XVI THE TWO GIRLS
"Miss Stuart," and Fleming Stone's voice, though gentle, had a ring ofdecision, "if I am to go on with this case, I must insist on your entireconfidence, and absolute,----" he hesitated over the word,"truthfulness."
The two were alone. After the altercation between Pauline and Anita,Stone had requested the others to leave them, and he determined to get atthe truth of this marvelous statement about the purchase of the snake.
"I understand, and you are quite right," murmured Pauline, her mannerquiet, her tone even, but in the dark eyes raised to his Fleming Stonesaw fear,--definite, unmistakable fear.
"Then explain, for I am sure you can, why you suppressed the fact of yourown purchase of that paper snake until forced to admit it."
"I was afraid." The beautiful face was of a creamy pallor and the scarletlips quivered. But this evident agitation on Miss Stuart's part did notdeter Stone from his probing queries.
"Why were you afraid? Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that if you knew I bought the snake you would think I was in someway connected with--with the crime----"
"But don't you see that to attempt to conceal the fact of your purchasemakes any such suspicion more imminent?"
"You _don't_ think I would--would----"
"I don't want to _think_ anything about it, Miss Stuart. I want to_know_, and I want you to tell me all about your aunt's strange requestfor you to buy a thing she so feared and abhorred."
"I don't understand it myself. But Aunt Lucy was full of vagaries andwould often ask me to buy strange or outlandish things for her."
"But not of a _reptilian_ nature?"
"No, she had never done such a thing before."
"Did she give no reason for the request? Make no apology or explanation?"
"No. I was just leaving her, when she called me back, and said, 'Won'tyou stop in at some Japanese shop, and get me a paper snake?' and Iexclaimed in surprise at the request. Then she lost her temper and saidshe supposed she knew what she wanted and for me to get it withoutfurther to-do. So I did."
"And when you brought it to her?"
"She merely took it and laid it in a desk drawer, without even unwrappingthe parcel. I never saw it again till I saw it round her neck."
"And you do not think she placed it there herself?"
"I am sure she did not. The only reason I can ascribe for her wanting it,is that she might have thought her dread of them a foolish whim anddetermined to accustom herself to the sight of them by means of theharmless toy. That's all I know about that snake, Mr. Stone. But thetruth, as I have told it to you, is so strange, so almost unbelievable,that I knew it would only serve to attract suspicion to me, so I deniedit. You know Miss Frayne is only waiting to pounce on it as completeevidence of my guilt."
"You and she are not good friends?"
"We have never been really friendly, though always polite on the surfaceof things. But she is jealous of me, and tried in every possible way toundermine my aunt's faith and trust in me, and even plotted to have medisinherited and my fortune bequeathed to herself."
"An ambitious plan!"
"She is ambitious. She intends to marry Mr. Haviland, and she intended tohave my half of the Carrington money."
"You don't suspect her of the crime!" and Fleming Stone looked upquickly.
"Suspect is too strong a word. But to me there seems room for graveinquiries. I was in the hall at the time she declares I was in my aunt'sroom,----"
"Wait a moment, Miss Stuart, isn't this a sort of deadlock? You say youwere in the hall, Miss Frayne says you were in the boudoir. Why should Ibelieve one in preference to the other?"
There was infinite sadness in Pauline's eyes as she looked at herquestioner. "That is so," she said, slowly; "why should you? I have onlymy unsupported word. Nor has Anita any witness. But, Mr. Stone, I thoughta Detective always looked first of all for the motive. What reason couldI have for--for killing my aunt?"
"You put it plainly, Miss Stuart, and I will reply in an equallystraightforward vein. The first thing we detectives think of is, who willbenefit by the crime? Naturally, money benefit is first thought of. Thegreatest money benefit comes to you and your cousin in Egypt. The natureof the crime makes it impossible that he could have committed it. Thereis, however, a possibility of your own connection with it, so we mustquestion you. But there are others who benefit in a pecuniary way by thedeath of Miss Carrington, so they too must be questioned. You surely seethe justice and the necessity of all this investigation?"
"Oh, yes, and it seems to me also justice that you investigate the storyof Miss Frayne. She, too, has only her own unsupported word as to thatconversation she relates. May she not have made it all up?"
"She has a witness, Miss Stuart, a credible witness. Mr. Haviland hastold me that he saw Miss Frayne at the door of the boudoir at aboutquarter past one."
"Gray saw her! He didn't tell me this. Mr. Stone, I hate to speak ill ofanother woman, but Miss Frayne can really wind Gray Haviland round herfinger, and I have no doubt she has persuaded him to give this evidence,whether----"
"Whether it is true or not?"
"Yes, that is what I meant, though I hated to say it."
"Miss Stuart, it is often hard to tell when a man speaks the truth, but Ihave no reason to disbelieve Mr. Haviland's statement. He told quitecircumstantially of being up and down all night. He was restless andwandered about in several rooms during the small hours. You know he toldof seeing the maid on the stairs. And he gives me the impression of atruthful witness who would not lie outright, even at the behest of awoman in whom he is interested."
"Then they are going to suspect me?" Pauline's voice was so full ofdespair that Fleming Stone caught his breath as he looked at her. Hergreat eyes were wide with fear, her hands were clenched and her wholebody tense with horrified suspense.
"Give me some good reasons why you can not be suspected," he cried,eagerly leaning forward in his chair. "Give me some proof that you werein the hall at that moment, or that you were in your own room, or----"
"That proves, Mr. Stone, that you _do_ suspect me! Your assumption that Icould have been in my own room shows that you do not believe I was in thehall,--as I was."
"Then why didn't Miss Frayne see you there?"
"How do you know she didn't? Why do you accept her words as truth, yetdisbelieve mine?" Pauline had risen now and stood before him. Her tallslimness, her wonderful grace and her beautiful, angry countenance madean alluring picture. "I was not in favor of your taking this case, Mr.Stone, and I am even less so, now, that you refuse to believe what I say!I shall cable at once for my cousin to return. I do not wish GrayHaviland and Anita Frayne to arrange all this to suit themselves. I ammistress here, in Mr. Loria's absence, and if my authority is doubted Iwant him here to stand up for me!"
"Just a moment, Miss Stuart. You are not entirely just to me. It isnecessary for me to question you, but you must see that yourinnocence--of which I have no doubt--will be more easily established by apolicy of frankness on your part, than by futile anger toward Miss Frayneor Mr. Haviland. The incident of the paper snake, as explained by you, isnot necessarily incriminating, and if you will wait a few days beforecalling your cousin home, I think very likely you will prefer not to doso. I understand that you do not wish him to come home, unless he can beof assistance to you?"
"Yes, that is his desire, to stay over there unless I want him. But, Mr.Stone," and now the lovely face was almost smiling, "if you mean what yousaid, that _you_ do not doubt my innocence, then I will not send for Mr.Loria. I am content to let it all rest in your hands."
The girl's beauty now was dazzling. Color showed in her cheeks, her eyesshone, and the curve of her exquisite red lips was almost a smile. Stonelooked at her in amazement. He had spoken truly, he had not doubted herinnocence, but this sudden elation on her part puzzled him. What did itmean? Only, as she meant it to seem, that if he believed in her innocenceit
could be easily proved? Well, he would accept that diagnosis of herattitude, but he would move warily. This case was unlike any other he hadever engaged in, so he must attack it in a different way. And first ofall, he must decide which of these two women was speaking the truth. Yet,how could he decide? If Pauline had been in that room when Anita listenedat the door, she would, of course, try to prove that she was elsewhere.But, in such a case, why not say she was in her own room? It wasn'tplausible that she should confess to being in the hall, if she werereally in the boudoir. That, then, was in Pauline's favor. But theconversation detailed by Anita? That must be further analyzed.
These thoughts flew through Stone's quick-moving brain as he stoodlooking at his beautiful hostess.
"Puzzling it out, Mr. Stone?" and Pauline's smile was a full-fledged onenow; "perhaps I can help you. If you'll accept my assistance withoutdoubting my word, I'm sure we can do wonders in a detective way."
This was not in Pauline's favor. It was too much like bargaining with himto believe her innocent. Then, too, though all unconscious of it, Stonewas influenced by the wonderful charm of the girl. Though her lips weresmiling a little, her great dark eyes still held that look of fear, thathunger for protection, that desire for some one on whom to lean.
"And I won't send for my cousin just yet," she went on. "It's too bad tocall him home when he's so busy over there. You know, Mr. Stone, that Mr.Loria is a wonderful man. His achievements in excavation have brought himfame and glory. And you mustn't think he's heartless because he doesn'treturn at once. You know it was all arranged for us to go over there nextmonth and he had made all sorts of plans for us and for himself. He can'tleave his work at a moment's notice, unless, as he says, I have need ofhim."
"Was he fond of his aunt?" inquired Stone, casually.
"He was her idol. To Aunt Lucy the sun rose and set in Carr. She wasperfectly crazy to go on this trip to Egypt, in order to be with him. Hewas fond of her, yes. More so than I was, because she was always kind andgood-natured to him, while she was always unpleasant to me."
"Why was she?"
"I don't know. Well, I suppose I may as well tell you, one reason wasbecause she was always envious of any one whom she consideredbetter-looking than she was herself. This may sound strange to you, Mr.Stone, but it was the key-note of my aunt's existence. She adored beautyin every way,--pictures, clothes, everything,--but she was so sensitiveabout her own plainness, that a younger or prettier face made her, attimes, irritable and even cruel. She would never engage a servant withany pretensions to good looks. Therefore, as she chose to consider MissFrayne and myself of comely personal appearance, she was unkind to usboth."
"And Mr. Loria? Is he not handsome?"
"Oh, yes, very. But Aunt Lucy liked handsome men. Carr Loria is like apicture. His father was of Italian descent, and Carr has the clear oliveskin and dark beauty of that race. Gray Haviland is good-looking, too,but it was only feminine prettiness that stirred up Aunt Lucy's ire."
"Why did she ever engage such an angel-face as Miss Frayne?"
Fleming Stone watched closely for a sign of irritation at this speech,and saw it. Pauline's smile faded, and she said, abruptly:
"Do you think her so beautiful?"
"She has the perfect blonde fairness usually typified by the celestialwhite-robed creatures on the old canvases."
"Yes, Anita _is_ a perfect example of a blonde. Why, she is the daughterof an old school-mate of my aunt's, and so that's why Aunt Lucy took her,and then she proved such an efficient secretary and such a patient, meekthing to scold, that she kept her position."
"Miss Frayne doesn't seem so extraordinarily meek to me."
"No, indeed! She's not meek at all. But she always was to MissCarrington. That, of course, to keep the position, which was both easyand lucrative. Easy, that is, except for my aunt's temper. That wasvented on poor Anita, morning, noon and night."
"That, then, might give us a motive for Miss Frayne's desire to be rid ofher cruel mistress and to get the inheritance that she knew would come toher at Miss Carrington's death."
Pauline shuddered. "I can't think of such a thing, Mr. Stone, but, ifanybody in this house is to be suspected of the awful thing, it can be noone but Anita. She tried, I know, to supplant me in my aunt's affection,and to have my inheritance, or part of it, transferred to herself."
"You know this?"
"Yes. For some time she has been making insinuations and telling my aunttales about me,--untrue ones,--that would make Aunt Lucy angry at me. Itell you this, Mr. Stone, because I want you to know Anita Frayne as shereally is."
There was the ring of sincerity in the tone, there was a look of truth inthe big, dark eyes, and there was a most appealing expression on thelovely face that gazed into his own, but Fleming Stone turned from thespeaker with a polite but decided gesture of dismissal, saying, "Pleaseask Miss Frayne to come here a few moments."