CHAPTER XIV
AN ANNOYING CALL
The occasional entertainment at the home of Mrs. Dorrance was alwayswelcome to Betty. The next day at school went rapidly and beyond ashort business meeting of Lyon "Y" there was nothing to detain herafter school. Jack saw her in the halls and walked a few steps withher once or twice, but he evidently had important business with theboys. Chet was as usual, but merely saluted her once in the passagefrom classes and said: "You won't forget to come out tonight," whileBetty replied, "No, indeed."
She dressed carefully and watched the time at home, for she wantedto arrive early enough and no too early. For some reason she hadforgotten that Chet had said they would call for her. Perhaps it wasChet's remark about _not forgetting_ that misled her! She wasdressed, however, when a jolly load drove up and Chet ran up the Leesteps to ring the bell. Ted, Chet and several girls were in the car,Ted driving, and they added Betty to their number, when she camerunning along by Chet. There was quiet merriment afoot and Tedcalled back, "Can you add another blossom to our bouquet of beauty,Chet?"
"Listen," said Betty, climbing in. "I can sit on somebody's lap backhere."
"Spoil the ruffles, Betty--wait till I turn down that seat. Thereyou are! You are the last."
The dinner was good and Mrs. Dorrance seemed to enjoy her youngguests. Betty supposed that one of the older girls must be somespecial friend of Ted's, his latest inamorata, but there was nothingto indicate it. Ted was his happy self and host to all of themalike. In all, there were four girls, Mrs. Dorrance, Ted and Chet.The time after dinner, indeed, during the meal, was partly taken inexplanation of what Mrs. Dorrance wanted the girls to do and adiscussion of what costume should be worn. A display of nations wasone of the features of the festival and the girls all decided thatsince they might have their choice among several nations they wouldrepresent Holland.
"Do you have to sell just Dutch things?" asked one.
"No, indeed," said Mrs. Dorrance, "but we'll have some Dutchspecialties in the line of things to eat, you know, if there areany----"
Mrs. Dorrance stopped to think and one of the girls spokequickly--"Oh, and some china with windmills on it, and wooden shoesand little things like that, to give a Dutch atmosphere."
"I speak to buy some 'Old Dutch Cleanser,'" gravely said Ted andraised a laugh, though Mrs. Dorrance said that a few boxes of that"well-advertised commodity" would probably be a funny feature andsell, at that.
"I'll paint a china cup and saucer with a Dutch design," said a girlthat Betty hoped was Ted's friend, for she was so sweet. "I'm doingthat sort of thing in art now, and I'll just make that littlecontribution."
"We ought to have a little girl or two, to clatter around in woodenshoes," remarked Mrs. Dorrance. "Betty, you have two sisters. Wouldthey like to do it, or would it be too much trouble for your mother?Our old down town church is short of children that I can ask, orthat could assist without a good deal of help on my part."
"Mrs. Dorrance, my sisters would think it a great privilege to dressup and be in the picture, so to speak. I can help them get ready.And Dick does some carving at school. Could he make a few littletiny shoes? Oh, how would a few fixed up with little pin-cushionsinside do?"
"Fine, Betty!" said Chet. "Mother, with all these girls, I think youcan fold your hands. They'll have so many ideas that all you willneed to do will be to engage a policeman to manage the crowds aroundthe booth. Put your prices low enough and the ten cent store can goout of business!"
Betty and Chet exchanged glances, merry ones. Chet was a dear, andgetting to be as funny as Ted! It was all fixed up about Doris, andAmy Lou, too! How she would love it!
It was another extra, to take time, of course, but Mrs. Lee wasinterested and promised to help with the costumes. There was plentyof time, for it was to be an outdoor affair, if possible, thoughthat plan might change if there were a rainy week or so, assometimes happened.
The birthday party, too, was three weeks away from the day Jackasked Betty to attend. That was something to anticipate. Meantimethere was a "junior picnic" on a bright spring day. The athletes ofthe group employed that as a hike, to count on their points, but itwas a limited party this time, gotten up by about twenty juniorboys, with as many girls as their guests. Jack invited Betty; andone of the teachers of athletics among the girls went along aschaperon.
As none of the senior boys Betty knew could attend this picnic,there was no embarrassment for her in Jack's friendly attentions.That young man, too, seemed to realize that he must change hisattitude and be friendly to the other girls as well. He "could nothave been nicer," Betty reported to Doris at home when she toldabout their fun and the camp fire and the boating on the river. "'Nocanoes,' Doris, our chaperon said, but we went to that picnic place,you know where they have a little launch. So if there _was_ a prettygood current in the river, we were safe enough. I'm glad it'sFriday, for I'm simply dead after all the walking we did. It wasn'tso far from the street car, but we tramped around in the woods,hunting flowers and listening to the birds. It was a wonderful dayfor birds. Jack doesn't care for hiking, he told me, especiallysince he has his new roadster; and he says that on the 'next picnic'he's going to take me in it, though I'm sure that I'd rather go witha whole machine full, to be jollier and not to let Jack think it'svery--special, you know, Doris. But he was great today, just as niceas can be to all the girls. I think they will have a differentopinion of him now. Lucia's being so pleasant to him makes adifference, too. She said when a lot of us were sitting aroundeating lunch, that her mother used to know Jack's mother when theywere girls, just what she told me. And she did the introducing toseveral girls instead of me, as it happened."
So the busy days whirled by. There was a girls' swimming meet forwhich Betty had been preparing, though that was only fun. And ithappened that Mr. Lee's "little fish" or "mermaid" won more honorsfor her school, attempting more difficult feats than in hersophomore year. Betty was working now, also, on the life-savingtests, of practical importance, her father told her, though she mustbe "fit" and ready for them.
One more occurrence that deeply interested Betty Lee happened beforethe birthday party. It was on Saturday afternoon, when Mr. Lee hadcome home from the closed office and sat at his desk, for whichthere was no good place except the living room. He was figuring awayat something and looked annoyed when the bell rang. "Mother, Isimply must have another spot for his desk," he said whimsically, aswith a resigned expression he jumped up and answered the bellhimself.
"You shall, my dear," replied his wife, as he disappeared into thehallway. Betty and Mrs. Lee were in the dining room, a little backfrom the double doors, or rather draped opening which separated theliving room from the dining room. The dining table was spread withpapers and covered with scraps from the "rag-bag" except where halfa dozen tiny wooden shoes stood ready to be filled with the smallpin-cushions which Mrs. Lee and Betty were making. Betty wasenjoying it. It was so nice to have an afternoon at home just to"fiddle around" and do what you felt like doing. This wasn't work!
But from where Betty sat, she had a good look at a gentleman whomher father was ushering into the front room. Or was he a gentleman?Betty had a momentary impression of a very ordinary looking man,dark, fairly well-dressed but not well set up, as Betty thought. Hisshoulders were a little stooped and he gave a furtive look throughthe curtains that fell at the side of the open doorway.
But he began to speak in a suave way, "oily," Betty called itafterwards:
"I'm not here to take much of your time, Mr. Lee, but I was directedto you by some one who thought you could tell me about where I couldfind a boy that was going here by the name of Ramon Balinsky."
"Yes?" returned Mr. Lee, waiting for more explanation. Betty droppedthe little cushion she was making and leaned forward, exchanging aglance with her mother.
The man hesitated, expecting a more enthusiastic reply, it might bepresumed. But Betty could imagine the calm but cool expression wit
hwhich her father was regarding the stranger, having courteously andkindly brought him in.
"Do you know him, Mr. Lee?"
"Yes, I know to whom you refer. He was a nice lad, looked after mycar for me at times."
"Yes. I found the garage where he worked and found that he went toschool here for awhile. Well, do you know where he is now?"
"That might be hard to say. Perhaps you will explain your interestin him."
Betty, tense, hoped that her father would not tell about the letter.Perhaps this was somebody that wanted to hurt Ramon! There was thatstory that Ramon was running away from some one, or that he wasafter somebody himself. Mrs. Lee made a little gesture and smiled atBetty. It meant, "Calm yourself, little daughter," and Betty leanedback in her chair with a soft sigh. Good for her father. He wasn'tgoing to tell everything he knew unless he was sure that it was allright.
"I have good news for him. Some of his mother's Spanish property hasbeen recovered, that is, certain papers found. I was a lawyer, youcall it, for the Sevillas."
Betty made a comical face and looked at her mother. This man did notlook like much of a lawyer. But perhaps he had fallen upon difficulttimes.
"Sevillas?" asked Mr. Lee.
"Yes," the man replied, rather fiercely, Betty thought. "That boy isnot all that you might think. He has run away because he stole aparcel of jewelry that belonged to a very noble family in Spain.Consequently he has taken a name that belongs to his father'sfamily. But I traced him in spite of it!"
"Well, do you intend to let the 'noble family' prosecute him if youfind him?"
"By no means," and the man's voice changed, as he realized that hehad let a bit of vindictive feeling creep into his tone. "No, I havearranged that. If he will return what he has left of the jewels andlet me know if he has found his mother and sister, all will beforgiven. It is a long case and can't be hastily explained. I mustfind Ramon first. He did not tell you then that his true name wasSevilla?"
"He said nothing to me about it," returned Mr. Lee. "Instead, hetold some one of the family that he was guarding against injury atthe hands of some one who was an enemy. Do you know of any one whowould injure Ramon?"
There was a moment's hesitation. "There is, of course, the matter ofthe jewels, Mr. Lee. Probably he had that in mind and thought thathe was to be brought to justice. But I can prevent that. Now I wentout to the school and made some inquiries, Mr. Lee. At the office noone knew what had become of Ramon. I attended a baseball game Fridayafternoon and asked some of the boys to direct me to any who knewRamon best. The coach did not know his whereabouts, but there wasone boy who was listening that said you had heard from himrecently."
It was just as well that the visitor could not see Betty's changesof countenance as she listened to the conversation, perfectly surethat in her role of listener she was quite justified. At the name"Sevillas" Betty's eyes opened more widely and her mouth formed an"Oh," as she looked sharply at her mother. Two deep frowns camebetween her blue eyes now at the mention of the letter. What wouldher father say to that?
"Yes," he was replying, "we heard from Ramon just once, some timeago. It was chiefly a letter of courtesy, as we had entertained himand he remembered us pleasantly."
"Could I see the letter?" eagerly asked the man.
"It has probably been destroyed," said Mr. Lee, and Betty rolleddark blue eyes at her mother, who knew she had kept it.
"I could probably recall enough of it to satisfy you, though itcontained no information that was valuable, I judge. It said nothingof any mother or sister and this is the first that I have heard ofthem."
"Very good," said the man in a satisfied tone. "Where was he?" hethen asked sharply. Betty frowned again. _Could_ her father tellhim? Then the man would find Ramon and maybe kill him, for all Bettyknew. Horrors! Her father was telling!
"When he wrote us he was in Detroit, but he gave no house addresswhatever."
"Are you sure that no member of your family has heard again?"
"Quite sure, sir." Mr. Lee spoke in that quiet, final way thatusually closed matters in his office. Betty heard his chair pushedback and knew that he had risen. "Here's your hat, what's yourhurry?" she quoted in a school-girl fashion to her mother in a lowwhisper. They sat quietly till the final good afternoon was said andher father closed the front screen door. Then Betty jumped up andran into the front room to meet him.
"Oh, Father, you _told_ him! And I know he's the 'villain!'"
Mr. Lee grinned, much as Dick was accustomed to do, and approachedhis daughter with his fists closed and the favorite gestures ofsmall boys about to engage in a fisticuff. That made Betty laugh,too, and she caught at his threatening arms to hold him.
The arms went around her and then he drew her toward where his wifewas now standing, questioning with her eyes. "As my son would putit, you think I've spilled the beans, don't you? Well, I haven't,kiddie." Mr. Lee dropped his voice to a stage whisper.
"Ramon Balinsky Sevilla is not _in_ Detroit!"
"Oh, goody! But how do you know. Didn't you tell the man that youhadn't heard from him again!"
"Do you not think I would be justified in a false statement underthe circumstances?"
"Oh, Papa, you just want to get up an argument! I know you! No, Ithink you could have handled it some way and I don't believe youtold a story."
"Right. Go to the head of the class in diplomacy or whatever it is.No, I have not heard from Ramon, but I heard from some one who hasseen him and Ramon sent us a message, from Detroit, my dear, and hewas leaving there. In fact, he was at the station when my friend methim. _Now_ are you satisfied?"
"No," said Betty, grinning and drawing her father's arm stillfarther over her shoulder. "I want to know what the message was andwhy you haven't given it before."
"The message was his regards, and I merely forgot all about it."
"One thing, Father, I wondered about. You said Ramon did not give ahouse address."
"It was not a house address, Betty. If you will look up the letter Iwill show you. I'm pretty sure that was his business address. Doesanybody love me?"
"I'll say," slangily answered Betty Lee, junior, offering a warmembrace.