faced the girl.

  "Who are you?" she demanded.

  "No one of importance," was the answer. "I'm just Josie O'Gorman, thedaughter of John O'Gorman, of Washington, who is a lieutenant in thegovernment's secret service."

  "Then you're a detective!"

  "The aforesaid John O'Gorman declares I'm not. He says I must learn alot before I become a real detective, so at present I'm justpracticing. Mary Louise is my friend, you know," she continued, nowaddressing Alora, "and you are a friend of Mary Louise; so, when youmysteriously disappeared, she telegraphed me and I came on to hunt youup. That wasn't an easy job for an amateur detective, I assure you, andit cost me a lot of time and some worry, but glory be! I've now got youlocated and Mrs. Orme's jig is up."

  The nurse moved softly to the door that led into the passage and lockedit, putting the key into her pocket.

  "Now," said she, with another flash of those curious eyes, "I have twoprisoners."

  Josie laughed.

  "I could almost have sworn you'd try that trick," she remarked. "It wason the cards and you couldn't resist it. Permit me to say, Mrs. Orme,that you're a rather clever woman, and I admire cleverness even whenit's misdirected. But my Daddy has taught me, in his painstaking way,not to be caught napping. A good soldier provides for a retreat as wellas an advance. I've been on your trail for a long time and only thismorning succeeded in winning the confidence of the cabman who drove youhere. Wasn't sure, of course, that you were still here, until I sawAlora's face at the window a while ago. Then I knew I'd caught you. Thecab is a closed one and holds four inside, so I invited three policemanto accompany me. One is at the back of this house, one at the frontdoor and the third is just outside here on the landing. Probably he canhear us talking. He's a big man, that third policeman, and if I raisemy voice to cry out he could easily batter down the door you havelocked and come to my rescue. _Now_ will you be good, Mrs. Orme?"

  The nurse realized her defeat. She deliberately took the note from thetable and tore it up.

  "You have really foiled me, my girl," she said philosophically,"although if you knew all you would not blame me for what I have done."

  "You've decided not to dig any money out of Alora, then?"

  "It wouldn't matter to her, but I have abandoned the idea. However, Ishall insist on making Jason Jones pay me liberally for mydisappointment. Now take the girl and go. Get your things on, Alora."

  Josie regarded her thoughtfully.

  "I had intended to arrest you, Mrs. Orme," she remarked; "but,honestly, I can't see what good it would do, while it would cause MaryLouise and the dear Colonel a heap of trouble in prosecuting you. So,unless Miss Jones objects----"

  "All I want it to get away from here, to be out of her clutches,"asserted Alora.

  "Then let us go. The woman deserves punishment, but doubtless she'llget her just deserts in other ways. Get your things on, my dear; thecab and the policemen are waiting."

  Janet Orme unlocked the door to the passage. Then she stood motionless,with drooping eyelids, while the two girls passed out. Alora, greatlyunnerved and still fearful, clung to the arm of her rescuer.

  When they had gained the street and were about to enter the closedautomobile she asked: "Where are the three policemen?"

  "Invisible," returned Josie, very cheerfully. "I had to invent thatstory, my dear, and the Recording Angel is said to forgive detectivesfor lying."

  She followed Alora into the car and closed the door.

  "Drive to the Blackington, please," she called to the driver.

  And, as they whirled away, she leaned from the window and waved aparting signal to Mrs. Orme, who stood in the upper window, her facecontorted and scowling with chagrin at the discovery that she had beenoutwitted by a mere girl.