CHAPTER XXXII.
AMY HOLMES CONFESSES.
"You say that you have seen Mamie Rutger at the theater," began theunwilling narrator, rather ungraciously, "and so I should think youwouldn't need to be told why she ran away from home. She wanted to go onthe stage, and so did Nellie Ewing. Every country girl in christendomwants to be an actress, and if she has a pretty face and a decent voiceshe feels sure that she can succeed. The girls had both been told thatthey were pretty, and they could both sing, so they ran away to come outat the Little Adelphi.
"Mamie took to the business like a duck to water. Nellie got sick andblue and whimsical, and has not appeared at the theater for severalweeks. They live at 349 B---- place."
I made a careful note of the address, and then said:
"Well, proceed."
"Proceed! what more do you want to know? I have told you why they ranaway and where to find them."
This was too much. My wrath must have manifested itself in face andvoice, for she winced under my gaze and made no further attempt tobaffle or evade me.
"I want to know who devised the villainous plot to allure two innocentcountry girls away from home and friends! Who set you on as decoy andtemptress, and what reward did you receive? There are men or scoundrelsconnected with this affair; who are they; and what means have they usedto bring about such a misfortune to the girls and their friends? Tellthe _whole_ truth, and remember what I have said. If you evade, omit,equivocate, _I shall know it_!"
"Will you give me time?" she faltered.
"Not ten minutes. Do you want time to telegraph to Arch Brookhouse? Itwill be useless; he is in the hands of the detectives, and no messagecan reach him."
"What has Arch done?" she cried, excitedly. "He is not the one to beblamed."
"He has done enough to put him out of the way of mischief. You have seenthe last of Arch Brookhouse."
"But Fred is the man who set this thing going!"
"Very likely. And Arch and Louis Brookhouse were the brothers to helphim. What about Johnny La Porte and Ed. Dwight? You see I know too much.There are two officers down-stairs. If you have not finished your story,and told it to my satisfaction, before half-past four, I will call themup and hand you over to them. It is _now_ ten minutes to four."
She favored me with a glance full of impotent hatred, sat quite silentfor a long moment, during which I sat before her with a careless glancefixed on my watch.
Then she began:
"I worked at the Little Adelphi over a year ago. There was a hot rivalrybetween us, the Gayety, and the 'Frolique.' Fred Brookhouse was managingalone then; _Storms_--only came into partnership in the Spring.
"During the winter the Gayety brought out some new attractions,--I meannew to the profession; no old names that had been billed and billed, butyoung girls with fresh faces and pretty voices. They were new in thebusiness, and the 'old stagers,' especially the faded and cracked-voicedones, said that they would fail, they would hurt the business. But themanagers knew better. They knew that pretty, youthful faces were thethings most thought of in the varieties. And the 'freshness' of the newperformers was only another attraction to green-room visitors. Nobodyknew where these new girls came from, and nobody could find out; butthey _drew_, and the Little Adelphi lost customers, who went over to the'Gayety.'
"Fred Brookhouse was angry, and he began to study how he should outdothe 'Gayety,' and 'put out' the new attractions.
"At the carnival season, Arch and Louis Brookhouse came down; and wegot to be very good friends. Do you mean to use anything that I say tomake me trouble?" she broke off, abruptly.
"Not if you tell the entire truth and spare nobody."
"Then I will tell it just as it happened. Arch and Fred and I weretogether one day after rehearsal. I was a favorite at the theater, andFred consulted me sometimes. Fred wanted some fresh attractions, andwondered how they got the new girls at the 'Gayety.' And I told him thatI thought they might have been 'recruited.' He did not seem tounderstand, and I explained that there were managers who paid acommission to persons who would get them young, pretty, bright girls,who could sing a little, for the first part, and for green-room talent.
"I told him that I knew of an old variety actress who went into thecountry for a few weeks in the Summer, and picked up girls for thevariety business. They were sometimes poor girls who 'worked out,' andwere glad of a chance to earn an easier living, and sometimes daughtersof well-to-do people; girls who were romantic or ambitious,stage-struck, and easily flattered.
"Fred asked me how I knew all this, and I told him that I was roped intothe business in just that way."
"Was that true?"
"Yes; it was true," a dark shade crossing her face. "But never mind me.Fred asked me if I knew where to go to find three or four pretty girls.He said he did not want '_biddies_;' they must be young and pretty; mustbe fair singers, and have nice manners. He could get gawks in plenty. Hewanted lively young girls who would be interesting and attractive. Somenew idea seemed to strike Arch Brookhouse. He took Fred aside, andby-and-by they called Louis, and the three talked a long time.
"The next day, Arch and Louis came to me. They knew where to find justthe girls that would suit Fred, but it would be some trouble to getthem. Then they told me all about the Groveland girls; Nellie and hersister, Mamie, Grace Ballou and one or two others. Arch knew Nellie andGrace. Louis seemed particularly interested in Mamie.
"Fred is a reckless fellow, and he would spend any amount to outdo the'Gayety,' and he seemed infatuated with the new scheme for gettingtalent. Besides, he knew that he could pay them what he liked; theywould not be clamoring for high salaries. He agreed to pay my expensesNorth if I would get the girls for him.
"Arch and Louis went home, and we corresponded about the business.Finally, Arch wrote that three of the girls would attend school atAmora, the Spring term, and it was settled that I should attend also.
"I rather liked the prospect. Fred fitted me out in good style, and Iwent.
"Of course I soon found how to manage the girls. Mamie Rutger was ripefor anything new, and she did not like her step-mother. She was easy tohandle.
"Grace was vain and easily influenced. She thought she could run awayand create a sensation at home, and come back after a while to astonishthe natives with her success as an actress.
"Nellie Ewing was more difficult to manage, but I found out that she wasdesperately in love with Johnny La Porte. Johnny had begun by being inlove with Nellie, but her silly devotion had tired him, and besides, heis fickle by nature.
"I told Arch that if we got Nellie, it would have to be through LaPorte. Arch knew how to manage La Porte, who was vain, and pridedhimself upon being a 'masher.' He thought to be mixed up in asensational love affair, would add to his fame as a dangerous fellow. Hesang a good tenor, and often sang duets with Nellie.
"Louis Brookhouse had a chum named Ed. Dwight; Ed. had been, or claimedto have been, a song and dance man. _I_ don't think he was ever anythingmore than an amateur, but he was perpetually dancing jigs, and singingcomic songs, and went crazy over a minstrel show.
"Louis used to take Grace out for an occasional drive, and one day heintroduced Ed. to Mamie.
"After a time, Arch and Louis thought they could better their originalplan. Arch is a shrewd fellow, with a strong will, and he could justwind Johnny La Porte around his finger. Johnny took him for a model, forArch was a stylish fellow, who knew all the ropes, and had seen a dealof the world; and Johnny, while he had been a sort of prince among theGrovelanders, had never had a taste of town life.
"Arch managed Johnny, and _he_ managed Nellie Ewing."
She paused, and something in her face made me say, sternly:
"How did Johnny La Porte manage Nellie Ewing?" and then I glancedominously at my watch, which I still held in my hand.
She moved uneasily, and averted her eyes.
"Nellie was conscientious," she resumed, reluctantly. "She had all sortsof scruples. But Johnny told her that he was
to go South and study lawwith his mother's cousin, who lived in New Orleans. He said that hedared not marry until he had finished his studies, but if she wouldmarry him privately, and keep the marriage a secret, she could go Southand they would not be separated.
"She agreed to this, and the ceremony was performed. After it was over,he told her that he had just discovered that he would be subject toarrest under some new marriage law, and that they would be separated ifit became known.
"And then he persuaded her to come here before him and work at theLittle Adelphi; telling her that if her father found her there theywould not suspect him, and as soon as his studies were over he wouldclaim her openly."
Again she hesitated.
"And was this precious programme carried out?" I demanded.
"Yes. It was a long time before Nellie consented, but a little cooltreatment from Johnny brought her to terms. She got away very nicely. Ipresume you know something about that."
"Never mind what I know. How did she get rid of her horse after leavingMrs. Ballou's house?"
"Not far from Mrs. Ballou's there is a small piece of timber. Johnny wasthere with his team and he had a fellow with him who took charge of thepony. Johnny drove Nellie ten miles towards Amora, driving at fullspeed. There Ed. Dwight, with his machine wagon, waited, and Nellie wastaken by Ed. into Amora. On the way she put on some black clothes and abig black veil. At Amora, Louis Brookhouse was waiting. They got therejust in time to catch the midnight express, and were almost at theirjourney's end before Nellie was missed."
"Stop. You have said that Nellie Ewing has not been at the theater oflate; has been blue, and ill. What has caused all this?"
She colored hotly, and a frightened look crept into her eyes.
"You are not to hold me to blame?"
"Not if you answer me truly."
"One night I had come home from the theater with Nellie, and she begancrying because Johnny did not come as he had promised, and did not writeoften enough. I was tired and cross, and I suppose I had taken too muchwine. I forgot myself, and told her that Johnny had hired a man topersonate a parson, and that she was not married at all. She broke downentirely after that."
I sprang to my feet, for the moment forgetting that the creature beforeme was a woman. I wanted to take her by the throat and fling her fromthe window.
"Go on!" I almost shouted. "Go on; my patience is nearly exhausted. IsNellie Ewing seriously ill?"
"She is fretting and pining; she thinks she is dying, and she lovesJohnny La Porte as much as ever."
"And Mamie Rutger?"
"She was glad to run away. One evening when every body about the farmwas busy, she waited at the front gate for Ed. Dwight. People were usedto the sight of his covered wagon, and it was the last thing to suspect.But Mamie Rutger went from her father's gate in that wagon, and she andDwight drove boldly to Sharon, and both took the midnight train as theothers did at Amora.
"Ed. only went a short distance with Mamie; he came back the nextmorning. Mamie was plucky enough to come on alone."
"And then you and Grace Ballou tried to elope?"
"Yes."
"Well, I won't trouble you to tell you that story. I know all about it.Now, listen to me. I have registered you here as my sister, and you aregoing to stay here for one week a prisoner. You are to speak to no one,write to no one. You will be constantly watched, and if you attempt todisobey me you know the consequences. As soon as Mr. Rutger and 'SquireEwing arrive I will set you at liberty, and no one shall harm you; butuntil then you must remain in your own room, and see no one except in mypresence."
"But you promised--"
"I shall keep my promise, but choose my own time."
"But the theater--"
"You can write them a note stating that you are going to leave the cityfor a little recreation. You may send a similar note to Mamie andNellie."
"You are not treating me fairly."
"I am treating you better than you deserve. Did you deal fairly atAmora and Groveland? If I were not morally sure that such crimes asyours must be punished sooner or later, I should not dare set you free."