CHAPTER XXI FRIGHT AND COURAGE
With unhesitating steps, Tavia led Dorothy, without any of the confusionof her own first visit, directly to Mr. Akerson's offices.
The same switchboard operator sat sleepy-eyed at the telephone, and thesame young person conducted the girls through the office suite, the onlydifference was that the hour was near twelve, and most of the desks wereempty, as the clerks had left the building for lunch.
The offices seemed strangely quiet, as the girls sat, with their heartsbeating wildly, waiting for the door marked "_Private_" to open. When itdid, Mr. Akerson came forth with a genial smile.
"I arrived a little ahead of you," said he, and he led the girls into hisprivate office.
"But where is Mrs. White?" demanded Dorothy.
"Evidently delayed in reaching here," answered Mr. Akerson, pulling hiswatch from his pocket. "No doubt she'll be here directly."
With this the girls had to be content. Dorothy watched the door,expecting to see Aunt Winnie enter at every sound.
"Well," said the man, balancing himself on his heels, "and what is thedecision in regard to the apartment you wanted?"
Tavia shot a meaning glance in Dorothy's direction and Dorothy quicklysuppressed a start of surprise at the man's words. She decided instantlythat she must watch Tavia's every glance, if she were to follow thehidden meaning.
"Haven't decided yet," carelessly answered Tavia. "Besides, there'splenty of time."
"Are you sure it was an apartment you wanted, or"--the man wheeled abouthis desk chair and arranged himself comfortably before continuing--"wasit just a woman's curiosity?" He smiled broadly at the girls; his lookwas that of a very kindly disposed gentleman.
"My reasons were just as I stated--I may want an apartment--I liked thearrangement of the Court Apartments, and was seeking information for myown future use," defiantly replied Tavia.
"Of course, of course," Mr. Akerson replied. "But why come to me?Couldn't--er--your friend here have secured the information from--wellsay, from Mrs. White?"
"Mrs. White, I regret to say, Mr. Akerson," responded Dorothy, "seems tobe ill-informed about her own property."
"Mrs. White has access to my books," he replied coldly, "whenever shechooses to look them over. Everything is there in black and white."
"Except your verbal statements to me," said Tavia, standing up and facingMr. Akerson. "Your statement that rents used to be thirty-five dollars,and are now one hundred dollars."
Dorothy guessed instantly whither Tavia was leading.
"And the difference between the thirty-five dollars and the one hundreddollars," she asked, "goes to whom? Some charitable institution perhaps?"
"Ha! Ha!" laughed Mr. Akerson, "that's rich! So you," he turned to Tavia,"took all my nonsense so seriously that you're convinced I'm ascoundrel." His teeth gleamed wickedly through his stubby mustache, andDorothy wished that Aunt Winnie would hurry. She did not like this man.
"By your own statements you've convicted yourself," declared Tavia. "Themorning I interviewed you, you did not know me, and told me your prices."
"You're wrong; I did know you," declared the man bluntly. "I knew you tobe a friend of Mrs. Bergham's, that you had listened to a rambling taleof that feeble-minded woman, and came to me expecting to have itconfirmed--and, as you know, I fully confirmed it. By the way, Mrs.Bergham moves to-day, but I suppose you are thoroughly conversant withher affairs."
Like a shot the thought came to Dorothy and Tavia, as they exchangedglances, could Mrs. Bergham, who certainly did not seem dependable,misrepresent matters to gain sympathy for herself? But as quickly camethe picture of patient Miss Mingle, and all doubt vanished at once.
"That's true," confessed Tavia, "the first inkling of absolutewrong-doing came quite unexpectedly through Mrs. Bergham. I'm sorry,though, that she has been ordered to move on account of it."
"Mrs. Bergham will not move," said Dorothy, quietly. "We have sufficientevidence, I should say, Mr. Akerson, to convince even you that yourwrong-doings have at last been found out."
Mr. Akerson jumped to his feet, a sudden rage seeming to possess him.
He sprang to the door and locked it and turned on the girls. Taviaslipped instinctively behind a chair, but Dorothy stood her ground,facing the enraged man with courage and aloofness.
"You can't frighten me, Mr. Akerson," she said to him. White with ragethe man approached nearer and nearer to Dorothy.
"Just what do you mean?" he asked, and there was that in the cool, andincisive quality of his tones that made both girls feel, if they had notbefore, that they had rather undertaken too much in coming to the office.
There was silence for a moment in the office, a silence that seemed yetto echo to the rasping of the lock in the door, a sound that had asinister meaning. And yet it seemed to flash to Dorothy that, at theworst, the man could only frighten them--force them, perhaps, to someadmission that would make his own case stand out in a better light, if itcame to law procedings.
Too late, Dorothy realized, as perhaps did Tavia, that they had beenindiscreet, from a legal standpoint, in thus coming into the camp of anenemy, unprotected by a lawyer's advice.
All sorts of complications might ensue from this hasty proceeding. YetDorothy, even in that moment of trouble, realized that she must keep herbrain clear for whatever might transpire. Tavia, she felt, might dosomething reckless--well meant, no doubt, but none the less somethingthat might put a weapon in the hands of the man against whom they hopedto proceed for the sake of Aunt Winnie.
"Just what do you mean?" snapped the man again, and he seemed master ofthe situation, even though Dorothy thought she detected a gleam of--wasit fear? in his eyes. "I am not in the habit of being spoken to in thatmanner," he went on.
"I am afraid I shall have to ask you to explain yourself. It is the firsttime I have ever been accused of wrongdoing."
"I guess it isn't the first time it has happened, though," murmuredTavia.
"What's that?" demanded the man, quickly turning toward her. Even boldTavia quailed, so menacing did his action seem.
"There always has to be a first time," she substituted in louder tones.
"I don't know whether you are aware of it, or not, young ladies," theagent proceeded, "but it is rather a dangerous proceeding to makeindiscriminate accusations, as you have just done to me."
"Danger--dangerous?" faltered Dorothy.
"Exactly!" and the sleek fellow smiled in unctuous fashion. "There issuch a thing as criminal libel, you know."
"But we haven't published anything!" retorted Tavia. "I--I thought alibel had to be published."
"The publishing of a libel is not necessarily in a newspaper," retortedMr. Akerson. "It may be done by word of mouth, as our courts have held inseveral cases. I warn you to be careful of what you say."
"He seems to be well up on court matters," thought Tavia, taking heart."I guess he isn't so innocent as he would like to appear."
"I would like to know what you young ladies want here?" the agent blurtedout.
"Information," said Tavia, sharply.
"What for?"
"What is information generally for?" asked Tavia, verbally fencing withthe man. "We want to know where we stand."
"Do you mean you want to find out what sort of apartments theyare--whether they are of high class?"
He was assuming a more and more defiant attitude, as he plainly saw thatthe girls, as he thought, were weakening.
"Something of that sort--yes," answered Tavia. "You know we want to startright. But then, of course," and she actually smiled, "we would like toknow all the ins and outs. We are not at all business-like--I admitthat--and we certainly did not mean to libel you." Crafty Tavia! Thus,she thought she might minimize any unintentional indiscretion she hadcommitted.
"Mrs. White doesn't know much about business, either," she went on. "Shewould like to, though, wouldn't she, Dorothy?"
"Oh, yes--yes," bre
athed Dorothy, scarcely knowing what she said. She wastrying to think of a way out of the dilemma in which she and Tavia foundthemselves.
"I will give Mrs. White any information she may need," said Mr. Akerson,coldly.
"But about the apartments themselves," said Tavia. "She wants to knowwhat income they bring in--about the new improvements--the class oftenants--Oh, the thousand and one things that a woman ought to know abouther own property."
"Rather indefinite," sneered the man.
"I don't mean to be so," flashed Tavia. "I want to be very definite--asvery definite as it is possible for you to be," and she looked meaninglyat the agent. "We want to know all you can tell us," she went on, and,growing bolder, added: "We want to know why there is not more moneycoming from those apartments; don't we, Dorothy?" and she moved overnearer to her chum.
"Yes--yes, of course," murmured Dorothy, hardly knowing what she wassaying, and hoping Tavia was not going too far.
"More money?" the agent cried.
"Yes," retorted Tavia. "What have you done that you should be entitled tomore than the legal rate?"
"I brought those apartments up to their present fitness," he snarled,"and whatever I get over and above the regular rentals, is mine; do youunderstand that? What do you know about real estate laws? I'll keep youboth locked in this office, until I grind out of your heads the sillinessthat led you to try and trap me. I'll keep you here until----"
"You will not," said Dorothy.
"Where did she go?" He suddenly missed Tavia, and Dorothy, turning, sawtoo that Tavia had disappeared.
"This is nothing but a scheme to get us down here," cried Dorothy, afterseveral moments of anxiety, "Aunt Winnie was never expected, and nowTavia has gone!"
"Oh, no I haven't," cried Tavia, as she stepped from a sound-proofprivate telephone booth. "I've just been looking about the office. It'san interesting place, and the melodrama of Mr. Akerson I found quitewearisome."
"Also that my private 'phone isn't connected; didn't you?" he said.Suddenly dropping the pose of the villain in a cheap melodrama, he smiledagain and rubbing his hands together said, as though there never had beena disagreeable word uttered:
"Seriously, girls, that Bergham woman is out of her head, that's a fact.You must know there is something queer about her."
On that point he certainly had Dorothy and Tavia puzzled. Mrs. Berghamsurely was not the kind of a person either Tavia or Dorothy would haveselected as a friend, and they looked at the man with hesitation. Hefollowed up the advantage he had gained quickly.
"Here's something you young ladies knew nothing about--that woman hashallucinations! It has nearly driven her poor little sister, Miss Mingle,distracted. Why, girls, she tells Miss Mingle such yarns, and the poorlittle woman believes them and blames me." He looked terribly hurt andmisunderstood.
"To show your good faith," demanded Dorothy, "unlock the door. Then wewill listen to all you have to say. But, first, I must command you totalk to us with the doors wide open!"
"With pleasure, it was stupid to have locked it at all," he agreedaffably. "Now if you'll just come with me to the bookkeeper's departmentI'll prove everything to your entire satisfaction, and since Mrs. Whitehas not seen fit to keep her appointment, you may convey the intelligenceto her, just where you stand in this matter."
"About the apartment we might wish to rent," said Tavia, serenely, "haveyou the floor plan, that we might look over it?"
Tavia was just behind Mr. Akerson, and Dorothy brought up the rear.
"I'm not as much interested in the books as in the floor plan," explainedTavia.
"The only one I have is hanging on the wall of my private office," hesaid slowly, looking Tavia over from head to foot.
"If you'll show me the books, so that I can explain matters to my aunt,while Miss Travers is looking over the plan of the apartment she may wishto take," said Dorothy seriously, "we can bring this rather unpleasantcall to an end."
"I'm sure I am sorry for any unpleasantness," said Mr. Akerson, "butyou'll admit your manner of talking business is just a little crude. Noman wants to be almost called a scoundrel and a cheat."
"The books, I hope," Dorothy answered bringing out her words slowly andclearly, "will show where the error lies. By the way, do you collectthese rents in person, or do you employ a sub-agent?"
"This, you understand, is not a company matter. It's a little investmentof my own, and I take such pride in that house, that I allow no one tointerfere with it. Yes, I collect the rents and give my personalattention to all repairing. If I do say it myself, it is thebest-cared-for apartments in this city to-day. And I'll tell you thisconfidently, Miss Dale, five per cent. for collecting doesn't pay me formy time. But I'm interested in the up-building of that house, youunderstand."
Tavia strolled leisurely back to the private office, while Mr. Akersonwent into a smaller office just off the private one, and while he wasbending over the combination of the safe, quick as a flash, Dorothy tookoff the receiver of the desk telephone from the hook, and, in almost awhisper, asked central for their Riverside home number.
"Ned," she gasped, when she heard his voice, "quick, don't waste amoment! This is Dorothy. We are in Akerson's office and are frightened!Come downtown at once! I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out muchlonger! Quick, quick, Ned!" Then she softly put the receiver back andturned just in time to see Mr. Akerson rising from before the safe with abundle of books in his arms. Dorothy to hide her confusion bent over ablue print that had been hanging on the walls, but all she saw was aconfused bunch of white lines drawn on a blue background, and from theouter room came the sound of Tavia's voice, as she and Mr. Akerson wentover the pages of the ledger, the alert girl seizing the opportunity todip into the books as well as look at the floor plans in order to gainmore time.