Rebecca's Promise

by Frances R. Sterrett

  CHAPTER XXI

  Rebecca Mary had caught a spy! And, oh, how she wished that she hadn't.When she turned the key she had felt like Joan of Arc but immediatelyshe became the most arrant little coward that ever was. She leanedagainst the door and trembled in every inch. She didn't know what to dowith her spy now that she had caught him.

  Of course, there was but one thing to do. She would have to tell oldPeter Simmons and give him the key. And now that she had FrederickBefort locked in Major Martingale's office she was sorry. She had likedFrederick Befort. He was so different from any man she ever had met. Hehad seemed romance to her with his title, his centuries-old chateau, hisrose-embowered country, his stories of boar hunts and kaisers and grandduchesses, and all sorts of people such as Rebecca Mary had never met onher way to and from the Lincoln school.

  But Rebecca Mary had learned a lot of the little grand duchy about whichshe had known so little, and she knew that while there were many men inLuxembourg who had hated and feared German power there were others whowould have welcomed it. Frederick Befort had told her that himself, andshe had read it in a book, also. Frederick Befort had been at school inGermany, he had been born and raised almost in Germany; only the widthof a river had separated him from Germany. How did they really knowwhether he actually had come from the Luxembourg side of the River Sure?But whether he was in sympathy with Germany or not he had stolen thesecret of the great experiment which Germany wanted. That was the onething Rebecca Mary was sure of. She had the proof of that.

  And if he was a traitor he should suffer only--only---- There was Joan!As she remembered Joan, Rebecca Mary wanted to open the door and pleadwith Frederick Befort, make him promise to forget all about Germany, tokeep faith with old Peter Simmons. If he would do that, if he could makeRebecca Mary trust him again she might--she might---- It would be toohorrible for Joan to be labeled the daughter of a spy.

  It was so horrible to Rebecca Mary that her hand was on the key when sheheard a smothered exclamation and a thud as if a movable body hadsuddenly come in contact with an immovable body. Rebecca Mary cowereddown beside the door and held her breath until the hall was flooded withlight, and she raised her frightened eyes and saw Richard Cabot staringat her.

  "What are you doing there?" He could not believe that she was listening.Rebecca Mary was not the sort of a girl who would listen at keyholes.

  "H-sh!" She waved a frantic beckoning hand to him. She was so glad thatit was Richard who had found her. He was so sensible, so dependable, hewas Waloo's youngest bank vice-president and so was a man whom manypeople trusted. She had never appreciated what it meant to be sure shecould trust a man before. A little glow broke through the smotheringblackness which had enshrouded her as she thought of how she could trustRichard. Rebecca Mary knew that she was quite incapable of handling thissituation, but she knew that Richard could handle it. She could notimagine a situation which Richard could not handle. So when Richardasked her with a compelling mixture of curiosity and determination:"What's in there?" she stammered painfully, but she told him. "A leak!"

  "A leak?" he repeated stupidly for he had not heard the words MajorMartingale and the others were constantly using and which had impressedthemselves upon Rebecca Mary's brain. He stared at the hand which clungto the door knob. If there was a leak, although Richard did not see howthat could be for there were no pipes in the office to leak, did RebeccaMary think she could stop it by clinging to the door?

  Rebecca Mary put out her other hand and clutched his arm. She had tofeel him as well as see him. "I know Major Martingale has been afraid ofa leak," she faltered, "and as I was coming down the stairs I saw thatthis door was open. You know it always has been kept locked." She wenton more hurriedly after she had started as if she wished to finish herstory as soon as possible. "And I saw a man at Major Martingale's desk.I did! It wasn't my imagination. I really saw him and I shut the doorand--and locked it. He hasn't made a sound so he couldn't have heard me.But--but I'm frightened!" And indeed she looked frightened.

  Richard frowned, but he put his hands over the fingers on his arm. "Didyou see who he was?" he asked quickly in a hushed voice, almost awhisper.

  She didn't answer. She simply couldn't tell him that she had, that theman who was rifling Major Martingale's desk was Frederick Befort, CountErnach de Befort. Richard pressed her fingers gently.

  "Was it Befort?" he asked in that same quick whisper.

  Rebecca Mary pulled her fingers from him. "How did you know? Oh, I'vetold you! I've just the same as told you!" She covered her face with herhands.

  Richard reached behind her and turned the key in the lock so that thedoor could be opened while Rebecca Mary watched him in cold despair. Shecouldn't understand why he did that. Surely Richard could be trusted.After Richard had unlocked the door he put his arm around Rebecca Maryand drew her out on the terrace.

  "But--but----" objected Rebecca Mary, who couldn't understand why hewanted to take her away unless he wished to give Frederick Befort anopportunity to escape.

  "Rebecca Mary," Richard said most irrelevantly as he drew her out withhim, "you are a goose. A dear little goose," he added as if to explainto Rebecca Mary exactly what kind of a goose she was.

  Rebecca Mary pulled herself away impatiently. Why should Richard wastetime calling her names when there was a spy in Major Martingale'soffice? She stammered as she tried to tell him that there were otherthings for him to do now than to call her names. With a laugh Richardtightened the arm which was still around her.

  "I'm going to tell you something," he said, bending his head so that hecould speak directly into her pink ear. "When you locked Befort in theoffice you locked up the man who invented the thing we are working on.Yes, you did!" as Rebecca Mary pushed him away with a funny littlestrangled exclamation. "Wait a minute and listen! Yes, I know that wehave all been afraid of a leak, but there hasn't been one. No, therehasn't! Listen! You know Befort comes from Luxembourg?" Rebecca Marynodded a dazed head. She did know that, from the River Sure. "And howhot he is at the way the Germans have treated his country and his grandduchess? He was so mad that he couldn't stay neutral. He joined theFrench Foreign Legion and fought until he was wounded and discharged. Hehad invented this--this"--evidently Richard didn't know what to call thegreat experiment when he was talking to Rebecca Mary--"this thing," hesaid at last. "He had talked about it to the kaiser before he perfectedit, and the kaiser wanted him to promise to give the thing to Germany.Joan and her mother had come to this country. The countess was anAmerican, you know. She died and Befort came over for Joan. He decidedhe couldn't find a safer place to work out his idea than the UnitedStates. He came to Waloo and worked alone for months. Then he discoveredthat German agents were watching him, and he was afraid they would stealhis plans. He was in the bank one day and talked to me. He never spokeof Joan so perhaps it isn't strange that I didn't connect your loanchild with him. I arranged for him to meet Mr. Simmons. The thing wasjust in his line, and he could give Befort protection. Mr. Simmons foundhim a place in his factory and mechanics to help him and got thegovernment interested for it is a big thing, a mighty big thing.Everybody came down here to finish up the job where there would be nochance of German I. W. W. interference. But you see Befort didn't haveto steal the plans. He had them in the brain that invented them."

  "Oh!" Rebecca Mary couldn't say another word to save her life. Her facecrimsoned. She wished the terrace would open and drop her into Pekin orShanghai. She didn't care which. How could she have made such a mistake?"But the ball!" she exclaimed suddenly, and she told Richard about theglove which Frederick Befort had turned into a ball and which wasstuffed with drawings and notes for something.

  "I've no doubt it was. Befort has a lot of ideas, and if he took anypapers from his pocket they would be sure to be covered with drawingsand figures. As for German words, you know he was practically brought upin Germany?"

  "Yes," sighed Rebecca Mary. It was all so clear now that Richard hadexplained it to her. "No wonder you called me a
goose," she saidruefully.

  "A dear little goose!" When Richard was quoted he wished to be quotedexactly. His voice was very tender as he corrected Rebecca Mary.

  "A goose," repeated Rebecca Mary somewhat crossly. She was in no moodfor tenderness, she was too ashamed and mortified. She was almostinclined to blame Richard for the mistake she had made. If he had onlytold her something--anything. But if he hadn't come stumbling over thehall chair she might have accused Frederick Befort to his face. "Oh,"she wailed, "I never want to see Frederick Befort again! What shall Ido? I never want to see him again!"

  "Don't you?" Richard seemed quite pleased to hear that she had seenenough of the romantic Luxembourg count. He had feared that Rebecca Marymight wish to see a lot more of him. "Well, you don't have to see himagain," he said quickly. "I'm going to Waloo in the morning, and I'lltake you with me."

  "Will you?" Rebecca Mary couldn't believe there was such a simplesolution to her puzzle. "Can you?" She remembered that one could not gofrom Riverside as one pleased.

  "Sure I can." Richard spoke quite confidently. "I'd take you this minutebut you've worn yourself out over this thing and you need sleep."

  "I don't feel that I shall sleep until I am back in Waloo," sighedRebecca Mary, and her lip quivered.

  "Yes, you will. You'll be asleep as soon as your head touches the pillownow that you have nothing to bother over. You meet me at--is six-thirtytoo early? I have to go up and back before noon so I must start early."

  He couldn't start too early to suit her. "There's Granny!" Rebecca Maryhad almost forgotten Granny.

  If Richard had thought he was going to take an early morning ride withno one but Rebecca Mary he hid his disappointment very well when helearned that they were to have company.

  "Sure, there's Granny. We'll take her with us."

  "And Joan?" doubtfully. Perhaps Richard would think that Joan should beleft with her father.

  But Richard didn't. "Joan, too. Her father will be too busy for the nexttwenty-four hours to look after her. He was so excited we had to sendhim away to-day." So that was why Frederick Befort had not been at theshop. "It has been a great day for him and unless I miss my guess therewill be a greater one to-morrow." And so that was why Frederick Beforthad asked her to wish him luck. Rebecca Mary blushed again as Richardwent on. "Six-thirty, you know. And not a word to any one!" And loweringhis voice, he whispered a few directions. He chuckled as if he weregoing to enjoy carrying Rebecca Mary away from Riverside. There seemedto be more in his mind than he was telling Rebecca Mary.

  But Rebecca Mary was not critical nor observing. She was only grateful.

  "I'll never forget your heavenly goodness!" she exclaimed as she turnedto go in and tell Granny that they were to leave Riverside at six-thirtyin the morning, that Granny was to have her wish and reach home beforeold Peter Simmons. "I'll remember it to my dying day!"

  "Will you, Rebecca Mary?" Richard seemed quite pleased to hear how longhe was to be remembered, and he caught her hand and pressed it before helet her go. "Will you?"