CHAPTER VIII _A Confession_
It was a little after nine o'clock the following morning that Mary Louiseand Jane set off for Dark Cedars. The money was safely hidden in MaryLouise's blouse, and Silky was told to come along for protection.
"I'll never leave him home again," said Mary Louise. "Miss Grant willhave to get used to him. But when we tell her about last night I guessshe'll think he's a pretty wonderful dog."
"I dreamed about bandits and robbers," remarked Jane, with a shudder. "Nomore night adventures for me!"
"Well, it was worth it, wasn't it? Think of the pleasure of clearingElsie of suspicion!"
"It won't, though. Her aunt will insist that she took that gold."
"We're going to get that back too," asserted Mary Louise confidently.
"By the way," observed Jane, "Norman tried to make me promise we'd driveover to the Park with them this afternoon and have our supper there,after a swim. I said I'd let him know."
Mary Louise shook her head.
"We can't make dates, Jane. It's out of the question, for we don't knowwhat may turn up. I want to investigate the Pearsons today. Thatdisagreeable Corinne may have had a part in the theft.... I'm sorry nowthat we promised the boys we'd go on that picnic."
"That picnic's going to be fun! You know what marvelous swimming there isdown by Cooper's woods. And don't forget the gypsies! I love to have myfortune told."
"Yes, that's fun, I admit. But a whole day----"
"Oh, well, maybe we'll solve the whole crime today! And maybe Miss Grantwill let us take Elsie with us, now that she has some nice dresses."
Mary Louise's eyes brightened.
"That is an idea, Jane. I'll ask Miss Grant today--as our reward forreturning her money."
The increasing heat of the day and the steepness of the climb to DarkCedars made the girls long for that swimming pool in the amusement park,and Jane at least wished that they were going with the boys. But oneglance at her chum's determined face made her realize that such a hopewas not to be fulfilled.
Both girls felt hot and sticky when they finally mounted the porch stepsat Dark Cedars and pulled the old-fashioned knocker on the wooden door.It was opened almost immediately by Hannah, who evidently had beenworking right there in the front of the house.
The woman looked hot and disturbed, as if she had been working fast,under pressure.
"Good-morning," said Mary Louise brightly. "May we see Miss Grant,Hannah?"
"I don't know," replied the servant. "She's all of a fluster. We're atsixes and sevens here this mornin'. The ghosts walked last night."
"What ghosts?" asked Mary Louise, trying to repress a smile.
"You know. Elsie's told you about 'em. The spirits that wanders throughthis house at night, mussin' up things. They had a party all over thedownstairs last night."
"Hannah!" exclaimed Jane. "You know that isn't possible. If there was adisturbance, it was caused by human beings. Burglars."
The woman shook her head.
"You don't know nuthin' about it! If it was burglars, why wasn'tsomethin' stolen?"
"Wasn't anything stolen?" demanded Mary Louise incredulously. "Not MissGrant's bonds?"
"Nope. They're all there--safe. Pictures was taken down--old picturesthat must-a belonged to the spirits when they was alive. That old desk inthe corner of the dinin' room--the one that belonged to Miss Mattie'sfather--was rummaged through, and all the closets was upset. But nuthin'smissin'!"
"It looks as if somebody were searching for a will," remarked Jane. "Youknow--'the lost will' you so often read about."
"There ain't no will in this house," Hannah stated. "Miss Mattie givehers to Mr. John Grant to keep, long ago. No, ma'am, it ain't nateralwhat's goin' on here, and William and I are movin' out----"
"What's this? What's this?" interrupted the shrill, high voice of the oldlady. "What are you gossiping about, Hannah? And to whom?"
"I'm just tellin' them two young girls--the ones that come here before,you know----"
"Well, never mind!" snapped the spinster. "We haven't time to bother withthem this morning. Tell them to run along and not to take up Elsie'stime, either. She's got plenty to do."
Jane laughed sarcastically.
"Somebody ought to teach that woman manners," she whispered to MaryLouise. "Serve her right if we didn't give her the money!"
Her chum smiled. "We couldn't be so cruel," she replied. "Besides, itwouldn't be honest." She raised her voice. "Miss Grant, we have somemoney for you."
"Money? My money?" The old lady's voice was as eager as a child's. Forthe moment she forgot all about the pain in her side and came downstairsmore rapidly than she had done for many a day.
Both girls watched her in surprise. She looked different today--muchyounger. Instead of the somber old black sateen which she usually wore,she was dressed in a gray gown of soft, summery material, and her cheekswere flushed a pale pink. Her black eyes were alight with vivacity.
"You're not fooling me?" she demanded fearfully.
Mary Louise reached into her blouse and produced the roll of bills.
"No, Miss Grant. We have eight hundred dollars here--your money! Thenumbers on the bills correspond to the figures you gave me."
"Where's the other fifty?" asked the woman greedily. "Did you keep ityourselves?"
"No, of course not. We don't know where it is. But if you sit down, MissGrant, we'll tell you our story."
The spinster reached out her hand for the roll of money and clasped it aslovingly as a mother might fondle her lost child.
"Come into the parlor," she said, leading the way from the hall, "andtell me all about it."
The girls followed her into the ugly room with its old-fashionedfurniture, and saw for themselves the chaos which Hannah had beendescribing. Instinctively Mary Louise glanced at the windows to determinehow an intruder could enter, for she did not believe Hannah's story ofthe ghosts. Although the shutters were half closed, she could see thatthe catch on the side window had been broken. But everything in thishouse was so dilapidated that perhaps no one had noticed it.
When they were all seated, Jane told the story of the previous evening'sadventure, stressing the part that Silky had played at the end. MissGrant was impressed and actually asked to see the wonderful little dog.Mary Louise replied that he was waiting for them on the porch.
"So it was Harry Grant after all!" the old lady muttered. "I'm notsurprised. But I still believe Elsie had some part in it--and got thegold pieces for herself. She'd rather have them than the paper money."
"Oh no, Miss Grant!" protested Mary Louise. "We're going to track themdown too. We want to go over to Harry Grant's now, if you'll write us anote of introduction and explanation. He may have the gold at hishouse--it isn't likely that he'd carry it around."
"Possibly. But I don't believe I'll write a note--I think I'll go alongwith you! I want to talk to that good-for-nothing nephew of minemyself--if he's home. And he probably is, since you got the money....Yes, and I'm going to put this money and my bonds in the bank!" Shehesitated a moment. "If you girls get me back that other fifty-dollarbill, I'll give you a reward."
"We don't want a reward, Miss Grant," objected Mary Louise. "If you'lljust let us take Elsie with us to a picnic the young people in Riversideare planning, we'll be satisfied."
"I'll think about it," replied the woman. "Hannah!" she called. "You goup and get my bonnet, and a brown paper package that's underneath it inthe box. I'm going to Riverside."
"You ain't a-goin' a walk, Miss Mattie?" demanded the servant in horror.
"Of course I am. I haven't any car. John may not be over for severaldays."
"But your side----"
"Fiddlesticks! Do as you're told, Hannah."
The girls hated to leave without seeing Elsie, but they knew that Hannahwould tell her what had happened. Besides, they would probably returnwith Miss Grant; perhaps they could get Norman or Max to drive them over.Jan
e chuckled at the idea of putting the old lady in the rumbleseat--just for spite!
Silky came darting up to them as they came out of the door, and MissGrant reached over and patted his head. ("It's her one redeeming trait,"thought Mary Louise--"her kindness to animals.")
"I'm glad you brought him," she said, "in case we meet anybody like thatman you encountered last night!"
They proceeded slowly, although the road was downhill; every few minutesMiss Grant stopped and held her hand over her side. Mary Louise wonderedwhat they would do if the old lady collapsed, and decided that Jane wouldhave to run for a doctor while she and Silky stayed to protect her andadminister first aid.
But they reached the Riverside bank without any such mishap, and MissGrant attended to her business while the girls waited outside. Then, veryslowly, they walked the three blocks to the home of Harry Grant.
"He is back!" exclaimed Mary Louise jubilantly as she recognized thebattered old car in the driveway. "I didn't expect he would be. I thoughthe'd stay away as long as that fifty-dollar bill lasted him."
"Maybe he didn't have it," remarked Miss Grant.
Jane turned on her angrily.
"You think we kept that, don't you, Miss Grant?" she demanded.
"No, no! Nothing of the kind!"
Before they had mounted the porch steps, Mrs. Grace Grant had rushed outof her house in amazement and stood gazing at her sister-in-law as if shewere a ghost. She was a woman of about the same age, but much pleasanterlooking, with soft gray hair and a sweet smile. As Elsie had said, nobodycould believe anything bad about Mrs. Grace Grant.
"Why, Mattie, this is a surprise!" she exclaimed. "It's been five yearsat least----"
"It'll be more of a surprise when I tell you why I'm here, Grace,"snapped the other, sinking into a chair on the porch with a sigh ofrelief. "I've got bad news. I've been robbed."
"Robbed?"
"Yes." In a few words the spinster told the story of her loss of thirteenhundred and fifty dollars, and of the two girls' offer of assistance indiscovering the thief. "Of course, I suspected Elsie immediately," shesaid, "but it seems I made a mistake. Or partly a mistake, for there isstill five hundred missing--all in gold. But these girls found out whotook the bills and have got them all back for me--all but fifty dollars."
"Who was the thief?" demanded Mrs. Grant excitedly.
"_Your son Harry!_ I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Grace."
"I don't believe it!" protested the other woman. "What proof have you,Mattie?"
"Tell the story, Jane," said Miss Grant. "I'm too tired." She leanedagainst the back of her chair in exhaustion.
Briefly Jane related the incidents of the previous evening, describingtheir perilous ride in Harry Grant's car. The story rang true; Janerepeated the very words the young man had uttered as he drove away, wordswhich Mrs. Grant recalled easily. Before she had finished, the unhappymother was crying softly.
"What are you going to do to him, Mattie?" she asked finally. "Have himarrested?"
"That depends on him," replied her visitor. "If he gives me back theother bill, maybe I'll let him go. I don't want to drag the Grant nameinto the papers if I can help it.... Is he home?"
"Yes. He's upstairs, dressing."
"Just getting up, eh?"
"He was out late last night."
"Carousing with my fifty dollars, I suppose."
"I hope not." Mrs. Grant rose and went through the screen door. Fiveminutes later she returned with her son.
As Elsie had remarked, Harry Grant was a good-looking man. He wasstylishly dressed, in an immaculate linen suit, and he came out smilingnonchalantly at his aunt, as if the whole thing were a joke.
"Well, I'll be darned!" he exclaimed, staring incredulously at MaryLouise and Jane. "Are these the girls Mother says I took for a ride lastnight?"
"It's a terrible car," remarked Jane.
Miss Grant stamped her foot to put a stop to what she considerednonsensical talk.
"Tell me just how you managed to steal my money, Harry," she commanded."And where the other fifty-dollar bill is--and my five hundred in gold."
The young man's chin went up in the air.
"I didn't steal your money, Aunt Mattie," he said. "I was never insideyour bedroom in my life--at least, not since I was grown up!"
"Don't lie, Harry! How did you get it if you didn't steal it out of mysafe?"
"It was given to me."
"By whom?" Miss Grant looked scornful: she couldn't believe any suchfoolish statement.
The young man hesitated. "I don't think I ought to tell that," hereplied.
"Oh yes, you ought! And you have to, or I'll have you arrested,"threatened his aunt.
"Tell the truth, dear," urged his mother. "Whoever stole that moneydeserves to suffer for it."
"All right--I will! It was Corinne--my niece, Corinne Pearson. She tookit. Eight hundred and fifty dollars in bills. She gave me eight hundreddollars--half of it to spend for her, and half for myself. I was to buy acertain evening gown and cloak in a shop in New York with which she hadbeen corresponding. With my four hundred I was going to get a new car anddrive back to Riverside and announce that I had a present for Corinne,because I was sorry for her about the party, and because I had put a goodsale through. That's all.... It simply didn't work."
"Corinne!" repeated Miss Grant. "I'm not surprised. I always did suspecther.... And has she the other fifty dollars?"
"Yes, I believe she kept that for slippers and the beauty parlor,"answered Harry.
Miss Grant got up from her chair.
"You surely haven't any of the gold, have you, Harry?" she inquired.
"No. Corinne didn't say anything about any gold pieces. You can't usethem now, anyhow."
"No doubt she's keeping them put away," surmised the old lady. "Come,girls! We're going to the Pearsons' now."
"Can I drive you over, Aunt Mattie?" offered Harry jovially.
"I wouldn't put a foot in that rattletrap for anything in the world!" washis aunt's ungracious retort.
So she hobbled down the steps with Mary Louise and Jane beside her andSilky close at their heels.