CHAPTER XXII
THE MAN IN THE WOODS
"Oh, Nathalie, what do you think? They have sent for a detective up atthe hotel!" The speaker was Nita, who, with her friend, was sitting onthe veranda of Seven Pillars, a few afternoons subsequent to Nathalie'ssending her letter to Helen.
"A detective?" echoed Nathalie, looking at Nita in surprise. "What for?"
"Why, about those robberies. I told you some time ago how the guestswere missing jewelry and other small articles of value. It has been keptvery quiet, but mother heard this morning that the manager is gettingworried as to who is the thief, and has sent for a secret-service man tocome up and ferret out the mystery. But, Blue Robin," she added, with amore serious expression, "those school friends of yours are not going totake any more French lessons."
"And pray, why not?" demanded Nathalie. Then she ejaculated, "Dear me,what have we done to offend them now?"
"I don't know. But, Nathalie, did you notice the night of the LibertyTea at the hotel, how they sat in a corner, whispering most of the time?I had an uncanny feeling that they were making unkind remarks about us,not that _I care_, for I don't like them anyway," added Nitadisgustedly.
"I'm sorry," said Nathalie regretfully, "for I hate to have Mr. de Brielose any pupils. I imagine they were angry at the last Liberty Cheer,for, you remember, when they joined us we all grew very quiet. Not thatany one meant to be rude, but they are so snobby that they cast a cloudover one's fun."
"Well, I guess Philip can get along without them," returned Nitaconfidently. "Did you notice that he was quite the lion the otherevening? He cast the Count quite into the shade, for every one fell inlove with him."
"Yes, he can be very charming," acquiesced Nathalie, "for he is sodistinguished-looking in his uniform of a British lieutenant. Mothersays that in his manners he combines the fineness of an Americangentleman with the courtesy and charm of a Frenchman. I am sorry abouthis arm, for the doctor says he will always have to carry it stiffly.
"But, Nita," continued Nathalie, "I just adore that big doctor friend ofyours. What do you think? I was worrying about his calling so many timeson Philip, for I was afraid that my 'drop in the bucket' would not beenough to pay the bill, and of course Philip wouldn't have enough fromhis earnings to pay it. Finally I wrote the doctor to send his bill tome. And oh, Nita, he wrote me a love of a letter, in which he said thathe never charged girls anything. And as for Mr. de Brie, he consideredit his great privilege to be allowed to give his services to a man whohad given the best of himself to give liberty to the world. Oh, I thinkhe is just the dearest old thing!" ended the girl enthusiastically.
"Oh, I knew he would do _that_," answered Nita, with a wise littlesmile, "for he has the best heart in the world."
"But listen," went on her companion earnestly. "Janet told Philip aboutit, excusing herself by saying that he was worrying over the bill, andthat she wanted to relieve his mind."
"Of course she did," giggled Nita, "for one can see with half an eyewhat is going on in that direction for it is a clear case of 'spoons,'all right."
"Do you really think so?" cried Nathalie with sudden animation. "Why, Isuggested something of that kind to mother, and she said I was a silly.Well, they were made for one another. Why, Philip just adores the groundshe walks on, and as for Janet, it's just a guessing game as to how shefeels. But, to go on with my tale," continued the girl. "As soon asPhilip heard what Janet had to tell, he came straight to me, and, with avoice that fairly shook with emotion, said that my kindness to him wouldbe one of the unforgettable things in his life. Of course I had to makelight of the matter, for I saw the poor fellow was terribly affectedover it. Oh, I do hope things will brighten for him this fall, for he isgoing to the city, to make an attempt to get some pupils to tutor untilhis health is better. You know," she added, dropping her voice, "I thinkthere must have been some mystery about his grandmother, or his family,for although he loves to come down here and be one of us,--he says it isso homey with us,--he never says a word about her or his family."
Nita had been reading to Miss Whipple, and Nathalie had been tying upsweet peas, one morning a few days after Nita's news about thedetective, and the two girls were on their homeward way, when Nathaliesuddenly exclaimed with a little burst of laughter, "Oh, Nita, I havesomething funny to tell you."
"Well, tell it to me then," rejoined her companion somewhat dolefully,"for although I have something to tell you, alas, it is anything butfunny."
"Oh, is it about Philip?" cried Nathalie, a sudden premonition of evildarkening the golden lights of her eyes. "Or are any more of the girlsgoing to give up taking French lessons?"
"It is worse than _that_," answered Nita, with such grave import in hervoice that Nathalie stared at her with big eyes as she cried, "Oh, Nita!do hurry and tell me. Have those girls--"
"Yes, those girls, your friends--"
"Please don't call them my friends," pleaded poor Nathalie tremulously,"for they are anything but friends."
"So it seems," nodded Nita dryly, "for they have told--well, just aboutevery one in the house--that they suspect that Mr. de Brie is the thiefwho has been robbing the hotel. You know he has been giving them privatelessons. Nelda declares that she believes Philip took her watch,--it waslying on the table when she left the room to answer a 'phone call fromthe office. Justine was out riding with the Count. When Nelda returnedthe watch was gone. Five other girls came to me this morning and told methat they were not going to take any more lessons.
"These girls have circulated all over the house," continued Nitagloomily, "that Philip is an impostor; that you picked him up withoutknowing anything about him and that he is not a British soldier at all.O dear! how hateful people can act! And the clerk of the hotel--Well, heinformed me this morning that the Profile House had sent word that theydid not care to have Philip speak to their guests, as people were tiredof hearing about the war."
"Nita, this is terrible! Oh, I know Philip is not an impostor,"protested Nathalie with a dismayed face. "Why, Nita, he showed me aletter written to him by a soldier at the front, and he called himLieutenant de Brie. And where could he have gotten his uniform if he isan impostor? Oh, I just believe those horrid, hateful girls have madethe whole thing up." Nathalie stopped, suddenly remembering that she wasnot speaking kindly, and not living up to her motto. She gave a longsigh, and then asked, "But, Nita, have you heard anything more about thedetective coming up from the city?"
"Yes. Oh! there he is now, coming down the walk," cried Nita, loweringher voice. Then she added, with a laugh, "Talk of the angels and you'llhear the flutter of their wings."
"Well, he doesn't look much like an angel," answered Nathalie, her eyeslighting humorously, as she watched a stout, red-faced man with a sandymoustache coming down the path towards them.
As the gentleman under discussion approached the girls he lifted his hatcourteously, as he said, "I beg your pardon, but could you tell me how Ican reach the top of Garnet? I understand that there are several trailsup the mountain, but could you tell me which one would be the best oneto ascend?"
The girls made no reply for a moment, assailed by the miserable fearthat the man was going up the mountain to trail Philip. Then Nathalie,with an effort, turned and pointed down the road, explaining in a fewwords that one of the trails started in near the Grand View road.
As the man thanked her and walked slowly on, Nathalie drew a deepbreath, while a troubled light shone in Nita's eyes, as she cried, "Oh,do you suppose he is going to arrest Philip?" She spoke in ahalf-whisper.
"Arrest Philip? Why, the idea of such a thing! No, of course not,"Nathalie answered determinedly, as if she was not going to allow herselfto become frightened. "Philip has committed no crime. That man can'tarrest him unless he has some evidence, and where is he going to getit?"
Nita made no reply, and the two girls, depressed by the unpleasantoccurrence, and the vague fear that trouble was brewing for theirfriend, sat dow
n in one of the summer-houses near the board-walk. Herethey sat in silence for a few moments, and then Nathalie, as ifdetermined to throw off the depression that assailed her, cried, "Oh,Nita, I have not told you the funny thing."
"Well, tell it to me, then; for I think it will take something realcomical to get me out of the blues."
"It is about Tony," explained Nathalie. "You know the child is obsessedwith the desire to have me find the mystery thing. Well, the other dayDanny came running to tell me that Tony was rolling on the floor withthe colic. I was alarmed, for I immediately thought he had been eatinggreen apples, the way Sheila did the other day, and mother had topoultice her with mustard.
"I flew to his room and there was the little fellow moaning andsquirming about, apparently in great pain. When he saw me he immediatelybegged me to put a mustard plaster on his stomach. I was surprised, forgenerally children will suffer quite a little before they will have oneon. I found some old linen,--mother was out,--hurried down to thekitchen closet, and got the mustard-box.
"But when I opened it, imbedded in the yellow, powdery stuff, wassomething that glittered strangely. I shook the box, and out rolled alittle gold coin. I carefully examined it, and immediately saw that itwas an ancient Roman coin, for although one side was so blurred and wornwith age that I could not decipher anything on it, the other side borethe name and head of Caesar within a circle of fine gold beading.
"Something immediately told me that the coin belonged to Tony, and thathe had placed it there so I would find it, for, not long ago he lostsomething from his vest-pocket,--he keeps all of his treasures sewed upin that old vest. Danny had helped him look for it,--it had slipped outof a hole,--and after it had been found he came and told me about it,describing it as a little round piece of gold, the kind that you see, hesaid, up in the museum at Central Park.
"I made the plaster and carried it, with the coin, up to Tony, butbefore I put on the poultice I showed him the gold piece and asked if itwas not his. But the little chap, with a bland and innocent expression,vowed that he had never seen it. No amount of coaxing or persuasioncould make him confess to the truth. You know that is the great troubleI have with Tony, he will tell _teeny little stories_." Nathalie sigheddolefully.
"Although I was sure that he didn't have any colic, and that the wholething was just a trick to get me to look in the mustard-box to find thecoin, I put the plaster on, and made him stay in bed, thinking that whenit got to burning that he would 'fess up.' But he didn't, and althoughhe howled and writhed with the sting of it,--while I was reading him alecture on the sin of lying,--I told the story of Ananias andSapphira,--he stuck it out. Then, finally, my conscience wouldn't let metorture the boy any longer, and I took the plaster off. That night whilehe was asleep I found his old vest, and after putting the coin in thepocket, sewed it up."
After the girls had laughed over the incident, Nathalie startedhomeward, her mind full of dismal forebodings in regard to Philip. "Oh,I wish I could prove in some way that he is not an impostor. But supposehe should be?" The girl came to a sudden halt. Then, with her eyes fullof a strange bright light, she went on. No, she just knew that Philipwas good and true.
"But I must do something," she half moaned. "For how dreadfully he willfeel if he thinks that people believe him a thief; and he will soon knowsomething is wrong, when all the girls stop taking lessons. But Nita andI will have to pretend that the season is drawing to a close,--as it is.But, O dear! he does need the money so much. And Janet,--how it willhurt her, for I am sure she cares--" the girl halted at the thought, forit seemed too sacred a thing even to whisper to herself. Then she wasbusy again, trying to think how she could prove that her friend was whathe claimed to be.
As she unconsciously uttered her thoughts aloud, by some mysteriousprocess of thought, or strange correlation between mind and matter,before her mental vision flashed the picture of a dark wood, lighted bygleams of moonlight that filtered through the tall tree-tops. In theforeground of a forest-gloomed retreat, in front of a high rock, a manwas digging in the ground, plainly seen by the yellow flickerings from aburning torch that had been stuck upright in the ground, a few feetaway.
Although the girl reasoned and tried to convince herself that there wasno possible connection between that man and the thief at the hotel, shecould not drive the impression from her mind. On going home shequestioned Jean, and found that he, too, still vividly remembered theincident.
That night Nathalie could not sleep, for she was haunted by the pictureof the man in the woods, although she hurled every name she could thinkof at herself for being so foolish. The next night again found hersleepless, but when morning dawned, as if pursued and driven by thehaunting vision, she called the boys together, and stated thecircumstances to them. She did not tell her mother, as _she_ would saythat she was losing her reason, and, well, she was determined to findout--_something_.
Early the following morning, before any one had gone through the woods,Nathalie and the boys met Nita at the Red Trail; she had been taken intotheir confidence, and accordingly was weirdly and thrillingly excited.They soon reached the seat-tree, and then, after locating the big rock,they all began to dig.
They had dug for almost an hour, by Nita's wristwatch, and then, feelingtired, and on the verge of absolute despair, were talking about givingthe whole thing up, when all at once Jean's little terrier began toscratch in the ground on one side of the rock, and partly under it. Jeangave a queer little cry as he watched Tige, and the next moment haddriven the dog away, and had begun to dig as furiously as he could withhis one hand, in the place where the dog had been scratching up theearth.
Nathalie watched him listlessly, for she had abandoned all hope, andfelt utterly weary, too, after her two sleepless nights. Suddenly Jeangave a loud shout, and then a moment later they had all rushed to hisside, and presently were boring down into the earth under the rock asquickly as they could, to unearth in a few moments a gold chain. Nitagave a loud scream as she snatched it from Danny, for she immediatelyrecognized it as belonging to an old lady at the hotel, who had beenbemoaning its loss. A few moments' digging, and then, with pale faces,in repressed excitement, they replaced the chain in the hole, covered itwith dirt, so as to make it appear that the spot had not been disturbed,and then they started home, stopping to rest on the stone ledge ofLiberty Fort, while discussing their discovery. It was enough to exciteany one, and might mean a great deal to Philip.
Nita was quite insistent at first that they should immediately tell themanager of the hotel what they had seen. But Nathalie demurred,convinced, on second thought, that if the jewelry was found hidden up inthe woods, because Philip lived up on the mountain, every one would saythat that was sure proof that he was the thief. "No," declared the girldeterminedly, "we can't do that; but we will have to come up here andwatch for the man so we can identify him." This plan was finally decidedupon, and the little party, seething with suppressed excitement underthe weight of their momentous secret, returned home.
That night Nathalie, Danny, and Jean stole up the trail. Strange to say,it was again a moonlight night, the same as a month ago, when the manhad been seen by Nathalie and Jean. After finding the seat-tree they allsat down and waited, alternately dozing and waking, but although theyremained until the first streaks of gray dawn appeared, nothinghappened.
The following night, Jean--Nathalie had put the boy to bed for the day,letting her mother think that he had one of his headaches to which hewas subject--and Tony accompanied the girl to the tree. But alas, forthe second time nothing came to pass. Nathalie began to be discouraged.Fortunately it rained that night, and, as they could not venture out,they all had a good night's rest.
The fourth night again found the girl with the boys at her post,oppressed and miserable, for by this time she began to fear that the manin the woods was a snare and a delusion,--something she had dreamed, orelse he had gone. But why did he leave that jewelry behind?--for thechildren had discovered that there were other pieces hidden in thathole, or
very near it.
All at once--Nathalie had fallen quite sound asleep--Jean gave her apinch; he was snuggling up against her, seated on her lap. The girlopened her eyes sleepily, rubbed them drowsily, and then stretched themwide, caught by the gleam of a light over by the rock. Yes, the man wasthere! Her heart leaped excitedly, for he was digging under the rock,just where they had found the jewelry!
With stilled breath, the three figures, hidden by the tree, watched him,Nathalie's mind keeping up an incessant query as to how she could stealaround behind the rock to get a view of his face. Ah, that queer shakingof the head! Who was it that she had seen who had that peculiar nervousaffliction? And then, in a sudden revelation, she knew! It was the manwho had stared at her so rudely in the post-office, the man who hadrepaired her automobile. Why, it was the man known as _the Count_!