The Man Who Fell Through the Earth

by Carolyn Wells

  CHAPTER XIII Olive's Adventure

  "Give me a handkerchief, somebody!" commanded Zizi, and not withoutreason, for her own tiny wisp of cambric was nothing but a wet ball,which she was futilely dabbing into her big black eyes.

  I hurried into my bedroom and hastily grabbed a fresh handkerchief from adrawer, which I brought to the excited girl.

  "Thanks," she said, as she grasped it and plied it diligently; "now, men,we must get busy! It's after five o'clock, Olive went away beforefour,--anything may have happened to her--we _must_ rescue her!"

  "We will!" exclaimed Case Rivers, showing more energy than I knew hepossessed. "What about 'The Link,' Mr. Brice?"

  As quickly as I could, I detailed what had happened at the telegraphoffice, where Sadie Kent had been taken into custody by Hudson's men.

  "Did she go quietly?" asked Penny Wise.

  "She did not!" I returned; "she put up a fearful fight, tore up a lot ofpapers from a desk drawer, and lit into the policemen like a tiger cat!She tried to bite Hudson, and yet, he was the one who kind-heartedly lether telephone to her mother."

  "What!" cried Rivers, "he let her do that!"

  "I did it myself, really," I said; and I told how Sadie had begged forthe privilege.

  "There you are!" Rivers said, positively. "That telephone message was notto her mother!"

  "But I called her up," I explained, "and she said she was Mrs. Kent."

  "That may be," and Rivers shook his head; "but, don't you see, that was acode call,--a warning. The person who received it, mother or grandmother,caught on to the state of things and set machinery in motion thatresulted in the kidnaping of Miss Raynor."

  "What for?" I asked, blankly.

  "Revenge, probably, but there may be other villainies afoot. Am I right,Mr. Wise?"

  "Yes, and mighty quick-witted. Then the next step is to go to the'mother's' house."

  "Yes, if we can trace it. It may be a call within a call; I mean, thenumber Mr. Brice got may be merely a go-between--a link----"

  "Try it, anyway," implored Zizi; "every minute is precious. I'm so afraidfor Miss Olive. You know, she's spunky,--she won't submit easily torestraint, and you don't know what they may do to her!"

  "Get Information first," directed Wise, as I started for the telephone."Find the address of the number you called. You remember it?"

  "Yes; of course." And in a few moments I learned that the house was downin Washington Square.

  "Get a taxi," said Zizi, already putting on her long black cape, whichswirled round the slender figure as she flung one end over her shoulder.

  She flew to a mirror, and was dabbing her straight little nose with apowder-puff as she talked.

  "We'll all go down there, and I don't think we'll have to look anyfurther. Miss Olive is there,--I'm dead sure! Held by the enemy! Butshe's game, and I don't believe we'll be too late, if we hustle like ahouse afire!"

  And so, with the greatest speed consistent with safety, we taxied down tothe house in Washington Square.

  The Kent apartment was on the third floor, and as Zizi dashed up thestairs, not waiting for the elevator, we three men followed her.

  Zizi's ring at the bell brought a middle-aged woman to the door, wholooked at us rather blankly.

  I was about to speak, when Zizi, insinuating her small self through thepartly opened door, said softly:

  "We've a message from 'The Link.'"

  It acted like magic, and the woman's face changed to an expression ofwelcome and serious anxiety, as we all went in.

  It was rather a pretentious apartment, with fine furnishings in ornatetaste. We saw no one save the woman who admitted us, and heard no soundfrom other rooms.

  "You expected it?" and Zizi's air of secret understanding was perfect.

  "Expected what?" said Mrs. Kent, sharply, for she was apparently on herguard.

  "Sadie's arrest," and Zizi's black eyes narrowed as she looked keenly atthe other.

  But the woman was not to be trapped. She glanced at us each in turn, andseemed to conclude we were not friendly visitors for all Zizi's pretense.

  "I know nothing of any arrest," she said, evenly; "I think you havemistaken the house."

  "I think not," and Penny Wise looked at her sternly. "Your bluff won'tgo, madam,--Sadie, 'The Link,' is arrested, and the game is up. Will youanswer questions or will you wait until you, too, are arrested?"

  "I have nothing to say," she mumbled, but her voice trembled, and hernerve was deserting her. Inadvertently she glanced toward the closed doorof the next room, and Zizi's quick eyes followed the glance.

  "Is Miss Raynor in there?" she flung out so quickly that Mrs. Kentgasped. But she recovered her poise at once and said, "I don't know whatyou mean,--I don't know any Miss Raynor."

  "Oh, tut, tut!" and Zizi grinned at her; "don't tell naughty stories!Why, I hear Miss Raynor's voice!"

  She didn't at all, but as she listened, with her head cocked on one side,like a saucy bird, Mrs. Kent's face showed fear, and she listened also.

  A muffled scream was heard,--not loud, but clearly a cry for help.

  Without further parley, Rivers made a dash for the door and though it waslocked, he smashed into the rather flimsy panel and the old hinges gaveway.

  There, in the adjoining room was Olive Raynor, a handkerchief tied acrossher mouth and her angry eyes flashing with rage.

  Holding her arm was George Rodman, who was evidently trying to intimidateher, but without complete success.

  Zizi flew to Olive's side, and snatched off the handkerchief.

  Rodman was perfectly cool. "Let that lady alone," he said; "she is myaffianced wife."

  "Affianced grandmother!" retorted Zizi. "You can't put that over, Mr.Rodman!"

  "Save me!" Olive said, looking from me to Penny Wise and back again. Herglance fell on Rivers, but returned to me, as her face assumed a look ofagony.

  I couldn't quite understand, as she must know that with us all there herdanger was past.

  "Are you his betrothed?" Case Rivers said, bluntly.

  "No!" Olive replied, in an indignant tone; "never!"

  "Then----" and Rivers seemed about to remove Rodman's hand from Olive'sarm by force, but Rodman himself spoke up:

  "One moment, please," he said, quietly, and bending over, he whispered inOlive's ear.

  She turned deathly white, her lips quivered, and she seemed about tofall. Whatever the brief words were, they wrought a marvelous change inthe girl's attitude. She lost her air of defiant wrath, and seemed ahelpless, hopeless victim of the man who held her.

  "Are you engaged to me?" Rodman said, looking at Olive, with athreatening scowl.

  "Yes," she managed to whisper, but so agonized was her face that it waspalpable she spoke under coercion.

  I was uncertain what to do; Wise, too, looked nonplussed, but Rivers,though a stranger to Olive, seemed imbued with an irresistible chivalry,and drawing nearer to her, he said:

  "Is that man forcing you to say that against your will?"

  Rodman's grip tightened on Olive's arm, and his glowering face lookedsternly into hers. She made no reply in words, but her piteous glancetold all too clearly that Rivers' assumption was correct.

  And yet, what could we do? Olive had assented to Rodman's assertion, andwe could scarcely demand a girl from her fiance.

  Zizi mastered the situation by saying, triumphantly: "We've got 'TheLink!' She's under arrest!"

  "What!" cried Olive, and then, dropping her arm, Rodman whirled towardher:

  "There!" he cried, "your secret is out! Unless----" He made a gesture asif to put his arm round her.

  With a cry of revulsion, Olive shrank from him, and her face showed thatshe preferred his threatening attitude to his endearing one.

  "You let that lady alone, unless she desires your attentions," saidRivers, his innate desire to protect a woman in distress showing in hisrepressed eagerness to get at Rodman.

  "You mind yo
ur own business!" shouted Rodman, angrily, as he put out hisarm and drew Olive to him. "You're mine, now, aren't you, dearie?"

  The disgust on the girl's face, and the shrinking of her form as shetried to draw away from the leering face so near hers was too much forRivers. He assumed a threatening attitude, and said, "You take your handsoff that lady! She doesn't want----"

  In defiance, Rodman drew Olive nearer, and raising her bowed head wasabout to kiss her angry, beautiful face, when she uttered a despairingscream.

  That was the match in the powder-keg!

  Unable to hold back longer, Rivers sprang forward and wrenched Olive fromRodman's grasp.

  With a snarl, Rodman lunged at Rivers, who deftly stopped him with anuppercut. Rodman came back with a smashing facer, and Rivers replied inkind.

  Zizi, who had flown to Olive's side, and was tenderly soothing her,watched the two men, breathlessly. Something savage in her natureresponded to the combat, and she flushed and paled alternately as one orthe other of the angry men seemed to have the upper hand.

  Olive hid her face in her hands, not wanting to look, but Zizi was withthe fight, heart and soul.

  It was give and take, with such rapidity that I trembled for Rivers'safety. Rodman was a formidable antagonist, and far heavier than thegaunt man who met and returned his blows.

  But Rivers was skilled, and made up in technique what he lacked instrength.

  So desperate was the struggle, so blindly furious the two men, thatPennington Wise and I were fearful of results. With a simultaneousimpulse we made a dash to separate the combatants, but were obliged toget back quickly to save ourselves from the rain of blows.

  Never had I seen such a wild, unbridled fight compressed into such ashort time, and I wondered what Rivers had been in a fighting way beforehe lost his identity.

  Fighting and boxing had never been favorite forms of entertainment withme, but this contest absorbed me. It was primitive, instinctive,--therage of Rodman pitted against the angry indignation of Rivers.

  I had not thought of the latter as a weakling, but neither had I lookedupon him as a strong man, and I should have judged that in a bout withRodman he would have gone under.

  But not so; his lean, gaunt frame was full of latent strength, his bonyfists full of dexterity.

  He rushed in, fell back, sidestepped, with the dazzling quickness of atrained fighter. He showed knowledge and skill that amazed me.

  Rodman, too, fought for all he was worth, but he impressed me as beingnot an experienced fighter,--and not a fair one.

  Wise, too, was watching Rivers with wonder and admiration, and he alsokept his alert gaze on Rodman.

  Fascinated, we watched as Rodman clinched, and Rivers with a smile,almost of contempt, threw him off. Then Rodman, bellowing like an angrybull, made a head-on rush for Rivers, who neatly sidestepped, letting hisfurious antagonist have it on the side of his head.

  Even this didn't knock any sense into Rodman, and he was about to plungeagain, when Wise, seeing a chance, said:

  "Now, Brice!"

  Springing in, I hooked my arm around Rivers' neck, and yanked him awayfrom Rodman, now struggling, half-spent, in Wise's grasp.

  "Let up, Rivers!" I cried, sternly; "what do you mean?"

  He glared at me, not sensing what I said, and then, Rodman, breakingloose, came at him madly, Rivers slithered out of my clutch and caughtthe other a smashing blow on the ear. This, landing just as Rodman wasoff his balance from his break-away from Wise, spun him around and senthim down with a crash which knocked all the fight out of him, and he madebut a half-hearted attempt to rise.

  Satisfied, Rivers turned to me, and then, with a half-apologetic glanceat Olive, murmured: "Sorry! Couldn't help it, Miss Raynor. Brute!"

  The last was addressed to his fallen foe, and was met by a vindictiveglance, but no other retort.

  Rodman, however, was pulling himself together and we were of one mind asto our next procedure, which was to get Olive Raynor away from thathouse.

  "Beat it," Wise decreed; "you're a good one, Mr. Rivers! My hat's off toyou. Now, if you're fit, and you look it, will you and Mr. Brice takeMiss Raynor home, and I'll stay here and clear up this littledisturbance. Hop along with them, Ziz; I'll join you all at the house assoon as I can."

  The faithful taxi was waiting, and Rivers and I put the two girls in, andfollowed them. Rivers was very quiet and seemed preoccupied. He lookednot at all like a conqueror, and I guessed that the fight had stirredsome chord of remembrance, and he was now struggling with his lostmemory. In silence we went most of the way home.

  Before we reached the house, however, he shook off his reverie with animpatient gesture that said, as clearly as words could have done, that hehad failed to catch the elusive thread that bound him to the past andthat he had returned to the present.

  Olive saw it, too, and putting out her hand, said, frankly:

  "I owe you deep gratitude, Mr. Rivers. I suppose I was in no real danger,with you men there, but I must confess I was glad to have that wretchpunished."

  Her lovely face glowed with righteous indignation, and Zizi's pert littlecountenance showed deep satisfaction.

  "You gave it to him, good and plenty, Mr. Rivers," she fairly crowed; "itwas a treat to see you put it all over him! Now, you've knocked him outphysically, Penny Wise will mop up the floor with him mentally andmorally! What did he do to you, Miss Olive? Why did he make you say youwere his girl?"

  The look of agony returned to Olive's face, as if she had justrecollected what the man had said to her.

  "He threatened me," she said, slowly; "with an awful threat! I can'tthink about it! Oh, I don't know what to do! I can't tell it--I can'ttell it to anybody----"

  "Wait till you get home," I counseled her, and Rivers added, "And waittill Mr. Wise comes. He's the man you must tell, and he will advise you.But, I say, we're getting at things, eh, Brice? 'The Link' under arrest,Wise onto Rodman, and he won't let go of him, either, and Miss Raynorsafe,--whew! I feel as if we should just forge ahead now!"

  "Sure we will!" declared Zizi, her little face glowing with anticipation."Never you mind. Miss Olive, dear; whatever that man threatened, PennyWise will look after him."

  "But----" began Olive, and then stopped, for we had reached her home.

  "Oh, my darling child," exclaimed Mrs. Vail, as we went in, "where haveyou been? I've been nearly crazy!"

  I think we all felt a sudden twinge of shame, for none of us had thoughtto relieve the poor lady's suspense as to Olive's fate! We ought to havetelephoned, at least. But she was now smiling and happy at the safereturn of her charge and eager to know all the details of the adventure.

  Both Olive and Zizi went off with Mrs. Vail, who was chattering volubly,and I was left alone with Rivers.

  "The fight,--on which let me congratulate you,--stirred some old memory?"I said, inquiringly.

  "For a few moments, yes;" he returned, looking deeply thoughtful. "But itwas both vague and evanescent, I couldn't nail it. Oh!" and he made animpatient gesture, "it is maddening! I seem just on the edge of completerecollection,--and, then,--it's gone again, and my mind is a positiveblank regarding it. But, it's no use worrying, Brice," and he spokecheerfully, "I'm sure it will come, some day. Until then I shall be CaseRivers, and if I die under the name, I'll try, at least, not to disgraceit."

  "You didn't disgrace it today," I said, heartily. "You put up afirst-class fight, and in a righteous cause."

  "I couldn't stand it to see Miss Raynor bullied by that brute," hereturned, simply, "and then, too, I felt a natural antagonism toward himon my own account. No," as I started to speak, "I know what you're goingto say, and I don't think I knew him before I lost my memory. Maybe Idid, but it wasn't that that startled me to thinking back. It wassomething else,--some other impression, that made me have a fraction of areminiscence of something,--oh, I don't know what, but I'm going to takeit as an omen of future good fortune."