Chapter VII
PLAYING A PART
Dorothy ran to the door and caught hold of the knob. "Who's there?" shecried.
"It's I--Martin Lawson, Janet. May I come in?"
"Oh, please, Mr. Lawson, not right now." There was a soft tone ofpleading in her voice. "You see, I've been lying down and I'm not quitedressed."
"But I thought I heard you speaking."
"You did." The real Janet, shivering by the window, caught her breathand heard Dorothy's tone sharpen slightly. "To myself. Being cooped uplike this for hours on end, I'm glad to hear the sound of my own voice.I often read aloud. But I'll be ready shortly, if you want me."
"All right, then. I'll be back in five minutes. Your father is here andhe wants to say goodbye."
The key turned in the lock and with her ear close to the panel Dorothywas sure she could hear the faint tread of footsteps retreating down thehall. With her heart pumping sixty to the second, she dashed back toJanet and carefully raised the window.
"Heavens! that was a narrow squeak--" her cousin whispered shakily."What nerve you've got! I nearly fainted--"
"Never mind," Dorothy whispered back, "you've got to get out ofhere--and right now!"
"Oh, but I can't, Dorothy. I'm afraid!"
Dorothy gave the signal rope two savage pulls. Almost immediately thecable began to tighten. "Close your eyes and hang on with both hands,"she ordered.
"But Dorothy--I'll scream--I'm going to--I know it!"
"No, you won't!" Quickly Dorothy clasped the frightened girl's fingersaround the taut cable. A dive into the pocket of Janet's coat broughtforth her own handkerchief which she hurriedly crumpled into a ball andthrust into her cousin's mouth. The seat, with Janet in it, was risingslowly. She caught the paralyzed girl below the knees, steadied her asthe crane drew its burden clear of the sill and pushed her carefullyinto the outer darkness. When Janet's feet were on a level with theupper sash, she pulled down the window and shade and switched on thelight again.
"Skies above!" Her breath came in short gasps and she leaned against theend of the bed to steady herself. "Talk about your thrills! That wasworse than my first solo hop, by a long shot." She ran her fingersthrough her short hair. "Let's see--what next? Oh, yes--I was supposedto be lying down."
She caught up a book from the table and tossed it open onto the bed.Then she lay down, rumpled the coverlet, made sure that the pillowshowed the impression of her head, and sprang up again. An adventurouspast had taught her the need of being thorough.
She went to the window and raising it, looked out and upward. NeitherJanet nor the crane were in sight. Thankful that her cousin was safe atlast, she pulled down the sash.
Two or three minutes later, when the door was unlocked, the two men whoentered surprised her in the business of packing the contents of the topbureau drawer into Janet's wardrobe trunk.
And now came as pretty a piece of acting as has ever been seen upon thestage; acting that Dorothy's audience of two must not realize wasacting, and furthermore, one of these men was the father of the girl sheimpersonated. Why hadn't she remembered to ask Janet what she calledthat mysterious father of hers? Father, Papa, Dad, Daddy--which shouldshe use? A mistake now would be fatal. Even her uncle must not becomeaware of her real identity. There was no time for hesitating. He wasspeaking now.
"Janet, my dear--" he began.
Dorothy ran to her uncle and throwing her arms about his neck, buriedher head on his shoulder. "How could you leave me like this?" shewailed. "Why do you let these people keep me locked in my room? And nowthey are going to take me away!" Her voice grew louder, almosthysterical. She sobbed pathetically and clutched him a little tighter.
"My dear child--you mustn't cry this way--you really mustn't!" Mr.Jordan patted her back in the silly way men do when they want to becomforting. "Mr. Lawson and his wife will look after you in the country,while your Daddy is away."
She released the embarrassed man, and pulling a handkerchief from hisbreast pocket, dabbed her eyes with the cambric until she felt certainthey looked bloodshot enough to pass inspection. "But I don't _want_ togo, Daddy. Please don't let them take me," she begged, her voicetrembling as though she was using all her will power to gain selfcontrol. "If you can't take me with you, why can't I go back to school?"
"But that's impossible, Janet. You are going to be Mrs. Lawson'ssecretary. Don't be foolish. All arrangements have been made."
"Well, I'm eighteen," said Dorothy with a show of temper. "My mother wasa year younger than that when she ran away and married you. I am nolonger a child. I don't like being packed off like--like a bag ofpotatoes."
"Are there any other reasons why you don't want to come to Ridgefieldwith me?" Mr. Lawson spoke for the first time. His words fairly drippedwith suspicion.
"Yes, there are." Dorothy turned on him angrily. "Daddy goes off on atrip, and for reasons which appear to be a secret, you keep me locked inmy room for more than a week, Mr. Lawson. And you seem to wonder why Iresent it."
"But you have been ill, my dear Janet."
"If I'm so ill, why has no doctor been to see me?" Her voice was full ofscorn.
"I have been keeping you under observation myself."
"Quite possibly. I've been allowed to see nobody except that maid whoacts as if she were deaf and dumb. If you are trying to tell me that I'mmentally deranged, I won't stand for it! The mere fact that you nowpropose that I act as your wife's secretary proves that you consider mecapable. What right have you to keep me a prisoner in my own home? Whoare you, Mr. Martin Lawson, to take upon yourself the regulating of mylife?" Dorothy burst into angry tears.
"But my _dear_ child--" protested Mr. Jordan. "I've never seen youbehave like this--"
"No! And up to now," she stormed, her eyes flashing, "you've never givenme cause. In the first place I'm no longer a child--you forget that--andthen--what kind of a life did you give me as a child? You are my fatherand you say that you love me, but can you expect deep affection from adaughter whom you ship to boarding school at five? You wouldn't even letme visit friends during the holidays. For years at a time you never tookthe trouble to come and see me. How can you expect love and obedienceafter years of neglect?" She drew a sobbing breath, then went on: "For awhile we traveled--you were nice to me--I enjoyed it. We settled downhere. I forgave what you'd done to my childhood. I tried to make thisflat a home for you, even though I was kept like a cloistered nun andyou allowed me no friends. But this is going too far."
"And what, may I ask, are you going to do about it?" inquired Lawsonwith a disagreeable smile.
"What can a defenseless girl without friends do to stop two big bullies?I shall go with you, Mr. Lawson, because I can't help myself. But don'texpect me to like being used as a slave, even though I may be of somecomfort to that long-suffering wife of yours. Oh, that makes you angry,does it? Well, let me tell you, that you are not half as angry as I am.You can practice your strong-arm methods on defenseless women and getaway with it--some day you'll try it on a man--and by the time he getsthrough thrashing you there won't be enough left for the boneyard." Sheflashed a smile of contempt on the furious man, and turned to Mr. Jordanwho was speaking again.
"What has come over you, Janet?" he was saying. "I've never heard youspeak so rudely to anyone before. You've always been such a quiet littlemouse--"
"And you've taken advantage of it," she interrupted. "What you forget isthat even a mouse will turn and fight when it's cornered. If you reallyloved me--if you had a spark of manhood in your selfish body, you'dthrash this man to within an inch of his life and throw him into thestreet. Get out of here--both of you!" she cried hysterically. "Andplease--no more silly arguments--I don't want to be forced to say beforeoutsiders what a contemptible person my father is proving himself tobe."
This last tirade seemed to stun Mr. Jordan. From the almost agonizedexpression on his face, she saw that at last conscience was at work. Theman was utterly mise
rable. He could not hide it.
"Will you--will you be ready to leave in half an hour, Janet?" His voicewas a mere whisper and shook with suppressed feeling.
"Yes, I'll be ready. Go now, please--both of you!" She turned her backon them and walking over to the window, she threw up the shade and thesash. As she stood there staring into the night, she heard them leavethe room.
This time the door shut without being locked. Dorothy streaked acrossthe floor and pressed her ear to the keyhole. Just outside the men weretalking.
"You're a fool, Lawson, if you still think that Janet wasn't asleepduring the meeting," she heard her uncle say. "Tonight proves it. Andlet me tell you this. From now on, my business and my home shall be keptseparate and distinct. Never again will I allow myself to be placed in aposition to be dressed down by my own daughter. There was no comebackeither. Every word she said was gospel truth. It's a terrible thing whena daughter makes her father realize what a low, cowardly creature he isat heart. Well, how about it? Aren't you now convinced of herinnocence?"
"I am." Lawson clipped off the words, and as he went on speaking, therewas insolence as well as a hint of nervousness in his tone. "But when itcomes to giving me a thrashing, Number 5--well, I shouldn't try it if Iwere you--not if you value your--er--health!"
"Stop talking like a fool!" retorted Janet's father. "Is the girl to besent to Ridgefield or not?"
"Now you're talking rot, yourself," snapped Lawson. "You know quite aswell as I do that Laura won't take our word for it. She told me thismorning that any clever woman or girl for that matter, could twist a manaround her finger without half trying. Laura wants to study yourdaughter herself--and that's all there is to it."
"I hope Mrs. Lawson has a pleasant time of it." Mr. Jordan saidsarcastically. "But I'm afraid my hope will not be granted."
"Laura," answered that lady's husband, "can be rather disagreeableherself when she's roused. Let us hope for Janet's sake, that shedoesn't try her tantrums on my wife. By the way, what are you doingnow?"
"Getting away just as fast as I can, thank you. No more scenes for me,tonight. I wouldn't meet Janet on her way out of here for a milliondollars!"
They moved further along the hall and Dorothy went slowly back to thewindow. Across the narrow court, two flights up, the shaded windows ofHoward Bright's flat shone a dull golden yellow in the black wall. Forseveral minutes she stood watching the windows, her thoughts upon whatshe had done and what she had just heard.
Suddenly, shadows appeared on one of the yellow rectangles. The shadewas raised and framed in the window were Janet and Howard. Just behindthem stood a stranger who wore the round, conventional collar of aclergyman. The young couple were smiling happily. Both waved, and Janetheld up her left hand.
Dorothy knew the significance of that gesture, and threw them a kiss.Then she saw the shade roll down, and she turned away.
"And so they were married and lived happily ever after." She sighed."Uncle Sanborn kept his promise, like the fine old sport he is."
She stuffed the last of Janet's belongings into the trunk, slammed itshut and locked it.
"Now for the dirty work--and Laura Lawson." She smiled grimly and wentto the closet for Janet's hat and coat.