CHAPTER XX
FOILED!
At Harriet's request Bab and Ruth went silently out of her room, theirfaces white and frightened.
"Ruth, is there any place where we can be alone?" Barbara whisperedfaintly. "I must talk with you."
Ruth nodded, and the two friends found their way into the library,turning the key in the lock. Then they stood facing each other,speechless, for a moment, from the very intensity of their feelings.
"Ruth, you must do something," Bab entreated. "The papers that Mrs.Wilson and Mr. Dillon are making Harriet get for them they do not intendto use for a joke. Oh, Ruth, they are no doubt important state papers!Harriet may be betraying her country and ruining her father by placingthese papers in their hands."
"I think, too, that Mrs. Wilson and Peter Dillon are spies," Ruthreturned more quietly. "And, of course, we must do something to preventtheir getting their hands on the papers."
"But what can we do?" Barbara demanded sharply. "We cannot tell Mr.Hamlin of Harriet's deed. It would be too cruel of us. Nor can weconfront Mrs. Wilson and Peter Dillon with the accusation. They wouldonly laugh at us, and declare that we were mad to have imagined any suchthing. Then, again, we would be betraying Harriet's confidence. We do notknow just what state papers Harriet is to give to them, but they must bevery, very valuable. I suppose those dreadful people will have the paperscopied, sell our country's secret, and return the papers to Harriet whenall the mischief has been done. Ruth, I believe, now, that Mrs. Wilsonand Peter Dillon both meant to make me steal Mr. Hamlin's papers. Thenthey would have declared I had sold them to some one. And Mr. Hamlinwould never have suspected his friends. Now, they think poor Harriet willbe too much afraid to betray them."
Bab's voice trembled slightly. She realized how nearly she had been thedupe of these two clever schemers. She felt that she and Ruth must saveHarriet at all events.
"Mrs. Wilson tried to steal Mr. Hamlin's papers the night she masqueradedas a ghost," Barbara continued. "I picked up the envelope she dropped onthe floor in the hall."
"I know it, Barbara," Ruth answered in her self-controlled fashion,which always had a calming effect on the more impetuous Bab. "I alsobelieve Mrs. Wilson meant to fix the guilt of the theft upon you. UncleWilliam called me into his study the other day and asked me if Iconsidered you trustworthy. Of course I was awfully indignant and toldhim just what I thought of him for being so suspicious. But I believeMrs. Wilson had tried to poison his mind against you. You must be onyour guard now, Bab, dear. If Harriet gives up these papers of Uncle'sthe plotters may still try to use you as their scapegoat. When Unclefinds his papers have disappeared Mrs. Wilson and Mr. Dillon will, ofcourse, appear to know nothing of them; but they will somehow try todirect suspicion against you, trusting to Harriet's cowardice. Don't youworry though, Bab, dear. You shall not suffer for Harriet's fault whileI am here."
"Oh, I am not worrying about myself, Ruth," Bab answered. "It isHarriet's part in the affair that troubles me. Do, please, go to Harrietand talk to her again. Surely you can make her see the risk she isrunning. Do you suppose it would do any good if I were to call on Mrs.Wilson? I could just pretend I still thought she meant to play the jokeon Mr. Hamlin. You know she told me she intended to do so. I could begher to give it up without mentioning Harriet's name or letting Mrs.Wilson guess that Harriet had confided in us."
Ruth shook her head. "It would not do any good for you to go to Mrs.Wilson, Bab. And, somehow, I am afraid for you. We do not know how muchfurther they intend to involve you in their plot."
"Oh, they won't do me any harm, now," Barbara rejoined. "Anyhow, I amwilling to take the risk, if Harriet will not give in."
"Just wait here, Bab, until I have been to see Harriet again," Ruthentreated. "I will go down on my knees to her, if I can persuade her togive up this wicked deed. Oh, why is she so determined to be so recklessand so foolish?"
Fifteen minutes afterwards Ruth came back from her second interview withHarriet, looking utterly discouraged. "Harriet simply won't give up,"Ruth reported to Bab. "She is absolutely determined to go her own way,and she is angry with me for interfering. Oh, Bab, what will happen?Uncle is so proud! If his daughter is known to have given Mrs. Wilson andPeter Dillon state papers, the report will be circulated that she stolethem, and Uncle William will be disgraced. Then, what will become ofHarriet? She does not intend to do wrong. But I simply can't make hersee this thing as we see it. So what can we do?" Unusuallyself-contained, Ruth broke down, now, weeping on Bab's shoulder. Thethought of the dreadful disgrace to her uncle and her cousin was morethan she could face.
"I am going to see Mrs. Wilson, Ruth," Bab declared. "You had betterstay here and do your best with Harriet. The papers are not to bedelivered until four this afternoon, when, I believe, Harriet is to meetPeter Dillon. Of course it was he who telephoned Harriet, only he wasclever enough to disguise his voice. So we have until afternoon to work.Don't worry yourself sick. We simply must save Harriet in some way. Idon't pretend that I see the way clearly yet, but I have faith that itwill come. I cannot do any harm by going to Mrs. Wilson, and I may dosome good."
"I don't like you to go there alone, Bab," Ruth faltered. "But I don'tdare to leave Harriet by herself. She might find a way to give up thepapers while we were out, and then all would be lost!"
When Bab rang the bell at the door of Mrs. Wilson's home she did not knowthat her approach had been watched. She meant to be very careful duringher interview, for she realized that she and Ruth were endeavoring tofoil two brilliant and unscrupulous enemies.
Mrs. Wilson and Peter were in the library, and through the window Mrs.Wilson had watched Bab approaching the house.
"Here comes that tiresome Thurston girl, whom you were going to use asyour tool, Peter," teased Mrs. Wilson. "She wasn't so easy to manage asyou thought, was she? Never mind; she will still be used as ourscapegoat. But I shall not see her this morning. What's the use?"
"Let her come in, by all means, Mrs. Wilson," Peter Dillon urged. "Ishall hide so that she will not see me. What would fall in with our plansbetter than to have this girl come here to-day! Who knows how this visitmay be made to count against her? Of course, if suspicion never points tous we had best never mention the name of Barbara Thurston. But--if Mr.Hamlin ever questions you, why not say Miss Thurston came here to-day andbetrayed the fact to you that she had stolen Mr. Hamlin's papers? We havecircumstantial evidence enough against her."
Bab found Mrs. Wilson very much surprised to see her, and looking verylanguid and bored.
Straightforward Barbara rushed headlong into her request.
"Really, Miss Thurston, don't you think you are rather impertinent?"drawled her hostess, when Bab finished. "I don't see what business it isof yours whether or not I wish to play a joke on my friend, Mr. Hamlin.Don't try to get out of mischief by reporting to Mr. Hamlin the story ofmy poor little joke. You can hardly save yourself by any such method. Noone will believe you. And I have an idea that you came to my houseto-day for a very different purpose than to persuade me to give up myjoke. What was it?"
Bab was mystified. She had no idea how Mrs. Wilson and Peter Dillon hadplanned to use her visit as evidence against her, so it was impossiblefor her to understand Mrs. Wilson's insinuation.
Barbara did not stay long. She saw Mrs. Wilson had no intention of beingpersuaded from her design. Even though the woman was beginning to seethat Bab and Ruth were a little suspicious of her, she had no idea ofbeing frightened from her deep-laid scheme by two insignificantschoolgirls.
Barbara hurried to her car as fast as she could, anxious to get back toRuth and to devise some other move to checkmate the traitors. She evenhoped, against hope, that Harriet had been induced to change her mind andthat all would yet be well. But as Bab jumped aboard her car she sawanother girl, running down the street, waving something in the air andevidently trying to induce Bab's street car to wait for her. Barbarabegged the conductor to hold the car for a moment, before she recognizedthe figure, running tow
ard them. But the next second she beheld theever-present newspaper girl, Marjorie Moore, tablet and pencil in hand,completely out of breath and exhausted. Marjorie Moore could not speakfor some time after she had secured a seat next Bab in the car.
"I have been watching Mrs. Wilson's house since eight o'clock thismorning," she finally gasped. "What on earth made you go in there?"
"I can't tell you," Bab returned coldly. Not for anything in the worldwould she have Marjorie Moore suspect what she and Ruth feared.
Miss Moore gave a little, half amused, half sarcastic laugh. "You can'ttell? Oh, never mind, my dear. I know you are all right. You weren'tdoing anything wrong. I expect you were trying to help set mattersstraight. You don't need to tell me anything. I think I know all that isnecessary. Good-bye now. I must get off this car at the corner. Let metell you, however, not to worry, whatever happens. I am in possession ofall the facts, so there will be no trouble in proving them. But ifanything disagreeable happens to you," Marjorie Moore gave Bab areassuring smile, "telephone me, will you? My number is 1607, Union."
Marjorie Moore rushed out of the street car as hurriedly as she hadentered it, before Bab could take in what she had said.
Barbara puzzled all the rest of the way home. Could it be possible thatMarjorie Moore had discovered Mrs. Wilson's and Peter's plot? Could shealso have guessed Harriet's part in it? Bab shuddered, for she rememberedthe newspaper girl's words to her on the night of their first meeting:"If ever I have a chance to get even with Harriet Hamlin, won't I take myrevenge?" Did Marjorie Moore also suspect that an effort would be made todraw Barbara into this whirlpool of disgrace?
No one ate any luncheon at the home of the Assistant Secretary of State,except Mollie and Grace. Fortunately Mr. Hamlin did not return home. Ruthand Bab had decided not to tell the other two "Automobile Girls" of theirterrible uneasiness unless they actually needed the help of the youngergirls to save the situation. Ruth and Bab did not wish to prejudiceMollie and Grace against Harriet if it were possible to spare her. ButRuth had told Bab that, at four o'clock, Harriet was determined todeliver the papers to Peter Dillon.
At two o'clock, however, the two friends had found no way to influenceHarriet to give up her mad project. Indeed, Harriet scarcely spoke toeither of them, she was so bitterly angry at what she termed theirinterference.
At three o'clock, Ruth and Barbara grew desperate. For, at three, HarrietHamlin closed the door of her bedroom and commenced to dress for herengagement.
"Try once again, Ruth," Bab pleaded. "It is worse even than you know. Ibelieve Marjorie Moore suspects what Harriet is about to do. Suppose shepublishes the story in the morning papers. Tell Harriet I have a reasonfor thinking she knows about the affair."
Bab waited apprehensively for Ruth's return. It seemed to her that, forthe first time in their adventures, the "Automobile Girls" had met witha situation that no amount of pluck or effort on their part couldcontrol. This was the most important experience of their whole lives,for their country was about to be betrayed! Once Barbara stamped herfoot in her impatience. How dared Harriet Hamlin be so willful, soheadstrong? Bab's face was white with anxiety and suspense. Her lipstwitched nervously. Then in a flash her whole expression changed. Thecolor came back to her cheeks, the light to her eyes. At the eleventhhour the way had been made clear.
Ruth had no such look when she returned to Barbara. She flung herselfdespondently into a chair. "It's no use," she declared despairingly."Harriet must go her own way. We can do nothing with her!"
"Yes, we can!" Bab whispered. She leaned over and murmured something inRuth's ear.
Ruth sprang to her feet. "Barbara Thurston, you are perfectly wonderful!"she cried. "Yes, I do know where it is. Go to my desk and take that blankpaper. It is just the right size. Fold it up in three parts. There, itwill do, now; give it to me. Now go and command Grace and Mollie, if theylove us, to call Harriet out of her room for a minute. We can explain tothem afterwards."
Mollie and Grace feared Barbara had gone suddenly mad when she rushed inupon them with her demand. But Mollie did manage to persuade Harriet togo into the next room. As Harriet slipped out of her bedroom, her cousin,Ruth Stuart, stole into it, hiding something she held in her hand. Shewas alone in Harriet's room for not more than two minutes.
At a quarter to four o'clock, Harriet Hamlin left her father's housewith a large envelope concealed inside her shopping bag. Oppositionhad merely strengthened Harriet's original resolution. She was nolonger frightened. Ruth and Bab were absurd to have been so tragic overa silly joke.
At a little after four o'clock, in a quiet, out-of-the-way street inWashington, Harriet turned over to Peter Dillon this envelope, which, asshe supposed, contained the much-coveted papers which she had extractedfrom the private collection of the Assistant Secretary of State.
Whatever the papers were, Peter Dillon took them carelessly with hisusual charming smile. But inwardly he was chanting a song of victory. Heand Mrs. Wilson would be many-thousands of dollars richer by this timeto-morrow. He glanced into the envelope with his near-sighted eyes. Thepapers were folded up inside and all was well! Peter did not dare, beforeHarriet, to be too interested in what the envelope contained.
It would not have made him happier to have looked closer; the song ofvictory would have died away on his lips. For, instead of certain secretdocuments sent to the office of the Secretary of State, fromrepresentatives of the United States Government in China, Harriet Hamlinhad turned over to Peter Dillon an official envelope, which containedonly folded sheets of blank paper!
It had been Barbara's idea and Ruth had carried it out successfully. Inthe moment when Harriet left her room in answer to Mollie's call, Ruthhad exchanged the valuable state papers for the worthless ones. OnceHarriet was safely out of the way, she and Bab carried the preciousdocuments downstairs and shut them up in Mr. Hamlin's desk. Both girlshoped that all trouble was now averted, and that Mr. Hamlin would neverhear of Harriet's folly!