CHAPTER XVIII
A TANGLED WEB OF CIRCUMSTANCE
Harriet Hamlin spent half an hour in the room with Mrs. Wilson before shecame down to the breakfast table the next morning.
"It is all right, girls," she announced promptly, as soon as the maidleft the room. "Mrs. Wilson is going to have her breakfast in bed. She isa little upset by the happenings of last night. But she has explainedeverything to me. For some time, Mrs. Wilson has been trying to play ajoke on Father, and last night she made another attempt. I promised hernone of us would mention to him what had occurred. Will you give me yourword, all of you, not to tell?"
"Certainly, Harriet," Ruth agreed seriously. The other three "AutomobileGirls" quietly nodded their heads.
"I don't know that I quite approve of Mrs. Wilson's method of practicaljoking," Harriet went on. "She frightened all of us. But then, if no onehad discovered her, no harm would have been done."
Mollie and Grace gazed at Harriet, without trying to conceal theirsurprise, but Ruth and Bab only looked steadfastly at their plates.
"Father is so strict and good all the time, I just wish somebody wouldplay a trick on him," Harriet went on angrily. She was annoyed at theattitude of the "Automobile Girls," and she was still smarting under thehurt of her father's speech the night before. As long as her father hadrefused her money before she had even asked him for it, Harriet haddecided that it would be worse than useless to appeal to him again. Shewas now waiting for disaster to break over her head.
"Mrs. Wilson rather blames you, Barbara," Harriet continued. "She saysshe did not succeed in her joke, after all, because you came downstairs at the wrong time and foiled the whole thing. She could not findthe silly old paper she needed. But do please be quiet as mice aboutthe whole affair. Don't mention it before the servants. Father will behome to-night. Will you girls mind excusing me for the day, and findingsome way of amusing yourselves? I have promised Mrs. Wilson to go homewith her."
"Of course we can get along, Harriet," Grace replied. "I hope you willhave a good time."
Bab made no answer to Harriet's report of Mrs. Wilson's attitude towardher. But she was convinced that Mrs. Wilson knew she had discovered thestolen paper and returned it to its rightful place.
The "Automobile Girls" did not see Harriet again that morning.
At noon a message was sent upstairs. Mr. William Hamlin had returned andwished to see his daughter at once. When he learned that Harriet was notat home, he immediately sent for Ruth.
"Ruth, I have come home sooner than I had planned," he declared, "And Iwish to have a talk with you. Now, please keep your self-control. Girlsand women have such a fashion of flying into a rage at the first word onesays, that it is perfectly impossible to have any reasonable conversationwith them. I wish to talk with you quite quietly and calmly."
"Very well, Uncle," Ruth replied, meekly enough, though she was far fromfeeling meek. She could readily understand why Harriet had found itimpossible to make a confidant of her father.
"I am glad you are so sensible, Ruth," Mr. Hamlin went on. "For I havereason to believe that your friend, Barbara Thurston, has proved herselfan undesirable guest, since her arrival in Washington, which I very muchdeplore. She is dishonorable, for she has secretly entered my study andbeen seen handling my papers, and she has contracted a debt; for I sawthe check by means of which she returned the borrowed money to Mrs.Wilson. I cannot understand how you and your father have managed to be sodeceived by the young woman."
"Stop, Uncle William," Ruth interrupted hotly. "I cannot, of course, tellyou that the things which you say are untrue. But at least I have theright to say that I positively know you are wrong. I shall ask Barbara tocome down to your study, at once, to deny these charges. Then we shall gohome immediately."
"There, Ruth, I expected it," Mr. Hamlin answered testily. "Just as Isaid. You have gone off the handle at once. Of course your young friendmay have some plausible explanation for her actions. But I will not beguilty of making any accusations against a guest in my own house underany circumstances. I have only mentioned these facts to you because Ifeel that it is my positive duty to warn you against this girl, whom youhave chosen for your most intimate friend. It is impossible that I havebeen deceived in regard to her. I have positive proof of what I say, andI sadly fear she is a very headstrong and misguided girl."
Ruth was already crying from anger, which made it hard for her to answerher uncle's speech. "You certainly don't object to my telling Barbara ofyour accusations, Uncle William?" Ruth demanded. "I think it is onlyfair to her."
"Not while she is in my house. You are to tell her nothing," Mr. Hamlinordered. "When Miss Thurston leaves you may tell her whatever you wish.But I will not have a scene with her while she is staying here."
Mr. Hamlin was a cold, selfish and arrogant man. He well deserved theblow to his pride that he was to receive later.
Ruth controlled herself in order to think deeply and quietly. Her fatherwas wise in his trust in her. Ruth had excellent judgment and goodsense. She was not particularly impressed by her uncle's command. Shefelt that she had a perfect right to tell her friend of what she hadbeen accused. Yet would it be a good idea? Barbara would beheart-broken, and nothing would induce her to remain in Mr. Hamlin'shouse another hour after she learned his opinion of her. Ruth knew itwould not be well for Bab to rush off home in sudden anger, leaving afalse impression behind her. Barbara must stay in Mr. Hamlin's houseuntil he himself apologized to her.
Ruth did not dare to go back upstairs to the other girls immediatelyafter her interview with her uncle. She knew her friends would recognizeat once, from her red eyes and her excitement, that something was thematter. Yet Ruth longed for a confidant, and she meant to unburdenherself to Grace as soon as she had the opportunity. To go upstairs nowwould reveal everything to Mollie and Barbara as well.
Ruth seized her coat and hat from a closet in the hall and rushed outinto the street. She began walking as rapidly as she could, to let thefresh air cool the tumult of feeling that was surging within her. Ruthmust have walked a mile before she determined what to do. Before shereturned to Mr. Hamlin's house, she found a telegraph office and wentinto it. She sent a telegram to her father in Chicago, which read:
"Come to Washington as soon as possible. Bab wrongly suspected. She isstill in ignorance, but we need you.
"Ruth Stuart."
Little did Ruth yet dream why these toils were being wound aboutunhappy Barbara. Mollie's one act of weakness had involved her sister ina number of actions that did look wrong to an outsider. Yet theexplanation of them was so simple, if Bab had only known it were best forher to tell the whole story! But Barbara was trying to shield Mollie, andMollie did not dream that Bab would suffer any consequences from herfoolish deed. So Bab's peculiar proceedings since her arrival inWashington had indeed played well into the hands of her enemies. Mr.Hamlin's mind had been poisoned against her. She had been seen to doseveral underhanded things, one following directly after the other. If abig game were being attempted, the reputation of Barbara Thurston was oflittle account. Besides Bab had already blocked several of the players inthe game. Revenge could very well enter into the present scheme ofthings, and a girl who had no one to defend her might prove a usefultool. As a last resort she could be made a scapegoat.
In the meanwhile, Barbara was blissfully unconscious of any trouble, andwent singing cheerily about her room that morning. Since the delivery ofher check to Mrs. Wilson it seemed to her that the skies were blue again.During the rest of her stay in Washington Bab meant just to enjoy thebeautiful sights of the wonderful city and not to trouble about thedisagreeable people. She did intend to ask Harriet to take her to see thecunning little Chinese girl, Wee Tu, before she went home, but she had noother very definite desires.
As for Mrs. Wilson? Barbara had just wisely decided that the womanbelonged to a curious type, which she did not understand and wished tokeep away from. Bab did not admire Mrs. Wilson's methods of playingjokes. On the other ha
nd it was none of Barbara Thurston's business. Solong as she had put the paper back in Mr. Hamlin's strong box no harm hadbeen done.
Barbara still had in her possession the key to that strong box. She hadneglected to give it to Harriet, because Harriet had left home so soonafter breakfast. And now that very terrifying person, Mr. WilliamHamlin, had returned home, and Barbara Thurston still had the key in herpossession. Even Ruth had gone out. What should she do? She decided tokeep the key until Harriet came back in the afternoon. Then Harriet couldmake some sort of explanation to her father. Barbara simply did not havethe courage to tell Mr. Hamlin that she had discovered Mrs. Wilsontampering with his papers, and that it was she who had found the stolenpaper and locked it up again.
However, fate was certainly against Bab at the present time. Aservant knocked at the door of the next room, where Grace and Molliewere reading.
"Please," the maid said, "Mr. Hamlin wants to know if Miss Harrietleft a key with you? It is a most important key, and Mr. Hamlin needsit at once."
Grace and Mollie both shook their heads. No; Harriet had mentioned nosuch key to them.
Barbara was waiting in the next room with the door open. She knew herturn would come next.
"Do you know anything of the key, Miss Barbara?" Harriet's maid inquired.
Of course Bab blushed. She always did at the wrong time.
"Yes, I have the key, Mary," she replied. "Wait a minute, I will getit for you."
"Do the young ladies know anything of my key?" Mr. William Hamlin'simpatient voice was heard just outside Barbara's door.
Innocently the maid opened it. "Wait a minute, Mr. Hamlin, please. MissThurston says she has the key. She is getting it for you now."
And Barbara had to come to the door herself to present the key to thisdreadful old "Bluebeard."
"I presume my daughter left my key in your charge," Mr. Hamlinasked coldly.
"No," she declared almost under her breath, hoping her stern host wouldeither not hear her, or at least not heed her. "Harriet did not leaveit with me."
"Then kindly tell me how my key came into your possession?" Mr. Hamlininquired, in chilling, even tones. Bab shivered.
"I found it," Bab answered lamely, having it in mind to tell the wholestrange story of last night's experience. But she was too frightened byMr. Hamlin's manner and by the fear that she would be regarded as atelltale by Harriet. If Mr. Hamlin's own daughter had not considered herguest's actions unusual, it was not exactly Bab's place to report them.So she remained silent, and her host also turned away in silence.
Harriet did not come home until just before dinner time. She told the"Automobile Girls" she had spent a delightful day, but her behavior wasunusual. She looked frightened, though at the same time happier than shehad seemed since the hour she had received the first threatening letterfrom her dressmaker.
Peter Dillon had walked home with Harriet. Barbara, who happened to bestanding at the front window, saw them stop to talk for a moment at thedoor before Peter said good-bye. Peter was making himself very charmingto Harriet. He was talking to her in his half laughing, half earnestfashion in the very manner that had seemed so attractive to Bab, too,at first. But it was a manner she had learned later on to distrust andeven to fear.
When Harriet parted from Peter Dillon she nodded her head emphaticallyand apparently made him a promise, and Barbara saw Peter look back at herwith a peculiar smile as she ascended the steps.