Five Little Peppers Midway

  XX

  THE SECRET

  Mrs. Chatterton, standing by her toilet table, carefully examining herwealth of gray hair to note the changes in its tint, was suddenlysurprised in the very act of picking out an obnoxious white hair, by aslight noise in the further corner of the apartment. And dropping herfingers quickly and turning away from the glass, she exclaimed, "Howdare you, Hortense, come in without knocking?"

  "If you make a noise I'll kill you," declared a man, standing in theshadow of a portiere and watching her underneath a slouched black hat.There was a slight click that caused the listener's nerves to thrill.But her varied life had brought her nothing if not self-control, andshe coolly answered, "If you want my money, say so."

  "Not exactly money, ma'am," said the man, "for I don't suppose you havemuch here. But I'll thank you to hand over that there box of diamonds."He extended the other hand with its dingy fingers toward a large ebonyjewel-case elaborate with its brass hinges, and suggestive of doublelocks, on a corner of the table.

  "If you are determined to take it, I suppose I must give it to you,"said Mrs. Chatterton, with evident reluctance handing the boxdesignated, very glad to think she had but a few days before changedthe jewels to another repository to escape Hortense's prying eyes. Inmaking the movement she gave a sweeping glance out the window. Shouldshe dare to scream? Michael was busy on the lawn, she knew; she couldhear his voice talking to one of the under gardeners.

  "See here, old lady," warned the man, "you keep your eyes in the room.Now then," his greedy glance fastened on the glittering gems on herfingers, "I'll thank you to rip them things off." Dick, racing alongthe further end of the hall after his bird with a "Whoop, la--I'vealmost caught you," startling him, he proceeded to perform the servicefor himself.

  "There he goes!" cried Dick, "in her room. Bother! Well, I must catchhim." So without the preamble of knocking, the boy dashed into thedressing-room. The bird whizzing ahead of him, flashed between thedrawn folds of the portiere.

  "Excuse me," cried Dick, rushing in, "but my swallow--oh!"

  "Go back!" cried Mrs. Chatterton hoarsely, "you'll be killed."

  The bird flying over his head, and the appearance of the boy,disconcerted the robber for one instant. He held the long white hand inhis, tearing off the rings. There was no chance for her to escape, sheknew, but she could save Dick.

  "Go back!" she screamed again. There was only a moment to think, butDick dashed in, and with a mighty spirit, but small fists, he flunghimself against the stalwart arms and shoulders.

  "O heavens!" screamed Mrs. Chatterton. "He's but a boy, let him go. Youshall have the rings. Help--help!"

  Dick, clutching and tearing blindly at whatever in the line of hair orragged garment he could lay hold of, was waging an unequal warfare. Butwhat he did was accomplished finely. And the bird, rushing blindly intothe midst of the contention, with whirrings and flappingsindescribable, helped more than an army of servants, to confuse theman. Notwithstanding, it was soon over, but not before Mrs. Chattertonhad wrenched her fingers free, and grasped the pistol from its loosehold in his other hand. The box under his arm fell to the floor, andDick was just being tossed to the other side of the room; she couldhear him strike the cheval-glass with a dull thud.

  "I can shoot as well as you," said Mrs. Chatterton, handling the pistoldeftly. "Make a noise, and I will."

  He knew it, by her eyes, and that she had taken good aim.

  "Where are you, Dick?" cried Polly's voice outside, and rapping at thedoor. "Mrs. Chatterton, have you seen him?"

  "Come in," called Mrs. Chatterton, with firmest of fingers on thetrigger and her flashing eyes fastened upon the seamed, dirty facebefore her.

  Polly threw wide the door.

  "We have a man here that we don't want," said Mrs. Chatterton. "I'lltake care of him till you get help. Hurry!"

  "Oh, Dick!" cried Polly in a breath, with a fearful glance at the boylying there.

  "I think he's all right, Polly." She dared say no more, for Dick hadnot stirred.

  Polly clasped her hands, and rushed out almost into Jasper's face. "Aburglar--a burglar!" and he dashed into Mrs. Chatterton's room.

  "Don't interfere," said Mrs. Chatterton. "I'm a splendid markswoman."

  "You needn't shoot," said the man sullenly. "I won't stir."

  "No, I don't think you will," said the gray-haired woman, her eyesalight, and hand firm as a rock. "Well, here are the men."

  Jasper had seized a table-spread, and as Michael and the undergardenersadvanced, he went back of the robber, and cleverly threw it over hishead. It was easy to secure and bind him then. Polly rushed over toDick.

  "Turn the creature over and let us see how he looks," said Mr. King,hurrying in as the last knot of the rope was made fast. The oldslouched hat had fallen off in the struggle, and the man's featurescame plainly to view. "He's no beauty, and that's a fact."

  "I've seen that fellow round here for many a day," said Michael, givingthe recumbent legs a small kick. "Oncet he axed me ef we wanted onywourk done. I mind yees, yer see," with another attention from hisgardening boot.

  "I want to tie one rope," cried a voice. Dick opened his eyes, rubbedthem, and felt of his head. "I'm all right, Polly. I saw stars, butI've got over it, I guess. Let me give him the last knot." He staggeredblindly to his feet.

  "I'll tie for you," said Jasper, "trust me, Dick's all right, onlystunned," he telegraphed to the rapidly increasing group.

  "Tell his mother so, do, somebody," said old Mr. King.

  "Well, Cousin Eunice, you've covered yourself with glory," he turned onher warmly. She had thrown aside the pistol, and now sank into a chair.

  "Never mind," she waved it off carelessly, "I'll imagine thecompliments. Just now I want a glass of wine. Call Hortense, will you?"

  The man on the floor tried to raise his head. But he couldn't, so wasobliged to content himself with an ugly grin.

  "That bird has flown," he said. "I'll peep. She put me up to it; we wasgoin' shares on the old lady's stuff."

  With that Mrs. Chatterton's spirit returned. She sprang from her chair,and rushed around from bureau to closet to see the extent of her maid'sdishonesty. But beyond a few minor deficiencies of her wardrobe, therewas no robbery to speak of. Evidently Hortense had considered it unwiseto be burdened with much impedimenta. So the robber was hauled off tojustice, and Phronsie, coming wonderingly up the stairs, came softly inupon them, in time to see Dick rush up to Mrs. Chatterton with a"You're a brick!" before them all.

  After that, there was no more hope of keeping things quiet in the housefor Phronsie's sake. Meanwhile the bird, who had played no mean part inthe engagement, now asserted himself, and blindly rushed into capture.

  "Isn't he lovely!" cried Phronsie, tearing her gaze off from thewonderful wings, as the swallow fluttered under the mosquito nettingspeedily brought in.

  "Yes, his wings are," said Polly. "Oh, Dick! do tell over again how itall happened."

  So Dick rehearsed once more as far as he knew the story, tossing offlightly his part of it.

  "Your poor head, does it ache?" cried Polly, feeling of the big bump onthe crown.

  "No, not a bit," declared Dick, shaking his brown poll. "I'm glad Ididn't crack the glass."

  "That heavy plate?" cried Polly, looking over at the cheval-glass witha shiver.

  Phronsie deserted the fascinating bird, and began to smooth Dick's headwith both hands.

  "Do let me bathe it," she begged. "I'll get the Pond's Extract."

  "No, I won't," said Dick. "It smells awfully, and I've had so much ofit for my leg. I'm all right, Phronsie. See his wings now--he'sstretching."

  But Phronsie was not to be diverted from her purpose.

  "I'll get bay rum," she said. "May I?"

  Dick made a wry face. "Worse and worse."

  "Cologne, then."

  "No, I hate it."

  "He doesn't want it bathed, Phronsie dear," said Polly. "Boys like toget hurt, you know. 'Tisn't manly to be
fixed up."

  Phronsie gave a sigh, which so went to Dick's heart, that he said, "Allright, bring on some water if you want to. But don't get any brownpaper; I had enough of that when I was a boy."

  And at the end of that exciting day, the secret came out, after all, inrather a tame fashion. Dr. Fisher and Jasper met Polly in an angle ofthe hall, as she was running upstairs after dinner for her schoolbooks.

  "Polly," asked the little doctor, putting both hands on her shoulders,and looking into the brown eyes, "should you be willing to go abroadwith your mother and Phronsie, Mr. King and Jasper?"

  "Oh!" Polly gasped. "But you?" came in a later breath, "we couldn'tleave you," she cried loyally.

  "Well, I suppose I should go along too," said the little doctor,enjoying her face.

  "Why, Jasper Elyot King!" cried Polly, slipping out from under thedoctor's palms, and seizing the two hands extended, she began to spinaround as in the olden days, "did you ever, ever hear of anything soperfectly magnificent! But Ben and Joel and Davie!" and she paused onthe edge of another pirouette.

  Dr. Fisher made haste to answer, "Polly, Mrs. Whitney will take care ofthem." And Jasper led her off into the dance again.

  "How can we ever leave the boys! Oh! I don't see," cried Polly, a bitreproachfully, her hair blown over her rosy cheeks. As they dancedlightly down the long hall, Dr. Fisher leaned against a pillar, andwatched them.

  "Have to," said Jasper, guiding his partner deftly in the intricaciesof the chairs and statuary. "That's a good spin, Polly," he said, asthey brought up by the little doctor's side.

  "Lovely!" said Polly, pushing back her locks from the sparkling eyes.

  "I'm almost tempted to dance myself," said Dr. Fisher. "If I wasn'tsuch an old fellow, I'd try; that is, if anybody asked me."

  "I will," said Polly, laughing. "Come, Papa Fisher," holding out herhand, "do give me the honor."

  "All right," said Dr. Fisher bravely. So Jasper took the deserted postby the pillar, and whistled a Strauss waltz. Thereupon a mostextraordinary hopping up and down the hall was commenced, the twofigures bobbing like a pair of corks on a quivering water-surface.

  The doors opened, and several faces appeared, amongst the number Mrs.Fisher's.

  "I couldn't help it," said the little doctor, coming up red andanimated, and wiping his forehead. His spectacles had fallen off longsince, and he had let them go. "It looked so nice to see Jasper andPolly, I thought I'd try it. I didn't suppose I'd get on so well; Ireally believe I can dance."

  "Humph!" laughed Mr. King, "it looks like it. Just see Polly."

  "Oh, Papa Fisher!" cried Polly with a merry peal in which Jasper,unpuckering his lips from the Strauss effort, had joined, "we must havelooked"--Here she went off again.

  "Yes," said Jasper, "you did. That's just it, Polly, you did. Lucky youtwo caperers didn't break anything."

  "Well, if you've got through laughing," observed Dr. Fisher, "I'llremark that the secret is out."

  "Do you like it, Polly?" asked Mr. King, holding out his hand. "Say, mygirl?" And then before she could answer, he went on, "You see, we can'tdo anything without a doctor on our travels. Now Providence has givenus one, though rather an obstinate specimen," he pointed to FatherFisher. "And he wants to see the hospitals, and you want to study a bitof music, and your mother wants rest, and Jasper and Phronsie and Iwant fun, so we're going, that's all."

  "When?" demanded Polly breathlessly.

  "In a month."