CHAPTER XII
_The Search for the Thief_
For the first time in her life, Linda Carlton was thankful thather father was not at home. He would object to her calling Ted atthe hospital, but now it was impossible to ask his permission.Nevertheless, she was trembling when she took off the receiver and gavethe hospital's number.
"Mr. Mackay left last night," the attendant told her, "to go to hishome. He was very much better."
"Oh!" exclaimed Linda, hopefully. That was good news indeed. But shewanted to learn more.
"Would it be possible for me to talk to his nurse?" she inquired. "Ireally have something important to ask."
The attendant hesitated; it was not their custom to call nurses fromtheir duties to answer inquiries about their patients. But Linda'svoice was so eager that the man decided for once to waive the rule.
"If you will hold the line a minute," he said, "I will see whether sheis busy. You don't know which nurse it was?"
"No. Probably one of the ward nurses."
Linda was forced to wait several minutes, but in the end she wasrewarded. A cheerful girl's voice informed her that its owner had takencharge of Ted Mackay while he was at the hospital.
"But are you a friend or an enemy of Mr. Mackay, Miss----?" sheinquired, cautiously. "Carlton is my name," answered Linda. "And I am afriend."
"I'm glad to hear that. Mr. Mackay is such a nice boy that it is ashame he has to have enemies.... Now, what can I do for you?"
"Tell me what you know of his story," replied Linda. "You see I onlyknow that he was shot and that his enemies are trying to connect himwith a thief who stole a valuable necklace. I know it can't be true. Itjust can't!" She was talking rapidly, excitedly. "I knew if I could seehim he could explain everything. But he's gone!"
"Yes, he went home last night. To his mother's. But I can tell youthe facts, for he told me the whole story. He was piloting anotherplane--for his company--and spotted a wreck. It proved to be thisthief, who evidently wasn't hurt by the crash, and so shot Mr. Mackayand made off in his new plane. It seems perfectly simple to me. I don'tsee how anybody could possibly accuse Mr. Mackay, when he was actuallywounded himself."
"How does his company feel about it?" asked Linda.
"Same as we do. He is to go back to his job in a day or two, as soon ashe feels rested."
"Thank goodness!" cried Linda. "Then everything is O.K. Oh, you can'tknow how thankful I am! And so grateful to you!"
"You're entirely welcome," concluded the young nurse, pleased to havebeen of some help.
Linda began to sing as she replaced the receiver, and she went outon the porch in search of her aunt. She just had to tell somebodyabout Ted's innocence, and the weight which had been taken from herheart at the nurse's reassuring words. Miss Carlton had not heard anyparticulars about the story; indeed she scarcely knew who Ted Mackaywas. So, omitting the parachute jump, Linda began at the beginning andrelated everything she knew about him, since that day last April whenshe had met him at the Red Cross Fair, and he had promised to take herup in an airplane.
"And you don't think he's wicked, just because his father is, do you,Aunt Emily?" she asked, anxiously.
"No, of course not, dear. It wouldn't be fair to jump to any suchconclusion as that. Every human being has a right to be judged on hisown merits--not his parents'."
"That's what I think," agreed Linda. "But Daddy says----"
"Hello, everybody!" interrupted a gay young voice from the hedge infront of the bungalow, and, turning about, Linda saw Ralph Claveringstriding up the path.
"Hello!" she answered, trying to make her voice cordial. Such ahandsome boy, so charming--why did he have to be so unfair to Ted? PoorTed, who had never had one-tenth of Ralph's advantages!
"I've got news!" he cried, as he took the steps two at a time, andswung into a chair.
"About the necklace?" demanded Miss Carlton, immediately.
"Yes. From our detectives. They have spotted a gas-station that solda can of gasoline to a red-headed fellow who said he wanted it for anairplane."
"Really, Ralph!" exclaimed Linda, scornfully. "You don't call thatnews, do you? There must be plenty of red-haired pilots in our part ofthe country."
"I know. But that isn't all. This agent carried the gas over in his carto a field where the plane was waiting, and he says there was anotherchap in it who answered the description of our thief."
"Was the plane a Waco?" questioned Linda, keenly.
"The fellow wasn't sure, but when Greer described it, he thought itwas."
"And is that all?" Miss Carlton's tone showed disappointment.
"'Is that all?'" repeated Ralph, in amazement. "Why, that's plenty!"
"I don't see how that will help you to catch your thief," remarked thewoman.
"But it will! Greer has telephoned the hospital, and located Mackaytoday. If he really has gone home, as he said, and hasn't run away,he'll be put through a third degree that'll make him tell where thethief is hiding. Because he must be hiding. He couldn't go very far onthe gas in that plane, and all the airports and gasoline stations havebeen warned to watch out for him."
Linda's eyes were blazing with anger. How could Ralph be so prejudiced,so cruel?
"But Ted doesn't know any more about that thief than we do!" sheprotested, vehemently. "I talked with his nurse this morning--and sheknew all about it. Ted met that thief by accident!"
"By accident is right," remarked Ralph, with a scornful smile. "Butnever mind, Linda--don't you worry about it any more. Let's talk aboutthe masque ball tonight. You're going with me, aren't you?"
"I certainly am not!" announced the girl, haughtily. "I wouldn't gowith anybody who could be so unfair----".
"Children!" interrupted Miss Carlton, distressed at their inclinationto quarrel. She had been so happy about the friendship between Ralphand Linda--it was eminently right! When her niece did decide to getmarried--though she hoped such an event was still far off--she couldn'timagine any young man who would suit her so well as Ralph Clavering.Such family! Such social position! And plenty of money! For MissCarlton was always afraid that sometime her brother might lose his.He was so careless about it, he spent it so recklessly upon both hissister and his daughter. And, though the older woman had enough of herown securely invested in bonds to take care of her old age, she fearedfor Linda. Educated as she had been at that expensive private school,she was in no way trained to earn a living. She did not dream thatLinda would be only too delighted to go into aviation as if she were aboy on her own responsibility--like Ted Mackay!
"If I admit I'm jealous of Redhead, and say I'm sorry," conceded Ralph,"will you forgive me and go to the dance with me tonight?"
His beautiful dark eyes were pleading, and for a moment Linda almostweakened, thinking of all their experiences together, and especiallythat moment when they both had thought they were so happy, in regainingthe box that supposedly held the necklace. But she remembered Ted, andthe cruel gruelling he would be subjected to very soon, because ofRalph's suspicions, and she closed her lips tightly.
"Not unless you promise to call off your detectives from Ted Mackay,"she pronounced, firmly.
"But I can't do that--couldn't now, even if I wanted to. It's too late."
"Then I'm not going to the party with you."
"But Linda, dear," put in Miss Carlton, going towards the screen doorin her embarrassment at being a witness to the quarrel, "it's too lateto arrange to go with anybody else. All the other girls already havetheir partners!"
"I'll go with you, Auntie!" replied the girl, complacently. "Lots ofgirls go with their parents."
"Very well," agreed her aunt, disappearing into the living-room, withthe unpleasant thought that it was only the unpopular girls who wereforced into such a situation.
As soon as she had gone, Ralph came over to Linda's chair. But he wasafraid to touch even her hand--she looked so aloof and determined.
"Linda--after all we've been to each other----" he began.
> She stood up, holding her head high.
"I think you'll have to excuse me, Ralph," she said. "I'm very busy."
"All right," he returned, sullenly. "Have it your own way, then! I'llget Louise to go with me."
"Very well. Good-by." Her tone was icy; she did not even offer to shakehands with him.
Ralph turned and hurried down the steps, angry at himself for pleadingso hard, angrier at her for being so cold. No girl ever thought oftreating him--Ralph Clavering--like that before! The very idea! Mostyoung ladies would be only too delighted at his invitation! And all forthe sake of a penniless, dishonest, red-headed pilot! For Ralph had notyet learned that there were some things which he could not buy with hisfather's millions.
So he strode to the nearest telephone booth, and called Louise Haydockwho, although she was flattered by the invitation, did not immediatelyaccept. She had already promised Harriman Smith, and she so informedRalph.
"Well, there isn't any law that says a girl can't go with two men, isthere?" he demanded. "If she happens to be popular enough! Can't we allthree go together?"
"Why aren't you going with Linda?" inquired Louise, shrewdly.
"We've quarreled," he admitted.
"Then make it up!" she advised. "Pull yourself together, Ralph--andapologize."
"I tried to, but it was no good. No, we're off!"
"Then Linda hasn't any partner?"
"She says she's going with her aunt," muttered Ralph.
"Oh, that won't do!" exclaimed Louise. "Wait, Ralph, I'll fixeverything. I'll get Harry to take Linda--he's crazy about heranyhow--and then I'll go with you."
"O.K., Lou. You're the little sport!"
"And fixer," added the girl, to herself, as she bade Ralph good-by, andcalled first Harry and then Miss Carlton.
Louise's suggestion seemed like an act of Providence to the olderwoman; it would have been mortifying indeed to her to have Linda appearat the ball without a masculine escort, as if the girl were a merewallflower. Harriman Smith had been most agreeable about the wholearrangement; anything Louise decided suited him, he told her. AndLinda, too, was delighted with the news.
She came out of her bedroom while her aunt was talking on thetelephone, dressed in her flyer's suit.
"Where are you going dear?" inquired Miss Carlton, in anxious surprise.
"I'm going scouting," explained Linda. "I think I'll fly around--prettylow--and look for wrecks. I have a hunch that that thief has smashedhis plane by now. He was such a poor pilot, you know I told you."
"Well, be careful," cautioned her aunt. "But so long as you fly low, Iwon't worry."
Linda smiled to herself. If Aunt Emily only realized how infinitelymore dangerous it was to fly low than high!
She found her Pursuit in perfect condition, and had it taken to therunway, where she taxied off without the least difficulty. She climbedto about fifteen hundred feet, and flew over past the hospital and thefield where the Waco had been smashed. Then she carefully came lower,using her glasses to watch the ground as she flew.
The country was open--there were no buildings and few trees, so shefelt safe in keeping within sight of the ground. She was flying alongconfidently, when suddenly a long pole seemed almost on top of her.Swerving sharply upward, she just avoided striking some wires that thepole was supporting.
"Oh!" she gasped. "What a lucky break! Suppose I hadn't had a foolproofplane!" For she knew that her Arrow had been designed especially foramateurs like herself.
"Crazy of me to fly so near to the ground!" she exclaimed, inself-contempt. "After all the warnings I've had! I deserve a crash!"And she continued to climb upward to safety.
As she flew onward, steadying her thoughts, she decided that it wassenseless to try to hunt the thief with a plane. If she wanted to lookfor him it would be much more reasonable to use her car--or to hike. Soshe abandoned that project entirely.
But as she continued her flight towards Green Falls, it suddenlyoccurred to her that she might help Ted in another way. She couldestablish his alibi for him--by means of his company! That red-hairedman that the agent claimed he saw with the thief couldn't havebeen Ted, and she would take means of proving it. Then, if Ralph'sdetectives insisted upon throwing him into prison, there would be a wayto have him released.
So she flew back to the airport, confident that her morning had notbeen entirely wasted, and, to her aunt's relief, she arrived home intime for lunch.