CHAPTER IX
BAB'S DISCOVERY
Then Barbara Thurston's heart turned sick with horror. She recognized, inthe same instant, that she had fallen over a human body. In getting backon her own feet, Bab was obliged to touch the figure over which she hadfallen. She shuddered with fright. It could not be possible that any onehad been murdered in the grounds of the White House, while a great ballwas being given on the inside. Had Marjorie Moore expected foul play andcalled on Bab to help her guard some one from harm?
Barbara did not know what to do--to go on with her search for thenewspaper girl, or go back to the White House and raise an alarm.
Bab was standing up, but she dared not look at the figure at her feet.She was now more accustomed to the darkness and she did not know what oneglance might reveal.
"What a coward I am!" Bab thought. Trembling, she put out her hand andtouched the body. It was warm, but the figure had fallen forward on itsface. As Bab's hand slipped along over the object that lay so still onthe hard ground, an even greater horror seized her. Her hand had come incontact with a skirt. The figure was that of a woman!
Barbara dropped on her knees beside the figure. She gently turnedthe body over until it was face upward. One long stare at the facewas enough. The woman who lay there was the young newspaper girl whohad summoned Bab to follow her but a short time before. She stillhad on her shabby evening dress. The pad and pencil with which shetook down her society items lay at her side. But Marjorie Moore'sface was pale as death.
Bab's tears dropped down on the girl's face. "My dear Miss Moore, whathas happened? Can't you hear me?" Bab faltered. "It is Barbara Thurston!I tried to come to help you, but I could not get here until now."
The figure lay apparently lifeless, but Bab knew now that the girl wasstill alive. Bab did not like to leave her, for what dreadful personmight not stumble over the poor, unconscious girl? Yet how else couldBab get help?
At this moment Bab looked up and saw a number of lighted cigars in thegarden near the White House. Evidently a group of men had come out on thelawn to smoke. As Bab ran forward she saw one of the men move away fromthe others. He was whistling softly, "Kathleen Mavourneen, the brightstars are shining."
"Oh, Mr. Dillon!" cried Bab. "Poor Miss Moore has been dreadfully hurtand is lying unconscious out here on the grass. Won't you please find Mr.Hamlin, or some one, to come to her aid?"
"Miss Moore!" exclaimed Peter Dillon in a shocked tone. "I wonder whomthe girl could have been spying upon to have gotten herself into suchtrouble? But, Miss Thurston, you ought not to be out here. Come back withme to the reception rooms. I will get some one to look after Miss Mooreat once. It is best to keep this affair as quiet as possible."
"I can't leave the poor girl alone," Bab demurred. "So please find Mr.Hamlin as soon as you can. I will ask two of these other men to take MissMoore up on a side porch, out of the way of the guests."
The rest of the group of men now came forward; their uniforms showedthey were young Army and Navy officers. One of them was LieutenantElmer Wilson.
"What a dreadful thing!" he exclaimed, as he and another officer, underBab's directions, picked up Marjorie Moore's limp form and carried itinto the light. "Some one has struck Miss Moore over the temple with astick. She has a nasty bruise just there. But she is only stunned. Shewill come to herself presently."
Mr. Hamlin now hurried out with Peter Dillon, followed by Ruth andHarriet.
"Find our automobile; have it brought as near as possible. We must putthe poor girl into it," Mr. Hamlin declared authoritatively. "Mr. Dillonis right. This affair must be kept an entire secret. It is incredible!Above all things, the newspapers must not get hold of it. It would be anine days' wonder! Mr. Dillon, will you go to Miss Moore's paper? Say youfeel sure the President himself would not wish this story to bepublished. Then you can find out where Miss Moore's mother lives, and seethat she is told. The girl is not seriously injured, but she must be seenby a physician."
"But you are not going to take Marjorie Moore to our house, Father,"Harriet protested. "She is so--" Harriet checked herself just in time.She realized it would not be well to express her feeling toward theinjured girl before so large a group of listeners.
"I most certainly do intend to take Miss Moore to our house," interruptedMr. Hamlin sternly. "Her father was an old friend of mine whom changes inpolitics made poor just before his death. His daughter is a brave girl. Ihave a great respect for her."
In the excitement of helping their wounded visitor to bed, Barbaraforgot all about Mollie's wonderful gown, and the questions she intendedasking her. Bab and Ruth undressed Marjorie Moore, and stayed with heruntil the doctor and a nurse arrived. Then Bab went quickly to her ownroom and undressed by a dim light, so as not to disturb her sister.Mollie's face was turned toward the wall and she seemed to be fastasleep. There was no sign of the blue gown about to reawaken Bab'scuriosity. Barbara was too weary from the many impressions of the eveningand the fright that succeeded them, and hurriedly undressing she creptquietly to bed and was soon fast asleep.