CHAPTER XXI
THE DISCOVERY
The members of the Hamlin household went early to their own roomsthat night.
Ruth at once flung herself down on a couch without removing her clothing.In a few minutes she was fast asleep, for she believed their difficultieswere over. Bab did not feel as secure. She was still thinking of thespeech the newspaper girl had made to her in the car.
At ten o'clock the Assistant Secretary of State, who was sitting alonein his study, heard a violent ringing of his telephone bell. He didnot know that, at this same instant, his daughter Harriet had creptdown to his study door intending to make a full confession of hermistakes to him.
Mr. Hamlin picked up the receiver. "'The Washington News?' Yes. You havesomething important to say to me? Well, what is it?" Mr. Hamlin listenedquietly for a little while. Then Harriet heard him cry in a hoarse,unnatural voice: "Impossible! The thing is preposterous! Where did youever get hold of such an absurd idea?"
Harriet stopped to listen no longer. She never knew how she got backupstairs to her room. She half staggered, half fell up the steps.Suddenly she realized everything! She had been used as a tool by Mrs.Wilson and Peter Dillon. Ruth and Barbara had been right. She had stolenher father's state papers. A newspaper had gotten hold of the story andalready her father and she were disgraced.
In the meantime, Mr. Hamlin continued to talk over the telephone, thoughhis hand shook so he was hardly able to hold the receiver.
"You say you think it best to warn me that the story of the theft of mypapers will be published in the morning paper, that you know that privatestate documents entrusted to me keeping have been sold to secret spies?What evidence have you? I have missed no such papers. Wait a minute." Mr.Hamlin went to his strong box. Sure enough, certain documents weremissing. Ruth and Bab had put the papers in the desk. "Have you an ideawho stole my papers?" Mr. Hamlin called back over the telephone wire, hisvoice shaken with passion.
Evidently the editor who was talking to Mr. Hamlin now lost his courage.He did not dare to tell Mr. Hamlin that his own daughter was suspected ofhaving sold her father's papers. Mr. Hamlin repeated the editor's exactwords. "You say a young woman sold my papers? You are right; this is nota matter to be discussed over the telephone. Send some one up from youroffice to see me at once."
Mr. Hamlin reeled over to his bell-rope and gave it a pull, so that thenoise of its ringing sounded like an alarm through the quiet house.
A frightened servant answered the bell.
"Tell Miss Thurston and my niece, Miss Stuart, to come to my study atonce," Mr. Hamlin ordered. The man-servant obeyed.
"Ruth, dear, wake up," Bab entreated, giving her friend a shake."Something awful must have happened. Your uncle has sent for us. He musthave missed those papers."
"What Have You Done With My Papers?"]
Ruth and Bab, both of them looking unutterably miserable and shaken,entered Mr. Hamlin's study. Their host did not speak as they firstapproached him. When he did he turned on them such a haggard, wretchedface that they were filled with pity. But the instant Mr. Hamlin caughtsight of Barbara his expression changed. He took her by the arm, and,before she could guess what was going to happen, he shook her violently.
"What have you done with my state papers?" he demanded. "Tell me quickly.Don't hesitate. There may yet be time to save us both. Oh, I should neverhave let you stay in this house!" he groaned. "I suspected you ofmischief when I learned of your first visit to my office. But I did notbelieve such treachery could be found in a young girl. Ruth, can't youmake your friend speak! If she will tell me to whom she sold my papers, Iwill forgive her everything! But I must know where they are at once. Ican then force the newspaper to keep silence and force my enemies toreturn me the documents, if there is only time!"
Barbara dropped into a chair and covered her face with her hands. She didnot utter a word of reproach to Mr. Hamlin for his cruel suspicion ofher. She could not tell him that his daughter Harriet was the real thief.
"Uncle," Ruth entreated, laying a quiet hand on Mr. Hamlin's arm,"listen to me for a moment. Yes, you must listen! You are not disgraced;you are not ruined. Look in your desk. Your papers are still there. Onlythe old envelope is gone. I put the papers in this drawer only thisafternoon, because I did not know in what place you kept them. Somepapers were given away, a few hours ago, to two people, whom you believedto be your friends, to Mrs. Wilson and Peter Dillon. But they were notyour state papers, they were only blank sheets."
Mr. Hamlin looked into his drawer and saw the lost documents, then hepassed his hand over his forehead. "I don't understand," he muttered. "Doyou mean that, instead of the actual papers, you saved me by substitutingblank papers for these valuable ones? Then your friend did try to sellher country's secrets, and you saved her and me. I shall never cease tobe grateful to you to the longest day I live. For your sake I will spareyour friend. But she must leave my house in the morning. I do not wishever to look upon her again."
"Bab did not sell your papers, Uncle," Ruth protested passionately. "Youshall not make such accusations against her. It was she who saved you. Idid only what she told me to do. I did substitute the papers, but it wasBarbara who thought of it."
"Then who, in Heaven's name, is guilty of this dreadful act?" Mr.Hamlin cried.
Neither Ruth nor Bab answered. Bab still sat with her face covered withher hands, in order to hide her hot tears. She cried partly for poorHarriet, and partly because of her sympathy for Mr. Hamlin. Ruth gazed ather uncle, white, silent and trembling.
"Who, Ruth? I demand to know!" Mr. Hamlin repeated.
"I shall not tell you," Ruth returned, with a little gasp.
"Send for my daughter, Harriet. She may know something," Mr. Hamlinejaculated. Then he rang for a servant.
The two girls and the one man, who had grown old in the last few minutes,waited in unbroken silence. The girls had a strong desire to scream, tocry out, to warn Harriet. She must not let her father know of her foolishdeed while his anger was at its height.
It seemed an eternity before the butler returned to Mr. Hamlin's study.
"Miss Hamlin is not in her room," he reported respectfully.
"Not in her room? Then look for her through the house," Mr. Hamlinrepeated more quietly. He had gained greater control of himself. But anew fear was oppressing him, weighing him down. He would not give theidea credence even in his own mind.
Three--four--five minutes passed. Still Harriet did not appear.
"Let me look for Harriet, Uncle," Ruth implored, unable to controlherself any longer.
At this moment Mollie came innocently down the stairs. "Is Mr. Hamlinlooking for Harriet?" she inquired. "Harriet left the house ten minutesago. She had on her coat and her hat, but she would not stop to saygood-bye. I think her maid went with her. Mary had just a shawl thrownover her head. I am sure they will be back in a few minutes. Harrietmust have gone out to post a letter. I thought she would have come backbefore this."
Imagine poor Mollie's horror and surprise when Mr. Hamlin dropped intoa chair at her news and groaned: "It was Harriet after all. It was _myown child_!"
"Uncle, rouse yourself!" Ruth implored him. "Harriet thought she was onlyplaying a harmless trick on you. She did not dream that the papers wereof any importance. Mrs. Wilson and Peter Dillon deceived her cruelly. Youmust go and find out what has become of Harriet." Mr. Hamlin shook hishead drearily.
"You must go!" insisted gentle Ruth, bursting into tears. "Harriet doesnot even know that the papers she gave away were worthless. If she hasfound out she has been duped she will be doubly desperate."
At this instant the door bell rang loudly. No one in the study appearedto hear it. Mollie had crept slowly back upstairs to Grace. Ruth, Mr.Hamlin and Bab were too wretched to stir.
A sound of hasty footsteps came down the hall, followed by a knock atthe study door. The door flew open of its own accord. Like a visionstraight from Heaven appeared the faces of Mr. Robert Stuart and hissister, Miss Sal
lie!
Ruth sprang into her father's arms with a cry of joy. And Bab, her eyesstill streaming with tears, was caught up in the comforting arms ofMiss Sallie.