Dorothy Dixon and the Double Cousin

  Chapter XVI

  CAUGHT IN THE ACT

  When Dorothy went down to dinner that evening, she knew exactly what shehad to do. After reading Tunbridge's note which she found had beenslipped between the pillow case and the pillow itself, she had memorizedthe combination to Doctor Winn's safe, and destroyed the missive as shehad his warning of the night before. After a bath and a complete changeof clothing, she felt refreshed and in a much better frame of mind. Shehad selected one of the prettiest gowns in Janet's wardrobe, a turquoiseblue crepe, with a cluster of silver roses fastened in the twistedvelvet girdle, put on slippers to match, and surveyed the result in themirror.

  "Decidedly becoming, my girl," she smiled at her reflection, and gave alast pat to her shining bob that she had brushed until it lay like abronze cap close about her shapely head. "Might as well look my best atmy criminal debut!" She made a face at herself, turned and kissed thesleeping puppy in his basket, and went downstairs.

  Doctor Winn and Mrs. Lawson were standing talking in the entrance hall,near the fireplace. The old gentleman, dressed in immaculate dinnerclothes, looked more than ever like the English squire in his ancestralhall. He came forward to meet her, both hands outstretched.

  "As charming as an English primrose and twice as beautiful!" he greetedgaily.

  "Thank you kindly, sir." She dropped him a little curtsey and let himlead her to Mrs. Lawson.

  "Our little secretary has blossomed into a very lovely debutante," hebeamed.

  Dorothy bit her lip, remembering her own phrase of a few moments before,then smiled at her employer. Mrs. Lawson was regal in black velvet,trimmed in narrow bands of ermine. She returned Dorothy's smile, andlifted her finely pencilled brows at the Doctor. "Oh, you men. You areall alike. A pretty gown, a pretty face intrigues you, young or old. Payno attention to his flattery, Janet. I can hardly blame him, though. Youlook lovely tonight. That is an exquisite frock. Did you buy it abroad?"

  "Oh, no, at a little place on fifty-seventh street." Of course Dorothyhad no idea where Janet had bought the dress. "It is a Paris model,though, Mrs. Lawson."

  "I thought as much. Ah, here comes Tunbridge with the cocktails. Iwonder which side of the fence you are on?"

  "I'm--I'm afraid I don't know quite what you mean, Mrs. Lawson."

  "I'll explain," broke in the old gentleman. "I'm the prohibitionist inthis house, Janet. Mrs. Lawson is one of the antis. She likes a realcocktail before dinner. I prefer one made of tomato juice."

  Mrs. Lawson had already helped herself to a brimming glass and a smallcanape of caviar from the silver tray Tunbridge was holding.

  "Oh, I love tomato cocktails," smiled Dorothy. She took one from the manand helped herself to the caviar. "Daddy asked me not to drink until Iwas twenty-one--and I'm not so keen on the idea, anyway."

  "I try to keep an open mind about such things," the Doctor saidseriously, "but I've never found that the use of alcohol did anyone anygood. Well, here's your very good health, ladies!" He raised his glassof tomato juice and drank.

  Dinner was announced a few minutes later. Doctor Winn offered his rightarm to Mrs. Lawson and his left to Dorothy and they walked into thedining room. Dorothy did not enjoy that meal as much as she had herluncheon. True, the food was delicious and the panelled room with itscheerful fire on the hearth and the soft glow of candle light wasdelightfully homey, while Doctor Winn's easy chatter and fund ofinteresting reminiscence helped to break the tedium of the courses. ButDorothy found it difficult to play up to his amusing sallies. The oldgentleman appeared to be in very good spirits indeed. Laura Lawson, onthe other hand, was unusually quiet. At times she seemed distrait andmerely smiled absently when spoken to. She drank several glasses ofclaret, but hardly touched her food. Dorothy felt surer than ever thatthe Lawsons had planned their coup for tonight. She shrewdly surmisedthat this cold-blooded adventuress had become fond of the genial,fatherly old man, and realized that at his age the blow she contemplatedmight very well prove a fatal one.

  As the dinner wore on, Dorothy felt more and more ill at ease. The sightof Tunbridge, soft-footed and efficient, waiting on table orsuperintending his satellite of the plum-colored kneebreeches, sent herthoughts to the night's work ahead every time the detective-butler cameinto the room. She was glad when at last the meal was over and theyrepaired to the library where after-dinner coffee was served. Dorothyrarely drank coffee in the evening, but tonight she allowed Tunbridge tofill her cup a second time. There must be no sleep for her until the weehours of the morning, and she knew from former experience that the blackcoffee would keep her awake.

  Mrs. Lawson, after wandering aimlessly about the room, finally picked upa technical magazine and commenced to read. Doctor Winn suggested a gameof chess to Dorothy. She was fond of the ancient game and told him so.Many a tournament she and her father had played with their red and whiteivory chessmen. Dr. Winn was a brilliant player, of long experience.Soon he began to compliment Dorothy upon a number of strategic moves.But although several times she managed to place his king in check, itwas invariably her own royal chessman who was checkmated in the end. Asthe evening wore on, the beatings became more frequent, for Dorothysimply could not keep her mind on the game.

  For a while she sat watching the log fire and talking to the Doctor in adesultory way while Mrs. Lawson continued to read. Then as thegrandfather clock chimed ten, Laura Lawson laid down her magazine andstood up.

  "I think I'll go to bed now, if you don't mind." The half stifled yawn,sheer camouflage thought Dorothy, was nevertheless a masterpiece ofdeception. "I've a bit of a headache, so I'll say good night."

  Doctor Winn and Dorothy got to their feet. "I'm for bed myself,"announced the old gentleman, "and in spite of the coffee you drank afterdinner, I know you're sleepy, Janet. Your chess playing toward the endproved it." His eyes twinkled at her. "But in storm or clear weather,there's nothing like the air of this Connecticut Ridge Country to makeone eat and sleep. By the way, Laura, when do you expect Martin?"

  "Oh, I forgot to tell you, Doctor--he won't be back tonight. He phonedme from town just before dinner, that on account of the blizzard, he haddecided to stay in until tomorrow. If you need him sooner, he said tocall up the Roosevelt. He always stops there, you know."

  "Yes, yes, but I shan't need him, thank you." He turned to Dorothy. "Therailroad has taken upon itself to discontinue all service toRidgefield," he explained. "Branchville is our nearest station, anddriving will be difficult tonight. There must be very deep drifts bythis time."

  "I should think it would be mighty unpleasant to get stuck out in ablizzard like this. I'm glad I don't have to go out into it. But in away I'm thankful for the snow, because we ought to have a whiteChristmas, and it's ever so much more fun."

  "Bless my soul! I'd entirely forgotten that Christmas comes next week.Well, this year we must celebrate the Yuletide in the good old fashionedway. Thank you, Janet, for reminding me."

  Good nights were said, and a few minutes later Dorothy was again alonein the Pink Bedroom. Or so she thought, as she entered. But at once shenoticed that a single shaded wall-light sent a pleasant glow from thebay window, and curled up in the cushioned recess, Gretchen was reading.

  Dorothy stopped short in surprise and the girl sprang to her feet. "Oh,Miss--Miss Jordan, Mr. Tunbridge told me to come and help you undressand get ready for the night. Of course I didn't know if you would wantme--" then she added in a whisper, "but he thought you might be sort ofblue and I could cheer you up, I guess."

  Dorothy smiled at Gretchen's pretty, earnest face. "Why, of course Iwant you, Gretchen. Tunbridge is very thoughtful. I've never had theluxury of a personal maid and I don't know that I'll ever feel helplessenough to need one! But if you want to stay and talk, I'd love it."

  "But I can help you, too," Gretchen insisted. "I'm not really a trainedmaid, you know, but Nanette--that's Mrs. Lawson's French maid--has beenteaching me. Gee, I'd certainly love to be _your_ person
al maid, MissJordan."

  "Well, you may be, some day, who knows?" she laughed. "But you can helpme tonight, though there'll be no bed for me until much later."

  Gretchen, who was arranging the pillows and smoothing the covers on thebed, turned her head sharply. "Secret Service Work?" she queried in anexcited whisper.

  Dorothy nodded and tossed her dress on to a chair. She continuedspeaking in a tone just above a whisper. "At twelve o'clock tonight I'vegot to go downstairs and commit justifiable burglary in Doctor Winn'soffice. The real thief will be along later--at least, I hope so, foreverybody's sake. In the meantime I want you to do something forme--will you?"

  "I sure will, miss--gee, this is exciting!"

  "Don't let it cramp your style." Dorothy laughed, and pulling off herstocking, she handed Gretchen the packet of thin paper, the manuscripton "Winnite" that she had typed that morning. "When you finish up inhere, I want you to find Mr. Tunbridge and give him these papers. You'dbetter pin it inside your uniform now, and be very careful that nobodysees you giving it to him."

  "You can trust me," declared Gretchen, and she put the papers safelywithin her dress. "Is Mr. Tunbridge really a detective?"

  "He certainly is, Gretchen."

  "I'd never have guessed it if you hadn't told me. But then, I supposenot looking like one makes him all the better?"

  "That's the idea." Dorothy put Janet's quilted satin dressing gown onover her pajamas. "Now that I'm ready for bed, and you've put all myclothes away so nicely, I think you'd better run along, Gretchen. Not,"she amended, "that I wouldn't love to talk to you while I'm waiting fortwelve o'clock, but we must not let certain people in this house getwise to our friendship."

  "And Mrs. Lawson is one awful snoopy lady," Gretchen observed candidly."Well, good night, Miss Jordan. Thank you a lot for letting me in onthis. I'll see that Mr. Tunbridge gets your papers all right. Goodnight--and take care of yourself." She stood before Dorothy with ananxious frown on her honest brow. "I sure do wish you the very bestluck!"

  Dorothy grinned. "Thank you. I certainly need it. Good night."

  The door closed upon the little maid and Dorothy looked at her wristwatch. It was ten minutes to eleven. For a time she sat on the edge ofher bed and stared unseeingly at the rug under her feet. Presently shegot up, locked her door, turned off her lights and went over to thewindow. She drew aside the curtains and was surprised to see that it hadstopped snowing. There was no moon, but what sky she could see wasfairly a-crackle with stars. The heavy blanket of snow looked silver inthe starlight. A remote world and cold. Dorothy allowed the curtains todrop back into place, and sat down on the window seat. Lost in thoughtspleasant and unpleasant, she sat there for the next hour, while thefaint noises of the big house gradually subsided into stillness.

  At exactly five minutes to twelve, Dorothy raised the window, letting inthe cold night air. Then she turned off the heat and got into bed. Afterlying there for possibly a minute, she threw back the covers, thrust herfeet into the fur-lined slippers she had left at the bedside and movedlike a dim shadow to the closet.

  It was crowded with Janet's suits, coats and frocks, and she was carefulnot to disturb them on their hangers, as she pushed between them in thedarkness to the rear wall and pressed her foot on the board in thecorner. The panel slid upward with a noiselessness that spoke forwell-oiled machinery somewhere in the walls. Dorothy stepped cautiouslythrough the opening. Her fingers sought the handle to this sliding door,found it, and she pulled the panel down again.

  Then for the first time she made use of the small flashlight which shecarried in the pocket of her gown. She saw that she was standing on thetop step of a narrow circular stair that wound downward. Off went herlight again--she was taking no unnecessary chances tonight--and with herhand on the metal handrail, she felt her way slowly down the stair,holding her free hand well in advance of her body.

  When her extended fingers touched a wall that blocked further progress,she felt with a slippered foot out to the right. The board gaveslightly, the wall panel moved upward and she stepped forth to findherself in the great fireplace of the entrance hall, just beyond theembers of the dying logs. The hall was illuminated in the dim glow of anight light in the ceiling. As she turned to pull down the slidingshutter, there came a streak of white from the dark passage andProfessor bounded into the hall.

  Dorothy was completely startled, and just as exasperated as she couldbe. She could not call him, for the slightest sound might bring thewakeful enemy to the spot. The pup, after his long sleep, was playful,and scampered about madly, his bright eyes watching her every move. Sheattempted to catch him, but he eluded her with an agility that made herstill more angry. He seemed to think that this was a splendid game,raced across the floor in high glee, but ever watchful to keep beyondher reach.

  Dorothy gave it up as a bad job. She dared not pursue him toodeterminedly, for fear he would bark. She pulled down the slidingshutter in the fireplace, and leaving Professor to his frolic, hurriedon to the door of Doctor Winn's office.

  Inside the room with the door shut, her flashlight came into play forthe second time. It took her but a moment with the memorized combinationat her fingertips to open the safe. The door was surprisingly heavy, butat last the interior of the small vault came within her line of vision.From a drawer she took a folded sheet of white paper. Out of her pocketcame a pencil and another sheet of paper. In an amazingly short time shecopied the formula and replaced the original in the safe drawer. Shetucked the copy into the fur lining of her slipper under her bare foot.Then suddenly she sprang up.

  Her heart leaped into her throat. In the corridor just outside therecame the sound of a footstep. There was no time to do more than shut offher torch and drop it, together with her pencil, into the waste paperbasket. The door opened, lights flashed on, and Martin Lawson walkedinto the room.