Chapter XVII
PROFESSOR MAKES GOOD
In that moment, Dorothy knew what she must do. A shiver ran over herslender frame and she blinked as though partly awakened by the flash oflights. Then, with eyes wide open and staring straight ahead, she slowlywalked toward Martin Lawson and the open doorway.
"_Stop!_"
The command, though low, was uttered in a tone of deadly menace, andDorothy saw the blue-black muzzle of an automatic revolver pointed ather heart. She stopped on the instant, but continued to stare straightahead without change of expression. She noted that he wore a soft felthat pulled over his eyes and a heavy ulster with its broad collar turnedup half hiding the lower part of his face. His high arctics bore tracesof melting snow.
"Sleepwalking, eh! Well, I don't believe it." His sharp eyes took in theopen door of the safe. "Snap out of that playacting and tell me what youare doing here!"
Dorothy did not move a muscle.
Without warning, he grasped her wrist and jerked her savagely towardhim. She screamed and went limp in his arms. Lawson clapped a hand overher mouth.
"So you're up to your old tricks again, Martin!"
Mrs. Lawson, fully dressed, and wearing a three-quarters mink coat andbrown felt cloche, appeared in the open doorway. "So our littlesleepwalker interrupted a very pretty piece of double-crossing!" Shepointed toward the safe.
Lawson flung the weeping girl into an arm chair where she lay apparentlyhalf stunned and shaking in every limb.
"Double-cross, nothing!" he snapped at his wife. "How do you get thatway, Laura? I came in here just now and found Janet in the room."
"Was she at the safe?"
"No, she wasn't. She was standing in the middle of the floor. Making hergetaway without a doubt when I turned on the lights."
"Why do you pretend Janet opened the safe? The Doctor, you and I are theonly ones who know the combination. Laugh that off if you can, my dear!"
They were both fast losing their tempers.
"Combination or no combination, the safe was open when I got here," hesnarled. "She was after the formula, of course. That father of hers isin back of it. That Irishman is the double-crosser--and how! Figured onworking Winnite into his racket without coughing up a cent for it,either. Call me a sucker if you like, Laura. I qualify, and so do you,for that matter. The other stuff's the bunk."
Dorothy stopped her pretended crying and lay back as though utterlyexhausted. She knew Tunbridge must be up and about. What in the worldcould the man be doing?
Mrs. Lawson who seemed to be weighing matters, slowly unbuttoned hercoat. "If you are so blameless," she said coldly to her husband, "How doyou happen to be here at all? Your part of the job was to bring up thecar--or the plane, if it had stopped snowing."
"Well, it's no longer snowing, my dear, and the plane is just where itshould be. I got tired of waiting, that's why. Thought there must be aslip-up. You were due out there half an hour ago."
"And I would have been," said Laura Lawson evenly, "if that secretservice fool hadn't been snooping outside my door."
"Tunbridge?"
"Who else!"
"What did you do--croak him?"
"No, I didn't. He's not worth burning for."
As they talked, the two dropped their artificial cloaks of refinement asif they had never been.
"It's hanging in this state," sneered Martin.
"What's the difference! I rang for him, instead. When he knocked on thedoor, I opened up and beaned him with the poker. He'll wake up tomorrowwith a headache, but I dragged him into my room and tied him up, just tomake sure."
Dorothy's heart sank to the very soles of her bare feet.
"Atta girl!" cheered Lawson. "That's the way! And look here, Laura. Justto prove I'm on the straight with you--go over and frisk that kidyourself. She's got the paper."
"Thanks--I intended to." Mrs. Lawson threw a grim smile at her husbandand turned to Dorothy. "Pass it over, Janet."
"But, really, Mrs. Lawson! I don't know what you're talking about--"
The woman cut her short. "Stand up and come here!"
Dorothy reluctantly obeyed. "I haven't any paper," she protested. "All Iknow is that I woke up just now and found Mr. Lawson--"
"Hold your tongue!" snapped Mrs. Lawson, and after exploring Dorothy'sempty pockets, ran her fingers over the quilted gown and the girl'spajamas. In the midst of her search, Professor, still playful, boundedinto the room and stood watching them expectantly.
Mrs. Lawson stepped back. "She hasn't got it, Martin." Her tone wasacid. "What a hard-boiled liar you are, anyway!"
"Hard-boiled, if you like--but no liar." He strode to the safe andthrust his hand inside. "Here it is," he called, and held up the paper."I must have got here before she could nab it."
Laura Lawson eyed him appraisingly. "Didn't you say Janet was in themiddle of the room when you switched on the light?"
"Sure--she heard me coming, of course."
"If Janet heard you coming, why didn't she swing the door shut? Don'ttry to pull that stuff on me, Martin. Even if the girl knows thecombination she couldn't open that safe in the dark. Why lie about thebusiness? I know you opened it yourself--and what's more, while I'vebeen wasting time arguing with you and searching Janet, the formula wasin your pocket the whole time--that is, until you pretended to take itout of the safe, just now!"
Martin Lawson's hard and cruel mouth twisted into a crooked smile. "Theworld is full of liars," he said equably, "but your husband doesn't playthat kind of a racket, Laura--anyway, not to you."
"Then prove it by giving me that paper!" his wife held out her hand.
"Nothing doing, Sweetheart. The formula will be perfectly safe with me."
He started to put it in an inside pocket, when Laura Lawson sprang forthe paper. She grasped his wrist. There was a tussle and the foldedsheet fell to the floor. Professor, seated on his haunches and veryinterested in these exciting proceedings, dove forward and snapped itup. For half a moment he shook the paper as though he took it for a newspecies of rat. Then as they went for him, he darted between Martin'slegs and scampered out of the room.
"You big goop!" flared his wife. "Why didn't you pot the cur!"
She rushed out of the room after Professor while Martin stared ratherstupidly at the gun in his hand. Suddenly his eyes took on aparticularly hard glint and he swung round on Dorothy.
"This," he rasped, "is the second time you've got me in wrong with mywife, Miss Janet Jordan. And there just ain't going to be no third time,kid!"
"Wha--what are you going to do, Mr. Lawson?" She was still playing theterrified, innocent Janet, but she no longer feared the man. During theLawsons' struggle, she had prepared herself for something like this. Shehad also shifted her position and was standing near the open door, nowseveral yards away.
"You're going to answer my questions, Janet--and answer them truthfully,or you'll do your sleepwalking in another world after this." He menacedher with the automatic, "It's the bunk, isn't it? The sleepwalking, Imean."
"It sure is, Mr. du Val!" drawled Dorothy with a sweet smile.
Lawson was thoroughly surprised and looked it. "Yes--it naturally wouldbe, seeing you know who I really am."
"And all about you."
"Oh, you do, eh? You were awake, of course, at the meeting?"
"Not me--Janet Jordan."
"What do you mean--not you--Janet Jordan?"
"I mean that certain people have been making fools of you and your wife,Mr. du Val."
"Is that so! In what way, may I ask?"
"Why, you see, I'm not Janet Jordan."
"Not Janet Jordan!"
"I wish," said Dorothy, "you wouldn't echo my words. No, I am not--mostdecidedly, not Janet Jordan, although even you have guessed by this timethat I look like her. We changed places on you, big boy! Night beforelast, just before you came into Janet's room with her father, Janet wasclimbing out the window when you knocked
the first time. It was ratherembarrassing."
"It's going to be even more embarrassing for you in a moment or two,Miss Not Janet Jordan! You know too much to live. Who in thunderationare you--a government dick?"
"That's right, big boy. I also happen to be Janet's double cousin."
"You're her double, I'll voucher that," agreed du Val alias Lawson. "Andall this high-hat cockiness ain't going to do you one little bit ofgood. What's the moniker, kid? Make it snappy, I'm pressed for time."
"Dorothy Dixon's my name. And--meet Flash!" Her right hand gave a quicktwist and Martin Lawson dropped the exploding automatic with a scream ofmingled rage and pain. She sprang for the revolver, covered the man andretrieved the knife from the floor just behind him. "Sit down overthere!" She pointed to a chair. "You're not really hurt, you know. Flashonly skinned your knuckles. Better tie them up in your handkerchiefthough. You're ruining the rug."
Gretchen's blond head peered round the door frame. "Oh, Dorothy!" sheshrilled, and rushed into the room. "Are you hurt? Did he wound you?"She flung herself on her friend in a frenzy of fright and hysterics.
From the hall came Laura Lawson's voice. "Martin!" she called. "They'reout in front of the house. They've got the car! Hurry!"
Lawson wasted no time. While Dorothy struggled with the excitedGretchen, he nipped out of the room and was gone.
"That tears it!" cried Miss Dixon, freeing herself from the littlemaid's embrace, and she dove into the passage.
Under the gallery she stopped short. There was nobody in sight, but fromthe staircase came two sharp detonations of a revolver which wereanswered by two more from the dining room. Then as she moved warilyforward, Bill Bolton ran into the hall with Ashton Sanborn close at hisheels. Dorothy saw them disappear up the stairs and ran after them.
At the top of the stairs she spied them standing outside a bedroom door.She hurried to join them. "Hello! Gone to cover?"
"You're a great guesser, kid." Bill grinned and nodded.
"Where's Tunbridge?" asked Mr. Sanborn.
Dorothy motioned toward the door. "In there. He's got a broken head andhe's tied up into the bargain. Laura Lawson did it. That's her room."
"We've got to get the door down," said Bill, and he stepped back for arush.
"Just a sec, Bill!" Dorothy fired three shots from Lawson's automaticinto the lock.
"Smart girl!" Ashton Sanborn opened the door to disclose thedetective-butler bound and unconscious, lying on the floor. Otherwisethe room was empty of occupants. "I thought as much," muttered thesecret service man, while Dorothy ran to Tunbridge and began to cut hisbonds. "They have beat it, all right!"
"Secret passage?" This from Bill.
"Yes, the walls are honeycombed with them. But Tunbridge never learnedthe secret of this room, poor fellow."
"Doctor Winn would know," said Dorothy. "His suite is right at the endof this corridor. He must surely be awake with all this racket goingon."
"I'll get him." Mr. Sanborn was half way to the door. "Look afterTunbridge, you two. Better phone for a doctor." He was gone.
Dorothy and Bill lifted the unconscious man on to Mrs. Lawson's bed.Then while young Bolton undressed him, Dorothy telephoned. She then gaveBill a hasty account of the night's happenings.
"If Gretchen had only stayed put in her room, I'd have caught MartinLawson, anyway," she lamented.
"Mr. Jordan and the bunch outside will take care of that pair," promisedBill. "Fetch a wet towel from the bathroom. This bird is breathingpretty hard."
Dorothy sped to obey, talking the while. "Not Uncle Michael!" she calledback in astonishment.
"Yep. Uncle Michael showed up in Sanborn's New York office this morning,all on his own."
"What was he doing--wanting to turn state's evidence and peach on hispals?" She brought in the wet towel and laid it on Tunbridge's hotforehead.
"Nothing like that, kid." Bill was grinning. "Give another guess."
"Then he wasn't really a member of that gang with the numbers?"
"Sure he was--in good standing, too."
"Oh, spill it, Bill! What do you think I'm made of, anyway?"
"Snips and snails and puppy dog's tails," said Bill promptly.
"Huh! The story book says 'little boys' belong in that category. Come,Bill, out with it!"
"Well, then, cutie pie,--Uncle Michael is a secret service man."
"And Ashton Sanborn didn't know it! Don't talk rot, Bill!"
"I'm not talking rot, Dorothy. Uncle Michael happens to be in theBritish Secret Service, that's why!"
"Ain't that the nerts!" exploded Miss Dixon.
"You said it, kid! He got on to The Nameless Ones--that's what they callthemselves--over on the other side, in Europe, you know--worked his wayinto their confidence and joined up. Of course, with his government'ssanction."
"And what were they up to?"
"Out to blow up the world with Winnite, I reckon. The Lawsons were toget two million plunks for the formula. Martie-boy was Number 1, by theway. The whole thing was financed by the Reds."
"Nice people! What's being done about it?"
"Plenty," returned Bill. "Mr. Jordan brought in the goods--letters,confidential papers of the organization, and that kind of thing. All theringleaders, both in this country and abroad, have been apprehended andjailed by this time."
"Except," she suggested, "the du Vals, alias Lawson."
"That's right! Let's go downstairs and find out about them. Nothing morecan be done for Tunbridge until that doctor shows up. He's had hard luckall the way round this evening. The Lawsons fooled him nicely about thetime--and then this crack on the nut into the bargain!"
"What do you mean--about the time?"
"Why, he overheard the fair Laura telling her hubby that they wouldvamoose at two this morning, and that she would nab the formula justbefore leaving. That's why Tunbridge specified midnight. He thought thattwo hours leeway would have been plenty of time for you."
"I 'spose they suspected him then, and were just giving him the razz?"
Bill nodded. "Q.E.D., old girl. You're learning, aren't you?"
Dorothy made a face at him and pushed him out of the room. "By the way,"continued Bill, as they entered the corridor, "I wonder if Mrs. Lawsongot the paper away from Professor?"
"She did not!" declared Dorothy. "Look!"
They paused on the stairs to view the scene below in the entrance hall.Groups of frightened servants whispered among themselves and here andthere a strange man was posted, with somewhat of an air of grimwatchfulness. Crouched on the hearth and chewing up the last shreds ofsome white substance was the puppy.
"The end of a perfect formula," declared Bill. "You'd better call thepup Winnite. He's full of it by this time. Lucky you made the copy,Dorothy."
"It certainly is!" A voice spoke behind them and they turned to seeAshton Sanborn descending the broad stair. "Doctor Winn tells me thepassageway from the Lawson woman's room comes out into the sunkengardens a quarter of a mile from the house. And I distinctly heard thewhirr of an airplane just now from his open window. They've made theirgetaway in fine style by this time."
"Well--" Dorothy breathed a deep sigh. "I can't help being glad of it."
Bill stared at her. "Well!" he mimicked. "I must say you haveastonishing reactions!"
"What's the matter, my dear?" asked Mr. Sanborn. "You've done brilliantwork on this case, and then, you know, you've saved Winnite."
Dorothy was not impressed. "That's just it," she retorted. "If I wasn'ta government servant for the time being, I'd destroy the copy of thatterrible formula myself. As it is, I've got to turn it over to you!"
Ashton Sanborn laid a fatherly hand on her shoulder. "Fortunes of war,Dorothy. Sorry, but you must, you know."
"Oh, I know!" She took the sheet of paper from her slipper and handed itto him. "And that," she announced grimly, "spoils all the fun on thisracket."
Chapter XVIII
THE CHRIS
TMAS SPIRIT
Christmas eve was, as Dorothy had predicted, a starry night of frost andblanketing snow. Red candles twinkled in every holly-wreathed window ofthe Dixon home, and a large fir tree before the house glittered withcolored Christmas lights.
If old Saint Nick had peeped into the dining room windows, he would haveseen a merry company standing round the dinner table, gay with thecrimson-berried holly and waxy mistletoe. At the head of the table stoodDorothy, appropriately and becomingly dressed in ruby-red velvet. On herright there was an empty place, and beyond it, old Doctor Winn, aboutonniere of holly in the lapel of his dinner coat; Mr. Bolton, Bill'sfather, was next down the table, and just beyond stood Ashton Sanborn.Facing Dorothy at the other end, her father chatted with a bright-eyedGretchen, who had Bill on her right. Next to Bill came Doctor Winn'sex-butler, John Tunbridge, looking none the worse for his part in themixup of the fatal night. Beyond Tunbridge stood Dorothy's UncleMichael, and then another empty chair.
"Just a moment, Dorothy," said her father as she was about to sit down."We've a surprise for you."
"Oh, are there more people coming?" She indicated the extra places toher right and left. "I thought our party was as nearly complete aspossible. Of course it would have been swell if Janet and Howard couldhave been with us."
"Dum--dum--de dum!" hummed Bill, beating time with his hand like anorchestra conductor. From the drawing room a piano crashed into theopening chords of Wagner's beautiful wedding march.
"Here Comes the Bride ..." sang the guests at table, and Dorothy's heartskipped a beat.
Through the curtained doorway, walked a blushing girl, leaning on thearm of a tall young man. She wore a bridal gown of white satin, and hersmiling face, below the draped tulle veil, was the exact counterpart ofthe astonished girl at the head of the table.
"Janet! Howard!" Dorothy ran to them and was caught in her cousin'sarms. "Where under the sun did you come from? I thought you sailed forSouth America last week!"
"That," said Howard, grinning broadly, "is a surprise that Mr. Sanbornsprang on us the day after we were married. He persuaded me to give upthe South American job and got me a much better one with Mr. Bolton."
"Meet Mr. Howard Bright, the new manager of my Bridgeport plant," criedBill's father, and everyone clapped.
"Why, that's marvelous!" exclaimed Dorothy. "It's only an hour's driveover there from New Canaan. We'll be able to see a lot of each other,Janet."
Then Uncle Michael, looking very happy and proud, kissed his daughterand led her to the chair between his place and Dorothy's.
"Daddy gave me the wedding dress," whispered Janet. "It's a little bitlate for it, but he insisted."
"You look simply darling," began her cousin, then stopped. Doctor Winn,who had pushed in her chair, was addressing the company.
"Ladies, and gentlemen," he said, "before we start on the Christmascheer which our little hostess and her father have so graciouslyprovided, I would like to propose a toast or two, and may I ask you tostand again while you drink them with me?" He held up his glass ofgolden cider. "First, let us drink long life and great happiness to ourcharming bride, Mrs. Howard Bright, and her gallant husband!"
The company drank the toast enthusiastically. Then Uncle Abe, theDixon's darkey butler, better known to some of Dorothy's friends as "Ol'Man River," grinning from one black ear to the other, laid small leatherjewel cases before Janet and Howard.
"Just a little Christmas gift, my children," explained Doctor Winn.
"Oh, may we open them now?" asked Janet eagerly.
"You most certainly may, my dear."
They snapped open the lids and the company leaned forward to get abetter view of the contents.
"I don't know how to thank you, Doctor Winn," began Howard, fingeringhis handsome gold repeater and chain.
"Nor I--why--my goodness! I never thought I'd have a string of realpearls. They are simply too exquisite for words!"
Doctor Winn laughed and held up a protesting hand. "I'm sure I'm gladyou like them, but guests are requested not to embarrass the speaker.Now, I have another toast to propose; and this time we will drink a veryMerry Christmas, long life and great happiness to Miss Margaret Schmidt,my new companion-housekeeper!"
Gretchen was overwhelmed and blushed furiously. Uncle Abe placed anotherjewel case before her, which she opened and found therein a pearlnecklace, the counterpart of Janet's. All she could do was to sit andgaze at it with her wide open china-blue eyes. Mr. Dixon raised thenecklace, slipped it over the embarrassed girl's head, and nodded to theold gentleman.
Doctor Winn took the hint and turned the attention of the table gueststo himself. "Third and last, but not in any way the least," he said, "wewill drink to the heroine of the already famous case of the DoubleCousins. Ladies and gentlemen, I pledge you Dorothy Dixon--whose braveryand loyalty to her country gained the nation's thanks through itsmouthpiece, our President in Washington this week. A very MerryChristmas, my dear, long life and great happiness to you and to ourfriend Professor, alias Winnite! By the way, where is the pup? I have alittle remembrance for him, too."
"He's right here beside me, asleep in his basket, Doctor Winn." Dorothypicked up the yawning pup and sat him on her lap.
The old gentleman took a slightly larger morocco case out of his pocket,this time, and laid it on the white cloth before her. With a smile ofthanks, she pressed the spring and disclosed, lying on a velvet pad, adouble string of gleaming pink pearls. She looked at him, speechlesswith pleasure, then down again at the necklace. As she did so, shestarted, for beneath the pearls lay an envelope.
She picked it up and drew forth a paper--"Why! why, it's my copy of theWinnite formula!" she cried.
"The only existing copy, my dear, which I hereby present to your puppy."
"But, Doctor Winn, I don't understand!"
"My terms to the government were that Winnite should be used fornational defense alone," he said solemnly. "Washington would not agree.Therefore I wish the formula destroyed."
"Oh, what a darling you are!" Dorothy leaned over and kissed him. "Butlet's not give it to Professor this time, please. The last one made himhorribly sick."
She held the paper over a lighted candle and watched Winnite burn tocharred ash. "I certainly am the happiest girl in the world tonight--butthere is just one more toast I'd like to propose before we commencedinner. Here's a long life and a Merry Christmas to Mr. and Mrs. MartinLawson--if it hadn't been for them, think of all the fun we'd havemissed!"
THE END
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