CHAPTER VI
Dick Herbert lay stretched lazily on a couch in his room with handspressed to his eyes. He had just read the Sunday newspapers announcingthe mysterious return of the Randolph plate, and naturally he had aheadache. Somewhere in a remote recess of his brain mental pyrotechnicswere at play; a sort of intellectual pinwheel spouted senseless ideasand suggestions of senseless ideas. The late afternoon shaded off intotwilight, twilight into dusk, dusk into darkness, and still he laymotionless.
After a while, from below, he heard the tinkle of a bell and Blairentered with light tread:
"Beg pardon, sir, are you asleep?"
"Who is it, Blair?"
"Mr. Hatch, sir."
"Let him come up."
Dick arose, snapped on the electric lights, and stood blinkingly in thesudden glare. When Hatch entered they faced each other silently for amoment. There was that in the reporter's eyes that interested Dickimmeasurably; there was that in Dick's eyes that Hatch was trying vainlyto fathom. Dick relieved a certain vague tension by extending his lefthand. Hatch shook it cordially.
"Well?" Dick inquired.
Hatch dropped into a chair and twirled his hat.
"Heard the news?" he asked.
"The return of the gold plate, yes," and Dick passed a hand across hisfevered brow. "It makes me dizzy."
"Heard anything from Miss Meredith?"
"No. Why?"
"She returned to the Greytons last night."
"Returned to the----" and Dick started up suddenly. "Well, there's noreason why she shouldn't have," he added. "Do you happen to know whereshe was?"
The reporter shook his head.
"I don't know anything," he said wearily, "except----" he paused.
Dick paced back and forth across the room several times with one handpressed to his forehead. Suddenly he turned on his visitor.
"Except what?" he demanded.
"Except that Miss Meredith, by action and word, has convinced me thatshe either had a hand in the disappearance of the Randolph plate or elseknows who was the cause of its disappearance."
Dick glared at him savagely.
"You know she didn't take the plate?" he demanded.
"Certainly," replied the reporter. "That's what makes it all the moreastonishing. I talked to her this afternoon, and when I finished sheseemed to think I had come to arrest her, and she wanted to go to jail.I nearly fainted."
Dick glared incredulously, then resumed his nervous pacing. Suddenly hestopped.
"Did she mention my name?"
"I mentioned it. She wouldn't admit even that she knew you."
There was a pause.
"I don't blame her," Dick remarked enigmatically. "She must think me acad."
Another pause.
"Well, what about it all, anyhow?" Dick went on finally. "The plate hasbeen returned, therefore the matter is at an end."
"Now look here, Dick," said Hatch. "I want to say something, and don'tgo crazy, please, until I finish. I know an awful lot about thisaffair--things the police never will know. I haven't printed anythingmuch for obvious reasons."
Dick looked at him apprehensively.
"Go on," he urged.
"I could print things I know," the reporter resumed; "swear out awarrant for you in connection with the gold plate affair and have youarrested and convicted on your own statements, supplemented by those ofMiss Meredith. Yet, remember, please, neither your name nor hers hasbeen mentioned as yet."
Dick took it calmly; he only stared.
"Do you believe that I stole the plate?" he asked.
"Certainly I do not," replied Hatch, "but I can prove that you _did_;prove it to the satisfaction of any jury in the world, and no denial ofyours would have any effect."
"Well?" asked Dick, after a moment.
"Further, I can, on information in my possession, swear out a warrantfor Miss Meredith, prove she was in the automobile, and convict her asyour accomplice. Now that's a silly state of affairs, isn't it?"
"But, man, you can't believe that she had anything to do with it!She's--she's not that kind."
"I could take oath that she didn't have anything to do with it, but allthe same I can prove that she did," replied Hatch. "Now what I amgetting at is this: if the police should happen to find out what I knowthey would send you up--both of you."
"Well, you are decent about it, old man, and I appreciate it," said Dickwarmly. "But what can we do?"
"It behoves us--Miss Meredith and you and myself--to get the true factsin the case all together before you get pinched," said the reporterjudicially. "Suppose now, just suppose, that we three get together andtell each other the truth for a change, the whole truth, and see whatwill happen?"
"If I should tell you the truth," said Dick dispassionately, "it wouldbring everlasting disgrace on Miss Meredith, and I'd be a beast fordoing it; if she told you the truth she would unquestionably send me toprison for theft."
"But here----" Hatch expostulated.
"Just a minute!" Dick disappeared into another room, leaving thereporter to chew on what he had, then returned in a little while,dressed for the street. "Now, Hatch," he said, "I'm going to try to getto Miss Meredith, but I don't believe she'll see me. If she will, I maybe able to explain several things that will clear up this affair in_your_ mind, at any rate. If I don't see her---- By the way, did herfather arrive from Baltimore?"
"Yes."
"Good!" exclaimed Dick. "I'll see him, too--make a show-down of it, andwhen it's all over I'll let you know what happened."
Hatch went back to his shop and threatened to kick the office-boy intothe waste-basket.
At just about that moment Mr. Meredith, in the Greyton home, was readinga card on which appeared the name, "Mr. Richard Hamilton Herbert."Having read it, he snorted his indignation and went into thereception-room. Dick arose to greet him and offered a hand, which waspromptly declined.
"I'd like to ask you, Mr. Meredith," Dick began with a certain steelycoldness in his manner, "just why you object to my attention to yourdaughter, Dorothy?"
"You know well enough!" raged the old man.
"It is because of the trouble I had in Harvard with your son, Harry.Well and good, but is that all? Is that to stand forever?"
"You proved then that you were not a gentleman," declared the old mansavagely. "You're a puppy, sir."
"Mr. Meredith ... was reading a card on which appearedthe name 'Mr. Richard Hamilton Herbert'"]
"If you didn't happen to be the father of the girl I'm in love with I'dpoke you in the nose," Dick replied, almost cheerfully. "Where is yourson now? Is there no way I can place myself right in your eyes?"
"No!" Mr. Meredith thundered. "An apology would only be a confession ofyour dishonour!"
Dick was nearly choking, but managed to keep his voice down.
"Does your daughter know anything of that affair?"
"Certainly not."
"Where is your son?"
"None of your business, sir!"
"I don't suppose there's any doubt in your mind of my affection for yourdaughter?"
"I suppose you do admire her," snapped the old man. "You can't helpthat, I suppose. No one can," he added naively.
"And I suppose you know that she loves me, in spite of your objections?"went on the young man.
"Bah! Bah!"
"And that you are breaking her heart by your mutton-headed objection tome?"
"You--you----" sputtered Mr. Meredith.
Dick was still calm.
"May I see Miss Meredith for a few minutes?" he went on.
"She won't see you, sir," stormed the irate parent. "She told me lastnight that she would never consent to see you again."
"Will you give me your permission to see her here and now, if she willconsent?" Dick insisted steadily.
"She won't see you, I say."
"May I send a card to her?"
"She won't see you, sir," repeated Mr. Meredith doggedly.
Dick stepped out into th
e hall and beckoned to the maid.
"Please take my card to Miss Meredith," he directed.
The maid accepted the white square, with a little uplifting of herbrows, and went up the stairs. Miss Meredith received it languidly, readit, then sat up indignantly.
"Dick Herbert!" she exclaimed incredulously. "How dare he come here?It's the most audacious thing I ever heard of! Certainly I will not seehim again in any circumstances." She arose and glared defiantly at thedemure maid. "Tell Mr. Herbert," she said emphatically, "tell him--thatI'll be right down."