CHAPTER XXII A NARROW ESCAPE
Scarcely daring to breathe naturally lest they be discovered, Doris andKitty crouched in the dark closet. In their haste to hide they had leftthe door a trifle ajar and though this added to the risk of beingdetected, it was too late to close it tightly.
Already they could hear some one in the outer sitting room and a momentlater the bedroom door was thrown open. Henry Sully came in. He seemedstrangely excited and was out of breath from hurrying up the stairs sorapidly.
Peeping out through the crack of the door, the girls saw that he wascarrying two long, fat envelopes in his hand.
Rushing across the room, with scarcely a glance directed at Etta, Henrypulled a heavy suitcase from under the bed. Opening it, he placed the twoenvelopes carefully in the bottom and folded clothing over them.
"Thought we never would find 'em," the girls heard him mutter.
As he bent over to fasten the suitcase again, Etta plucked at his coatsleeve to attract his attention.
"Father," she murmured, "I just saw two beautiful angels. They came hereto see me."
Inside the closet, Kitty and Doris gripped each others' hands nervously.They feared that Etta was about to expose them. What Henry would do if hefound them hiding there, they dared not think.
However, the man paid scant attention to what the crippled girl wassaying. Impatiently he jerked away from her.
"Stop that silly prattling," he commanded. "I'm sick of it!"
The girls were shocked at this cruel speech, but what followed left themeven more stunned.
"You might as well know it now as later," Henry told Etta viciously."We're tired of looking after you night and day. All you're good for isto eat and make up fancy fairy tales about angels and the like. This is ahard world and it's time you learned its ways. Cora and I are going togit out of here pretty soon and, when we do, you can shift for yourself!"
Etta stared at her father as though unable to comprehend what he hadsaid. Then as it slowly dawned upon her that she was to be left to acruel fate, a shudder convulsed her body. With a frightened cry, shecaught Henry by the arm.
"Oh, don't leave me alone," she begged piteously. "Don't leave me todie!"
"Let go!" Henry snarled, pushing her back upon the bed as she endeavoredto sit up. "I tell you we're through with you and it won't do any good tobe squawking about it!"
Shoving the suitcase under the bed with his foot, he turned toward thedoor. Etta stretched out her thin little arms and entreated him to comeback. Henry laughed harshly and slammed the door shut.
Etta became almost hysterical in her grief. She wailed and sobbed andbeat upon the pillow with her puny fists, but, if Henry heard, he was notin the least affected. Doris and Kitty could hear him hurrying down thestairs to the second floor.
Satisfied that the coast was clear, they quickly came out of their hidingplace. Filled with compassion for Etta, they rushed to her bedside. Asthe girl saw them, she tried to stifle her sobs.
"There, dear," Doris tried to comfort her, "don't cry. We'll see that noharm comes to you."
"You won't let my father go away and leave me?"
"Not unless you want him to," Doris assured her gently. Under her breathshe said to Kitty: "It would almost be better for her if he did leave."
"She couldn't have any worse care," Kitty agreed.
As soon as they had quieted Etta and had made her more comfortableagainst the pillows, the girls cast an appraising glance about the room.The scene which they had just witnessed made them wonder anew whatmischief Henry and Cora Sully were plotting.
"They _are_ planning to get away from here," Doris said to her chum in alow voice. "That suitcase under the bed was packed."
"And everything has been taken from the closet," Kitty added. "There'sCora's suitcase back of that couch."
"It's packed, too. That means they intend to leave soon. Kitty, we'llhave to keep our wits about us now. And the first thing to do is to getaway from this room, before we're caught."
The girls had talked so rapidly and in such a low tone that Etta had notheard them, but now as she sensed that they were about to leave, shebegan to sob again. Doris dropped down on the bed and took her hand.
"You mustn't cry," she declared. "We're only going away for a littlewhile."
"You'll come back tomorrow?"
"Yes, and you must be careful not to say anything about having seen us.If you do, we may not be able to come."
"I won't tell," Etta promised solemnly.
Hastily saying goodbye, the girls slipped out of the bedroom and down thestairs to the second floor. As they entered their own room they couldhear Cora and Henry Sully moving about on the floor below.
"They certainly finished their housecleaning quickly enough," Kittyobserved.
Doris took care to close the door and then, dropping down on the bedbeside her chum, regarded her soberly.
"It's my candid opinion that was only an excuse, Kit. It wouldn'tsurprise me if they were hunting for something in the Misses Gates'srooms."
"But what?"
"That's what I'd like to know. Say! You don't suppose it could have beenthose two envelopes he put in his suitcase?"
"It might have been."
"Why didn't we look in the suitcase when we were there? If Cora and Henryare stealing, we ought to know it!"
"We wouldn't have discovered much if we had looked," Kitty declared. "Inoticed those envelopes were sealed."
"Yes, that's so. We really haven't any excuse for opening sealedenvelopes. If we did, it would be just our luck that whatever it wasbelonged to Henry after all."
"He was up to some mischief today, Dory. You remember how guilty helooked when we met him on the stairs. And he's the laziest man alive. Itisn't likely he'd start out to clean house unless he had been told to doit."
"No, he was hunting for something, all right. I wonder if it could havebeen--"
She did not finish, for Kitty caught her by the hand and dragged her fromthe bed.
"The ruby ring!" she exclaimed. "Maybe that was what they were after!"
Anxiously she felt under the mattress and when her hand failed to touchthe box, began to paw frantically at the blankets to get them out of theway.
"Here, don't tear that bed to pieces," Doris scolded. "Let me find thering."
She ran her hand under the mattress and to Kitty's intense relief,brought forth the tiny box.
"I wish the Misses Gates had taken their ring," she sighed. "I've lostfive pounds since we started looking after it."
"The ring is the least of my troubles just now," Doris told her. "I'mconvinced that Henry and Cora are involved in a plot against the MissesGates, but just what it is I haven't been able to fathom."
"Hadn't we better tell the ladies everything?"
"We're in rather a delicate position, Kit. The Sullys are trustedservants and Azalea and Iris might believe them before they would us."
"Then what are we going to do?"
"Let's keep close watch of Cora and Henry and wait for them to show theirhand. If they try to get away, we can expose them, and then if they'recaught red-handed, the Gates sisters will have to believe us."
"That's probably the best way," Kitty agreed. Replacing the ring underthe mattress, they went downstairs. They were just in time to see RonaldTrent driving away from the mansion after depositing the old ladies attheir door.
Entering the living room, Azalea and Iris sank down into the nearestchairs without bothering to remove their hats. They appeared agitated andexhausted but offered no explanation for their condition. Doris and Kittyguessed that Ronald had wheedled money from them and perhaps had abusedthem for not giving him more.
"Ronald is coming back tomorrow," Iris said presently, speaking to Doris."You are quite sure your messenger will be here with the money?"
"Why, yes, I feel sure Jake will come. I sent word several days ago."
"I am so glad," Iris murmured in relief.
"Ronald is leaving tomorrow andwe must have the money ready for him or lose the inheritance."
"I see," murmured Doris thoughtfully.
"We probably won't have his company much longer, then," surmised Kitty,winking coyly at Doris.
Azalea stroked her forehead as if perplexed and perhaps a bit worried.
"I never dreamed that money need cause us such concern. We cannot affordto lose this inheritance now. I have so much faith in the son of JohnTrent. I want him to go away happy and satisfied that we have not failedhim."
Doris pricked up her ears at this bit of information. So Ronald wasleaving, too! It seemed that affairs certainly were destined to come to aclimax on the following day. How glad she was that she had asked Jake tocome. If only he did not fail her!