III
Tessie had her picture taken standing beside the table of aluminum whilecustomers were neglected, and Mr. Walker quite forgot to reprove theclerks, who were attentive to but one person--Queen Teresa. He stood ontiptoe himself to watch Tessie.
"We'll have a drawing made of you on a throne and wearing a crown. JoeCary can do it," promised Norah Lee, who was revelling in thisopportunity which had come to her, and which never would have been hersif the advertising manager were not in the hospital for an appendixoperation, and if the assistant advertising manager were not serving ona jury. It was her chance to show what she could do, and she knew it.Her eager ears had been quick to hear the loud sharp knock whichOpportunity gave at her door. She knew also that the chance would not behers a minute after the jury was dismissed. "We'll run it in the uppercorner of this picture. I think it's wonderful, Miss Gilfooly!" she toldTessie heartily. "And I'm glad the luck has come to you. It wouldn't behalf as interesting if it had come to Ethel Kingley--not half! If I canhelp you in any way don't hesitate to send for me. Mr. Kingley wouldwant me to help you."
"Thank you," murmured Tessie gratefully, but she did not look at NorahLee, she looked at Mr. Bill. "Everybody's so kind," she added chokingly.
"And now I'll take you to the lawyer's!" Mr. Bill looked very handsomeand big and brave as he said what he would do. Tessie fairly shiveredwith ecstasy. "Come on, Miss Gilfooly!"
Tessie glanced back to smile and wave her hand at the clerks, who wereso bewildered and amazed that they seemed to have forgotten the price ofthe most ordinary tinware. Even Mr. Walker stood with his eyes and mouthwide open. They were all deeply and darkly green. "Such luck!" theyexclaimed, and they did not see why their uncles could not have died andmade them queens of Pacific islands. Why should little Tessie Gilfoolybe the one to have all the luck?
That same question was puzzling Tessie as Mr. Bill helped her into hiscar and took the place beside her.
"All set?" He smiled at her. "Let's go!"
This was almost more disturbing and amazing than to know that she was aqueen. To think that at last, after regarding Mr. Bill as the mostwonderful and unapproachable man in the world--for Tessie realized thata great gulf yawns between salesgirls and the sons of proprietors--tothink that she should actually be riding up the avenue with him in hisown car. She could not believe it, but she could like it. She gave afaint little murmur of content, like the purr of a happy kitten. Mr.Bill heard her and looked down.
"Great, isn't it?" he exclaimed with hearty admiration.
It was so very great that Tessie could only nod, and the tears came toher eyes, and the beating of her heart almost choked her. She did notwant to go to her lawyer's, she wanted to ride on forever with Mr. Bill.She would far rather ride with Mr. Bill than hear about her kingdom.
The distance from the Evergreen to the office of Marvin, Phelps & Stokeswas not long, but Mr. Bill had to make it longer before he found adecent parking place.
"If the cops knew who you were they'd let us stop anywhere," he grinned."But they don't know, and we don't want any argument."
"Oh, no!" Tessie was congenitally opposed to anything unpleasant.
"Shall I wait for you, or do you want me to come up with you?" Thequestion was only a form, for Mr. Bill would have been cut ininch-pieces before he would wait in the car while Tessie was with herlawyer, hearing about her inheritance. Mr. Bill chuckled. This wasvastly more amusing than snooping around the Evergreen basementdirecting customers and finding fault with clerks.
"Please come with me," begged Tessie. "I want you. I--I feel so alone.Do come along."
"You bet I'll come!" exclaimed Mr. Bill, and he led her into the bigoffice building and into the elevator, which whizzed them to a floorwhich had the name Marvin, Phelps & Stokes all over it. "Lord, whatwould the people in this elevator say if they knew you were a queen!" hewhispered, just before they left the cage, and Tessie laughed andblushed and said "My goodness!" It was so wonderful to have Mr. Billwhisper in her ear that it was not strange that she could only think inbreathless exclamations.
The young man who had brought Tessie the good news jumped up as theycame in, and he scowled at Mr. Bill before he even smiled at Tessie.
"I'll tell Mr. Marvin you are here," he said to Tessie. "What do youwant, Bill?" he demanded very ungraciously of Mr. Bill.
"Hello, Bert!" Mr. Bill was most affable. "This is great news youbrought to the Evergreen. Dad and I want to help Miss Gilfooly in everyway we can, so I came along with her."
"I guess when she has Marvin, Phelps & Stokes to help her she won't needany Evergreens," sniffed Bert rudely. "Come right in, Miss Gilfooly!" Hepointedly refrained from offering Mr. Bill an invitation.
But Tessie would not have him left out. "Will you come with me?" shebegged prettily. "Of course I know there isn't a thing to be afraid of,but I do feel funny." Her voice quivered.
It brought Mr. Bill to her side at once. He looked triumphantly at Bert,who sniffed again as he led them to the room of the senior partner ofthe most important law firm in Waloo--in the Northwest.
"Miss Gilfooly!" Mr. Marvin rose to his feet and took her hand. "It wasvery pleasant for us to send such good news to you," he smiled. "Thereisn't the shadow of a doubt that you inherit your uncle's property. Heleft it to the eldest child of his brother John, and we know that youare John Gilfooly's eldest child. But we must comply with theformalities and make everything legal. Undoubtedly you can let us havethe record of your birth, and the record of the marriage of your fatherand mother?"
"Why!--why!--" faltered Tessie, who had no idea where she would findsuch records. And without them she might only be Tessie Gilfooly of thealuminum again. And Mr. Bill! Oh, it was cruel!
"If you haven't them you can easily get them," went on Mr. Marvin. Hedid not seem at all worried because Tessie did not have the necessaryrecords in her pocket. "One of our men--Mr. Douglas, perhaps--can takeyou to the court house."
"I'll take her!" Mr. Bill offered eagerly.
"Where such records are kept," finished Mr. Marvin as if Mr. Bill hadnever said a word. It was outrageous the way he ignored Mr. Bill. Tessielooked at him indignantly. Didn't he know who Mr. Bill was? "Iunderstand there is a little opposition to your uncle's will. A group ofnatives, Sons of Sunshine I believe they call themselves, want a nativeruler, but you need not worry about them. The Honolulu lawyer, whobrought us your uncle's will, tells me that a good majority of thepeople have declared that they will carry out King Peter's wishes. Theyare sending a special representative to escort you to the islands. Ofcourse you shouldn't go alone."
"I wouldn't!" declared Tessie hastily. "I'd take my brother--he's a BoyScout--and Granny. The warm climate will be good for Granny'srheumatism," she added thoughtfully.
"The natives have a curious tradition according to this Honolululawyer," Mr. Marvin said, ignoring the Boy Scouts and Granny'srheumatism as he had ignored Mr. Bill. "It is connected with a jewel--abig pearl. They believe that it fell from Heaven, from the Eye of God,and they will never accept a ruler who cannot show them that he orshe--" he smiled at Tessie--"has it. The Tear of God, they call it.Unfortunately it has disappeared, and until you have it in yourpossession it would not be wise----"
"Is this it?" interrupted Tessie, and she opened her hand and showedhim the huge pearl caught in the lacelike fibers.
Mr. Marvin put on his glasses and looked at it. "My dear child!" heexclaimed. "Where did you get this?" He was amazed to see that the Tearof God was on Tessie's pink palm. And he listened eagerly to Tessie'sstory of the native who was neither black nor brown nor yellow, but anattractive mingling of all three, who had followed Mr. Douglas to theEvergreen basement and prostrated himself at her feet before he gave herthe pearl--the royal jewel of the Sunshine Islands.
"That must have been Ka-kee-ta. He came with the Honolulu lawyer,"explained Mr. Marvin. "He insisted on following Bert so that he couldsee you at once. He was King Peter's special man, I believe. And he wasevidently satisfied that
you were the heiress. I suppose there must be astrong family resemblance. It is quite a romance, isn't it, MissGilfooly? Take good care of your jewel, for the natives would neveraccept you as their queen if you should lose it. Perhaps you had betterleave it with me? I'll put it in our vault!"
"No." Tessie spoke firmly, although it startled her to know that she hada jewel of such importance. "I must show it to Granny, and to Johnny.Johnny will guard it for me. He's a Boy Scout."
"Just as you say." But it was plain that Mr. Marvin did not shareTessie's confidence in a Boy Scout as a custodian of a royal jewel. "Andthe sooner we get those records the better. Bert will take you toMifflin to-morrow. I understand your father and mother were married inMifflin."
Mr. Bill cast an appealing glance at Tessie. He wanted her to refuse togo to Mifflin with Bert Douglas and to insist on going with him, butTessie only smiled tremulously and murmured that her father and motherhad been married in Mifflin, and she would be ready to go with Mr.Douglas any time.
"I've resigned my position at the Evergreen," she added and in her proudyoung voice there was a little touch of regret. The Evergreen had meantthe world to Tessie, and without it she felt a bit forlorn.