XV
Tracks in the Dust
TWENTY minutes later we set forth. But we had not reached the corner ofHarbor Street before we ran into Hattie May. She was walking fast andher face was red. "Why, Hattie May," I cried, "what is the matter? Yourdress is wrong side out!"
Hattie May looked vaguely down at the blue print frock she wore. "Well,it's no wonder!" she panted. "I dressed in such a hurry----"
"But what _is_ the matter?" Eve demanded. "Is it a fire or something?"
"It--it's Hamish," she cried, still struggling with her breath."He--he's gone!"
"Gone? Gone where?"
"How do I know? If I knew, I wouldn't be running round the streets likethis, would I?"
"Well do sit down on this horse block," Eve suggested, "and tell uswhat's happened."
Hattie sank gratefully down. "Well, all day yesterday," she began,"Hamish acted queer!"
"How d'you mean queer?" I inquired.
"Well as if he had something on his mind or--or was planning something.I kept my eye on him all day because I was suspicious that he was up tosomething. I didn't let him out of my sight a single minute."
"Poor Hamish!" I murmured.
She turned on me sharply. "Well I've got to look after him, haven't I?I promised mother. You don't know what crazy things Hamish can do!"
"All right," Eve soothed. "Go on, tell us what happened."
"Well we went for a little ride after supper. I thought maybe thatwould get him calmed down. But he wouldn't go far, said he was sleepyand was going to turn in early. But of course I see now that that wasjust a blind--a trick to get me out of the way. If I'd had any sense,I'd have suspected it at the time. Oh, I've been such a fool!" The lastword came out with something suspiciously like a sob.
"But I don't see as you were to blame, Hattie May," I said. "Do get onand tell us the rest."
"Why, that's all! I went into his room this morning to call him forbreakfast and he simply wasn't there! His--his bed hadn't been slept inat all!" she wailed.
"Gracious," I exclaimed, "you mean he'd been gone all night!"
Hattie May nodded, her lips quivering ominously. "I--I w-went to theplace where he keeps his car and the man said he'd come back at halfpast nine last night and taken it out again and--and they haven't seenhim since. And now--oh, I don't know what to do!"
"Why I wouldn't be so upset, Hattie May," Eve Said quietly. "I'm quitesure Hamish is able to take care of himself, even if he does do queerthings. He's not a bit stupid, you know. Tell me, haven't you anynotion where he could have gone--didn't he drop a hint even?"
"No. The only thing I can think of is that he went over to Millport totry to get trace of that terrible villain who sold him the hair tonic.Ever since he found out who he was at the picnic Saturday, he's beenfunny, like I told you."
"Yes," I said, "I remember he said he was going to get even with him."
"Hamish's like that," said his sister. "He can't bear to have anyoneput anything over on him. I guess maybe he's got one of those superiorcomplexions or whatever you call it."
"I don't think his complexion is anything remarkable," said Eve with agiggle. Then she added seriously, "But honest, Hattie May, if he's justgone to Millport, I don't think there's anything to worry about."
"Of course not," I agreed. "Maybe he had a breakdown--I dare say he'llturn up any minute."
"If it was a breakdown, he could have phoned me, couldn't he? I tellyou he's got mixed up with that awful barber creature somehow. Youcan't tell what may have happened with a man like that--a man thatwears a wig and--and digs up gardens! How do we know," she went onwildly, "what he dug that hole for--how do we know he wasn't burying ab-bloody weapon or--or one of his victims!"
"Oh, for heavens sake, pull yourself together, Hattie May," I said withsome severity. I knew by experience that the best way to treat HattieMay when she began to get hysterical was to scold. If you triedsympathy and kind words, she just got worse.
"Yes," chimed in Eve, "there's simply no sense in your going on likethis. Nothing has happened to Hamish. I'd be willing to bet my bestembroidered slip on it. The thing for you to do is to come along withus right now to Old Beecham to call on a friend of Aunt Cal's. And bythe time you get back, you'll very likely find Hamish eating his dinnerat the Inn--see if you don't." Hattie May wiped her eyes on her dressskirt. "I c-can't go c-calling in this dress," she whimpered. "Thes-seams all show! I'd be the laughingstock of Millport."
"Oh, nobody's going to notice it," I said. "All you have to do is toact as if it was something new from Fifth Avenue! Come on, we'll missthe bus if we don't hurry."
She got up uncertainly. "You don't think we ought to go to the PoliceStation," she faltered, "and report Hamish's disappearance?"
"I don't believe there is any," I said. "Anyway there'll be time enoughto find out if Hamish isn't back by dinner time."
"I feel all in," said Hattie May as we hurried her down the street."It's the shock, I suppose. You can't think how I felt when I openedHamish's door and saw his bed all smooth and empty. It was just like amurder story. You know, when the valet goes to call his master andfinds----"
"Oh, cut it, Hattie May," Eve ordered. "There's the bus--we'd betterrun!"
Fortunately for us the bus was late in leaving, owing to the fact thatone of the passengers was having an argument with the butcher acrossthe street. We continued to cheer Hattie May during the short ride toThe Corners. We decided that if Hamish wasn't back when we returned, wewould get hold of Michael. He would know what to do and that would bebetter than going to the police, because we did not want publicity.
"Perhaps you're right," Hattie May agreed tearfully. "I'd hate to haveanything get into the papers, mother'd be sure to hear of it."
"Oh, it won't come to that," I returned with considerable moreconfidence than I felt. For I realized as his sister had said that witha boy like Hamish you never could tell what he might do. And I couldwell imagine that Mr. Harry Bangs was not one to allow a boy of fifteenwith big ears and a nose for other people's business to interfere withhis plans.
As the bus rolled away and we started on foot up the hill toward OldBeecham, we told Hattie May of our plan to stop at Craven House on theway back and take another look for the missing statue. Hattie May saidshe didn't think she ought to waste time hunting for lost goddesseswhen her own brother was missing.
"She wasn't a goddess," I corrected, more for the sake of making talkthan anything else. "She was an enchantress who turned the companionsof Ulysses into swine by the wave of her wand."
"Well, she must have been a very disagreeable person," returned HattieMay. "I'm sure I don't see why anyone should want a statue of herabout!"
As we came abreast of the old house, Hattie May said she'd got to sitdown and rest for a minute. The road was deserted as usual. Beyond thewall the old house seemed asleep. "To think that we almost spent anight there," I mused.
"I'll bet you'd have seen a ghost if you had," said Hattie May. "Ican't think whatever induced you to go inside in the first place."
"That was Eve's curiosity," I said. "Without curiosity, you know,Hattie May, you never get anywhere."
Eve said nothing. She was gazing intently at the road in front of wherewe sat. "I didn't know cars came out this way much," she remarked atlast.
"They don't," I said. "That day on the roof we didn't see a single one.Michael said there was a better road the other side of the hill."
"But look at those tracks there in the dust," Eve said. "It looks as iftwo or three cars had been out here recently."
Hattie May was on her feet in a flash. "You're dead right!" she cried."A car has turned around right in front of this house--see the doubletracks!"
She was right. There were marks of tires going in both directionsclearly discernible in the dry dust of the road.
"Maybe Hamish came out here!" Hattie May cried. "Maybe he went insidethe house and--and--" she cast terrified
eyes beyond the wall.
"Hush, Hattie May, don't be ridiculous. There aren't any such things asghosts as you very well know. Besides," I added illogically, "no oneever heard of one's harming a person."
"But people die of fright," Hattie May went on wildly. "Or--or theyfall in a swoon. I'm sure I should if I saw one and Hamish is a yearyounger than me. Oh, Eve, would you dare to--to just go up to the houseand--listen?"
"Of course I would," Eve assured her. "What is there to be afraid of?I'd go inside only the door is locked of course. But honestly, I don'tbelieve those tracks mean a thing--somebody just drove up, discoveredhe was on the wrong road and turned around, that's all."
But Hattie May shook her head. "No. I feel that something hashappened," she declared solemnly. "I'm as sure as anything that thosemarks were made by Hamish's car. And," she flung up her head with aheroic gesture, "it's my duty not to leave this place till I've foundout--found out what there is to know!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------