CHAPTER XIV
TOMMY TAKES A WILD RIDE
FOR a moment the little group stood regarding one another inhorror-stricken silence, then by common consent they all made for thestairway. Mr. Presby was half carrying, half dragging his wife, who wasin a state of collapse. All had lost their heads completely. They didnot know at what moment that terrible mysterious force might whisk themall out of existence. Instead of remaining calmly to solve the reasonfor Mollie's disappearance before their very eyes, all hands werefleeing from the scene of the double disaster. Mollie had not even criedout. She had simply gone, followed by that mighty crash. That was allthey knew about it.
They did not halt until they had reached the ground floor, where Mr.Presby called a servant to summon the neighbors and summon them quickly.Fifteen minutes later the neighbors began to arrive. With them were twoor three strangers, whose offers to join in the search through the houseMr. Presby politely declined, as he was suspicious of all strangers.Those of the neighbors who were friends of long standing were givenfree rein to search the house and grounds as thoroughly as they wished.They took full advantage of the opportunity, delving into every nook andcorner.
In the meantime Ruth Stuart with the shivering Tommy by her side wasdriving her automobile across the country. There was no storm curtain inplace now. Even the wind shield had been turned down because the snowclouded it so Ruth could not get a clear sight ahead. As it was, shecould see no more than a rod or two in advance. She took the storm fullon the right side of her face. The girl's eyes and nerves were steadynow. Her touch on the steering wheel was light, for at that speed aheavy hand might have ditched the outfit.
Country people on the road were startled by a rush of wind and a shadowymonster shooting past them with a snort, occasionally sending theirhorses off the highway in frightened leaps. But Ruth Stuart's eyes neverwavered from the straight path ahead. Evidently she had forgotten herpromise to herself to drive with her car under more perfect control.Every ounce of speed that Mr. A. Bubble possessed was being used on thepresent run.
Tommy's eyes were full of snow, his lips were blue, his hands weregripping the cushions until he had no feeling left in them.
"Tell me when we get near to the place," commanded Ruth in a sharp,incisive tone.
"Ju-s-s-st around the nu-nu-next turn," chattered Thomas. "He's atMartin's ranch."
Ruth turned the air into her siren. A wild, weird wail rose from thehorn. Tommy shivered more than ever. That sound always did make the hairrise right up on the crown of his head. Ruth kept the siren going.Rounding the bend at top speed, her siren wailing, she made enough noiseto be plainly heard above the storm. Taking careful note of herposition, she ran up the drive into the yard, slowing down just as shesaw two men come from the house bare-headed.
"Jump in, quick!" she cried to Bob Stevens. "Trouble!"
Bob was quick-witted. He understood that something was wrong. He caughtone of the canopy braces and swung himself in over the closed door.
The car was still in motion. Without a word of further explanation, Ruthadvanced her spark. When they rounded into the road the snow from theskidding rear wheels flew up into the air higher than the peak of JudMartin's hip-roofed barn. Stevens instinctively gripped the automobilebody.
"Put a blanket over your head," called back Ruth.
"I can stand it bare-headed here, if you can keep your seat in this coldwind up ahead," answered Stevens calmly. "What is it?"
"I'll tell you when you get there. I haven't time now."
Bob asked no further questions. They were racing back to Treasureholmeat a rate of speed that would have left the Pacific Coast Limited somedistance to the rear in a very short time.
Boom! A report like that of a cannon startled Tommy. Boom! Anothersimilar report and Tom was on the verge of leaping from the car.
"Tire's gone. Rear tire's down," called Stevens. Ruth nodded, but hecould not see that she reduced the speed of the car in the slightestdegree. Bob Stevens never had had such a ride as that, even on arailroad train, but he declined to give in to his inclination to warnher to slow down. If a young woman had the nerve to drive a car at thatspeed he surely should have sufficient pluck to ride behind her.
Tommy had tightened his grip on the cushion. His body was swaying fromside to side, now and then humping up into the air as the wheels passedover a hummock.
"I shall go on as long as the rims hold," flung back Ruth inacknowledgment of his warning about the tires.
The young man knew very well that the rims were likely to be crunchedin like egg shells at any second. That would mean the complete wreck ofthe car and no doubt the instant death of the passengers at the speedthey were now traveling. The soft, springy snow that covered the groundprotected the rims from the hard road somewhat. He observed, however,that in rounding sharp turns in the road, Ruth steadied the car with herfoot brake. She was driving with great skill, even though the pace was areckless one. Bob gazed at the back of her head, a great admiration forher pluck welling up within him. But he felt sorry for Tommy. It wasplainly to be seen that Thomas Warrington Presby was not having thehappiest ride imaginable.
"Almost there," encouraged Ruth. "If anything happens, never mind me,but run for the house as fast as you can go."
He did not answer, but he was thinking deeply. Something of a veryserious nature must have occurred at Treasureholme to make necessary allthis haste. He did not know that they had sent for him because of thegreat confidence the Presbys reposed in him. It would have made littledifference to the resourceful Bob Stevens if he had known.
The car lurched into the drive, past the scene of Ruth's previousdisaster, where the broken posts and twisted gates still lay at oneside of the drive. None of the occupants of the car heeded theseevidences of a former smash-up. Ruth's eyes were on the drive. Bob'seyes were on the house, while Tommy's eyes were so full of snow thatthey weren't fixed on anything in particular.
The car came to a jolting stop in front of the Presby home. At thatinstant the rear of the car settled with a crunching sound.
"There go the rims," said Ruth calmly. "But I don't care now. Pleasehurry."
Bob lifted Tommy to the ground, the boy being on the side that Stevenshad leaped from just as the rims were going down. He then assisted Ruthout. Tommy rubbed the snow from his eyes, blinked rapidly and gazed atRuth.
"Never no more for mine," he declared, with ungrammatical force.
Ruth tried to run up the steps. She halted suddenly. Her body swayedunsteadily. Stevens thought she was going to collapse. He took firm holdof her arm.
"Let me assist you," he said politely.
"I--I am all right," muttered Ruth. "Just a little dizzy from watchingthe road so closely," then she crumpled up on the steps ofTreasureholme.
Bob Stevens picked her up and carried the girl into the house, followedby Tom, still blinking. Tom was choking a little, too. Everything hadbeen moving so rapidly that, active as was his mind, he hadn't been ableto follow matters very clearly.
The door swung open. Bob handed his burden over to Mrs. Presby.
"She's played out. Better put her to bed. What's wrong?"
"No, no, no!" protested Ruth. "Give me a drink of something hot. I--I'mchilled through." She staggered to one side of the hall, wavedassistance aside and leaned against the wall with closed eyes for a fewseconds. Then Ruth straightened up suddenly.
"Bab! Have they found her?" she cried.
Mrs. Presby shook her head. Grace came running down the hall. She threwherself into Ruth's arms.
"Oh, Ruth! Mollie's gone, too!" she sobbed.
"What's this?" demanded Stevens. "Tell me quickly what has occurred."
Mrs. Presby told him very briefly all that she knew about the series ofdisasters that had befallen them. The hall was fairly well filled withneighbors, all more or less helpless. With bulging eyes and open mouths,they were listening and gaping without doing anything on their ownaccount.
Bob dashed toward the stairs withou
t asking another question. Neighbors,the Presbys and the three girls followed him. Mr. Presby was the last inline. He thumped up the stairs with the aid of his stick. Bob had haltednear the door of the attic, where he stood surveying the room withcritical eyes.
"Get lights! It's dark here," he directed sharply. "Now tell me justwhat occurred as far as you know, please. Who discovered the loss ofMiss Thurston and her sister?"
Ruth told him what she knew of Bab's disappearance. Olive related thestory of how Mollie had suddenly vanished.
"They certainly didn't vanish into thin air. They are still in thishouse and I am going to find them, even if I have to tear the housedown, with Mr. Presby's permission, of course."
"Get the girls. Go as far as you like. Tear down the old house if youmust. I shall not have use for it very much longer."
Bob groped about on the floor. His hands found a broken stove poker.With this he began sounding the walls about waist high, thumping andlistening, listening and thumping. He paused suddenly.
"Where was Miss Mollie standing when you last saw her?" he demanded,turning to the group.
"There on the south side," answered Olive.
"Something has been there against the wall for some time, hasn't there?I see a mark on the wall."
"I don't recall whether or not there was anything there," answered Mr.Presby.
"Yes, there was an old dresser there. I moved it aside to-day to getsome things that had fallen behind it. We were cleaning out the garret.That's the dresser over yonder," Olive informed him.
The young man did not look at the piece of furniture indicated by MissPresby. Instead, he strode over to the point where the dresser had stoodfor no one knew how long. It was a dresser belonging to some of thePresby ancestors. It never had been disturbed during the present owner'soccupancy.
Stevens began thumping over every inch of the wall at that point. Hevaried his investigations finally by trying the wainscoting on eitherside. The latter to his keen ears gave out a different sound. He turnedsharply.
"Bring me a maul, if you have one."
Mr. Presby directed one of the farm hands to bring one from thewoodshed. In the meantime the others in the attic watched in breathlesssilence as Stevens pursued his investigations.
"You haven't heard them call or cry out?"
"No," answered Olive.
Ruth had said scarcely a word. She had appeared to be crushed uponhearing of Mollie's disappearance. She had answered questions brieflyand with apparent great effort. But now her eyes were following everymovement of Bob Stevens.
A commotion on the stairs caused Bob to stride over to the door. It wasthe man with the maul, a heavy tool used for driving fence posts andother similar work. Bob took it from him and started for the place wherethe dresser had formerly stood. He halted just before reaching hisobjective point. The others in the chamber were crowding about him.
"I would suggest that you people stand back," he said. "We don't knowwhat might happen. I might loose my grip on the maul. I don't want toinjure anyone."
The "people" shrank back out of the way.
"I'm going to do some damage, Mr. Presby. At least I think I am."
Richard Presby nodded.
Bob stepped close to the wall, moved back three or four feet, thenslowly swung the maul in a circle and let drive with all the force athis command against the side of the wall. The maul landed with atremendous report.
A most remarkable thing followed, sending the occupants of the roomrushing for the staircase, the women uttering cries of alarm. Bobstaggered backwards and sat down heavily on the floor. His experimenthad been attended with greater success than he had even dreamed werepossible. It had been followed by a terrific crash. A cloud of dustfilled the room, the structure vibrated as if from a slight earthquakeshock, then quiet once more settled over the gloomy attic ofTreasureholme.