CHAPTER X
MARIA ACCUSED
"This," said Dr. Crossett to Lola, as they sat together in the window,looking out at the river and the endless procession of automobilesbelow them, "this is good! It is not Paris, but it is good!"
"The only reason you won't admit it's better than Paris," laughedLola, "is because you are cross about having had such a dreadfully baddinner."
"Oh, no," he replied politely. "It was a very good dinner. It is truethat some hours ago it might have been better, but our appetites wouldnot have been the same. Any food is good to a hungry man. Your fatherand I have often dined on bread and cheese, and pilsner, and thoughtit a feast."
"You were poor there at the University?" she inquired curiously.Somehow she found it difficult to think of him as ever having beenpoor; he was so completely marked with the stamp of worldly success.
"Very poor," he answered gayly, for it had been a long time ago, andpoverty leaves few scars on the heart of a man who has conquered it."So poor," he continued, "that we owned nothing in all the world, noteven a trouble. We lived together four, no, three years, wasn't it,Martin?"
"Three years, Paul."
"What we had we shared," he turned again to Lola. "Books, clothes,money, tobacco, and happiness. I made much money later, because I hadnothing better to do. Your father was wiser than I, but now Martin,when money is coming to you, you can do much for this little one."
"You mean his lecture to-morrow night?" asked Lola. "It is veryflattering, of course, that the Medical Society should want to listento him, but he isn't going to be paid for it."
"It will bring fame, Lola, and fame, especially here in your country,means money. Have you much to do before to-morrow night, Martin?"
"More than I like to think of," replied the Doctor. "My mind should befresh and clear, and how can it be if I must spend all to-morrowrunning errands?"
"Could I help you?" asked John. "I could find an hour or so in themorning."
"I think not, and yet I am not sure. Would you be willing to call atKarn & Company's, on Thirty-first Street, and pay my bill and see thatmy apparatus is sent to the Medical Society?"
"Gladly," replied John heartily.
"It would save me half of the morning. Wait; I will give you the moneynow."
He stepped across the room to the wall safe. Lola, looking up idly atDr. Crossett, who was standing beside her, saw him as he put out hishand and fumbled helplessly with the combination.
"Lola," he turned to her. "Would you mind opening this thing for me? Inever can remember how to do it."
"You had better ask Maria, father. She is the only one who reallyunderstands it," answered Lola quietly.
"Very well." He went to the door and called. "Maria! Maria!"
"What a gorgeous night, Doctor," said Lola to Dr. Crossett. "Don't youenvy those people out there in their automobiles?"
"Hardly," he replied, "but if you are so anxious as all that for acar, I fancy it won't be long before your father can make you happy."
"Yes, Doctor?" Maria stood in the doorway.
"Will you please open this safe for me, Maria?"
"Yes, Doctor." She went at once to the safe and turned thecombination, then stepped back to allow him to approach it.
Lola and Dr. Crossett were laughing now, laughing so merrily that Johnwent over to them to join in their fun.
"What is it, Lola? May I hear the Doctor's story?"
"I was telling her," began Dr. Crossett, "of a queer----"
"Lola!" Dr. Barnhelm interrupted nervously. "It is very strange, but Ican't find the money! You have not put it anywhere, have you?"
"No, father. I haven't opened the safe for days. Go on with yourstory, Doctor." She turned to him expectantly.
"I tell you," repeated her father, "that the money is gone. I havebeen robbed!"
"Impossible, Martin!" Dr. Crossett crossed the room to him anxiously.
"You saw me put it there yourself! Look!" He pointed to the safe.
"But, since you put it there," exclaimed Dr. Crossett, "we have notleft the room, excepting to our dinner. It must be there."
"It is not!" The Doctor spoke impatiently.
"But, Martin, who could rob you? Who, besides ourselves here, knew ofthe money?"
"What money?" inquired Lola. "Surely you do not mean that you had anylarge sum there?"
"Eight hundred and fifty dollars," replied her father bitterly.
"This lock has not been tampered with," announced Dr. Crossett. "Thesafe has been opened by someone who knew the combination. Who knewit?"
He turned, facing them all. "You, Lola. Who else?"
Lola's eyes met his, quite calmly, then turned and rested upon Maria,and stopped there. One by one the others followed her look, until theywere all looking at Maria, who grew uneasy under their gaze.
"I knew it, yes!" Maria's voice was trembling. She had done nothingwrong, she was sure of that, but the look in their eyes troubled her."Miss Lola taught it to me. I didn't want to learn it, but she mademe. What are you all lookin' at me that way for? You know I ain't athief!"
"Has any stranger been here while we were at dinner?" inquired Dr.Crossett gravely.
"Yes," cried Maria, eagerly. "There was! A woman; a Dago orsomething."
"I saw the woman," said Lola quietly. "She called to see you, father.She was a collector for some Hospital fund. I did not leave the roomwhile she was here."
"Miss Lola!" Maria turned to her. "Didn't you go there for something?Didn't you put the money somewhere to keep it safe? Didn't you take itout, meaning to put it back, and forget?"
"No, Maria. I did not."
"You are all lookin' at me," cried poor Maria, "as if you thought Iwas a thief! Why don't you search me? Why don't you search my things?What do you all stand there for, doin' nothin', and lookin' at me likethat?"
"Maria!" Dr. Barnhelm spoke gravely, but very kindly. "We, all of us,are very fond of you. From the first you have been more like a friendto us than like a servant."
"Oh, don't I know that? Didn't Miss Lola pick me up out of a tenement,a dirty, ragged, hungry little kid? Ain't you done for me what my ownfather and mother never did? Don't you see that's the very reason Icouldn't rob you? I couldn't! I couldn't!"
"I blame myself," said Dr. Barnhelm huskily, "for leaving so large asum of money where a young girl could be tempted by it."
"I have it," exclaimed Dr. Crossett. "Suppose that we, all of us, wereto leave the room for a few moments, eh?" He turned from one toanother, doing his very best to look smiling and unconcerned. "Maria,while we are gone, might hunt about a little, and if she found thismoney and put it back, no one would ever say a word. All would be asit was before."
"I never took it!" Maria's voice was shrill now and in it there was anote of hopelessness.
"Tell them I never took it, Miss Lola! Tell them."
"I have never known Maria to be dishonest, father."
"Maria," Dr. Barnhelm went to her, distressed, appealing. "That moneywas borrowed by me to pay for the electrical apparatus that is torepay me for all the work of my whole life. You know, Maria, how, dayand night, for months and years, I have gone on, changing, adding,destroying, working. I neglected everything and everybody for it. Youknow how much it means to me!"
For a moment she could not answer, although they all stood there,waiting. At last her voice came slowly through the sobs that shook herfrom head to foot:
"You're killing me, that's what you're doing, killing me! Tearing myheart out of me. There ain't a man, nor a woman, in all the world thatI love like I love you! I'd rather be dead a million times than dowhat you think I've done. You are all the good I've ever known, youfolks, but I wish to God I'd never seen you. I wish to God you'd leftme where I was."
"Mon Dieu!" cried Dr. Crossett. "What is a man to think?"
"You all believe I done it," went on Maria, "don't you? You've allsaid so, all but just you." She faced John squarely, but John droppedhis head; he could not meet her eye. "
You think so, too," shecontinued. "You've got to think so, because," she stepped close up tohim, "because the awful part of it is that it was just me--or her!"She raised her hand slowly, pointing at Lola.
"Lola," John turned to her, a queer, hesitating, doubtful tone in hisvoice. "Maria is such a good girl, I--I----"
"Well?"
"There--there is no chance of--of a mistake is there--you--you didnot----"
"No," replied Lola calmly, "I didn't."
"Damn it, Doctor!" John turned to him almost roughly. "Let me pay theeight hundred and fifty, and let's none of us ever think of thisagain."
"You don't think I done it," Maria cried out, "you don't. But you arethe only one. Well, Doctor," she turned to Dr. Crossett desperately,"I'm done. I can't say anything more. What are you going to do?"
"Unless you restore that money to me at once," replied the Doctor,sternly, "I must telephone for a police officer."
"Yes, sir."
"And I warn you that, if he comes, he will take you away with him."
"Yes, sir, but it ain't that I'm thinking of. It ain't even that thenews of me being called a thief has got to go to the man I love. Ican't even think of that right now. It's that you believe it. I--Iwon't try to run away, I'll be in my room there, when you want me."
She left them, and went blindly down the hall and threw herself on herbed. No one could see her now; there was no need to fight back thesobs that were stifling her. Somewhere out on the ocean was a man wholoved her. What would he think of her now? Under this same roof werethe persons who had taught her all that she knew of the good things oflife; to them she was a thief--to them--no--not to all of them! Lola!Lola! She sat up suddenly, dry-eyed; her own words came back to her,"It was just me, or her," and again she said, this time to herself,"That's the awful--awful part of it."
In the front room Dr. Barnhelm turned to John.
"Doctor," he said, "there is what they call a 'plain-clothes man' thatcomes every night to the Athletic Club, as soon as he goes off duty. Icould get him here in ten minutes. He might succeed where we havefailed, and he would keep quiet about it, if I asked him to."
"Get him."
"Shall I get him, Lola?" He turned to her with something like awarning in his voice.
"Why yes, John. I am very fond of Maria, and I want you to makeeverything as easy for her as you can."
"I will be back in fifteen minutes."
He turned and left the room, and the house. He was stunned. Maria didnot take that money! He was sure of that. He could not have told why,but he was sure. There could be no doubt. He had seen the truth in hereyes. If she did not take it--who did? To him also came back Maria'swords, "It was just me--or her." He put that thought out of his mind,or tried to. He must know. If Maria did not do this thing she must notbe allowed to suffer for it, of that alone he was sure. They mustknow! He crossed to Broadway, almost running, and jumped on a downtowncar. It was only a few blocks, but he must return as quickly aspossible.
"How are you, Dorris? Here's a seat."
John looked up at the words and recognized Dr. Rupert.
"Good evening, Doctor. Thank you." He sat down beside the Doctor,keeping his eyes fixed on the passing street signs, anxious that heshould not be taken past his corner.
"It was very kind of your wife, Doctor," he began pleasantly, more tomake conversation than for any other reason, "to do so much to helpMiss Barnhelm this afternoon. I hope that she did not tire herself."
"You haven't been taking a drop too much, have you, John?" exclaimedDr. Rupert, smiling broadly.
"Why?"
"My wife sailed for Europe, Tuesday."