CHAPTER XV
DOLLY'S RIDE
It was Tuesday morning that Lewis Fenn came to Dolly and asked her togive him a few moments' chat.
A little bewildered, Dolly followed Fenn into the reception room, andthey sat down, Fenn closing the door after them.
"It's this way, Miss Fayre," he began. "I know you took the goldearring. It's useless for you to deny it. It speaks for itself. You arethe only one of you girls especially interested in antiques, andmoreover, you are the one who handled the jewel last. Now, I don't fora moment hold you guilty of stealing. I know that you thought the thingof no very great intrinsic value, and as Mr. Forbes has so many suchthings in his possession you thought one more or less couldn't matterto him. So, overcome by your desire to keep it as a souvenir, andbecause of its antique interest you involuntarily took it away withyou. Of course, searching your boxes is useless, for you have concealedit some place in the house where no one would think of looking. Now, Icome to you as a friend, and advise you to own up. I assure you, Mr.Forbes will forgive you and he will do so much more readily if you goto him at once and confess."
Dolly sat rigidly, through this long citation, her face growing whiter,her eyes more and more frightened, as she listened. When Fenn paused,she struggled to speak but couldn't utter a sound. She was speechlesswith mingled emotions. She was angry, primarily, but other thoughtsrushed through her brain and she hesitated what attitude to assume.
The secretary looked at her curiously.
"Well?" he said, and there was a threatening tone in his voice.
Dolly looked at him, looked straight into his accusing eyes, began tospeak, and then, in a burst of tears, she cried out, "Oh, how I HATEyou!"
Dotty flung open the door and walked in.
"I've been listening," she announced, "listening at the keyhole, tohear what you said to my friend! I heard, and I will answer you. DollyFayre no more took that earring, than you did, Mr. Fenn, and I'minclined to think from your manner, that you stole it yourself!"
"What!" shouted Fenn, surprised out of his usual calm. "What do youmean, you little minx?"
"Just what I say," repeated Dotty, but Dolly had already fled from theroom. She went in search of Mrs. Berry, and found her in her ownbedroom.
"Please, Mrs. Berry," said Dolly, controlling her sob-shaken voice, "Iwant to go out, all by myself, a little while. May I?"
"Goodness, child, what do you mean? Where? I'll go with you."
"No; I want to go alone. I have to think something out all by myself.Nobody can help me, and if I'm here, all the girls will butt in andbother me."
"Where are you going? For a walk?"
"No, please. I want to ride on the top of a Fifth Avenue stage. I wantto go alone, and then, sitting up there, with the fresh air blowingaround me, I can think something out. I may go, mayn't I, Mrs. Berry? Iknow all about the stages."
"Why, yes, child, of course, you can go, if you really want to. Youcan't come to any harm just riding on top of a bus. Run along. But I'drather you'd let me help you. Or go with you."
"No, please; I must be alone. I don't want even Dotty. I have somethingvery serious to decide. No one can help me. My mother could, but sheisn't here."
"I wish you'd try me," and the kind lady smiled endearingly.
"I would if I could, and you're a dear to ask me. But this is a specialmatter, and it troubles me awfully. So, I'll go off by myself for anhour or so, and when I come back, I'll be all decided about it."
Dolly got her hat and coat, without seeing the other girls at all. Shewent out at the front door of the big Fifth Avenue house, and walked afew blocks before she stopped to wait for a stage.
"I don't care which way I go," she thought to herself, "I'll take thefirst bus that comes along."
The first one chanced to be going down-town, and signalling theconductor, Dolly climbed the little winding stairs to the top.
There were only half a dozen passengers up there, and Dolly sat downnear the front.
It was a clear, crisp morning. The air was full of ozone, and no soonerhad Dolly settled herself into her seat, than she began to feel better.Her mind cleared and she could combat the problems that were troublingher. But she was in a dilemma. Should she go to Mr. Forbes and tell himwhere the jewel was,--or, should she not?
She wanted to be honest, she wanted to do right, but it would be a hardtask. The more she thought it over, the more she was perplexed, andthough her spirits were cheered by the pleasant ride, her troubles wereas far as ever from a solution.
Down she went, down the beautiful Avenue, past the Sherman statue andthe Plaza fountain. On, past the Library, down through the shoppingdistrict, and then Dolly concluded she would go on down to theWashington Arch, and stay in the same bus for the return trip.
But, before she realised it, she found the bus she was in had turnedEast on Thirty-second Street, and was headed for the Railroad Station.She started up, to get off the stage, but sat down again.
"What's the use?" she thought. "I can just as well go on to thestation, and come back again. I only want the ride."
So she went on, and at the station, she was asked to take anotherstage. Down the stairs she climbed, and as she glanced at the greatcolonnade of the building she realised that from there trains wenthome! Home,--where mother was!
Unable to resist, Dolly obeyed an impulse to enter the station.
The warm, pleasant atmosphere of the arcade, soothed her nerves, andshe walked along, thinking deeply.
She came to the stairs that led down to the waiting rooms, and a greatwave of homesickness came over her.
She would go home! She had money with her, she would buy a ticket, andgo straight to Berwick! She couldn't, she simply COULD NOT face UncleJeff and the girls, with her secret untold, and she would not tell it!
Anyway, she couldn't go back to the house where that horrid Fenn was!That was certain.
She looked in her pocket-book, and tucked away in its folds was thereturn half of her Berwick ticket! She had forgotten that she had itwith her. It seemed a finger of Fate pointing the way.
"I will," she decided. "I will go back to Berwick. I'll ask about thetrains."
Inquiry at the Information Department told her that there would be atrain for Berwick in half an hour, and Dolly went in and sat down inthe waiting room.
Suddenly it struck her that the people at Mr. Forbes' would be alarmedat her non-appearance, and would be very anxious for her safety.
That would never do. She had no wish to disturb kind Mrs. Berry or toscare Dotty half to death.
She saw the telephone booths near by, and realised how easy it would beto communicate with the house.
She asked the operator for the number of Jefferson Forbes' residenceand in a moment was in the booth.
The butler responded to her call, and Dolly did not ask for any oneelse.
"That you, McPherson?" she said, speaking as casually as she could.
"Yes, Miss Fayre. Will you speak with Mrs. Berry?"
"No; I'll give you a message. Please say to Miss Rose that I have goneto Berwick."
"To Berwick, miss?"
"Yes; and tell Mrs. Berry the same. That's all, McPherson; no messagefor any one else."
"Yes, Miss Fayre. When will you be back, Miss Fayre?"
"Not at all. Or, that is,--never mind that. Just say I have gone toBerwick. I'll write to Miss Rose as soon as I get there."
"Yes, Miss Fayre," and the butler hung up his receiver. It was not hisbusiness if the ladies came or went.
In obedience to orders, McPherson went to Mrs. Berry and delivered themessage.
"The dear child," said the housekeeper, and the tears came to her eyes.Of course, she knew about the earring episode, and until now she hadn'tsuspected that Dolly really took it. But to run away practically provedher guilt. So she had meant to go when she asked permission to go onthe bus! Mrs. Berry's heart was torn, for she loved Dolly best of thefour, and it was a blow to be thus forced to believe her guilty. Sh
equizzed the butler, but he had no further information to give.
"She only said she was going, ma'am, and said for me to tell you andMiss Rose. That's all."
"I will tell Miss Rose," said Mrs. Berry, and dismissed the man.
She thought deeply before going to find Dotty. She wondered if shemight yet stay Dolly's flight and persuade her to return. She looked upa timetable, and found that the train for Berwick would leave in tenminutes. Doubtless Dolly was already in the car.
However, being a woman of energetic nature, Mrs. Berry telephoned tothe Railroad Station. She asked for a porter, and begged him to try tofind Dolly, whom she described, and ask her to come to the telephone.
"I remember seeing that girl," said the negro porter. "She was walkingaround sort of sad-like, and sort of uncertain. But I don't see hernow."
"Look on the Berwick train," commanded Mrs. Berry, "and do it quickly.If she's on the train, ask her to get off and answer my call. I thinkshe'll do it. Go quickly! I'll hold the wire."
But it was within a few minutes of starting time; the train wascrowded, and after a short search the porter came back with the wordthat he couldn't find her. "I could of," he said, "if I'd 'a' had aminute more. But the Train Despatcher put me off, and they started.Sorry, ma'am."
"I'm sorry, too," and Mrs. Berry sighed as she realised how near shehad come to success, only to fail.
She thought a few moments longer, then she went to find Dotty.
That young person, she discovered, to her astonishment, was up in Mr.Forbes' own study, on the fourth floor. Dotty had insisted on aninterview with her host after the stormy time she had with hissecretary.
Mr. Forbes had received her, not at all unwillingly, for he wanted toget at the truth of the unpleasant matter.
"Dolly never took it!" Mrs. Berry heard Dotty, declare, as sheapproached the door. "Either it's just lost, or else Mr. Fenn stoleit,--or else--"
"Or else what?" asked Mr. Forbes, as Dotty paused.
"I don't like to say," and Dotty twisted her finger nervously; "I dosuspect somebody,--at least, I fear maybe I do, a little bit, but Iwon't say anything about it, unless you keep on blaming Dolly. Then Iwill!"
"I have something to tell you," said Mrs. Berry, entering. "Dolly hasgone home."
"What!" cried Mr. Forbes and Dotty simultaneously. Lewis Fenn smiled.
"Yes," continued Mrs. Berry, "she has gone home to Berwick. She came tome and asked if she might go for a ride on top of a Fifth Avenue stage,to think things out by herself,--she said. Then, a little later, shetelephoned from the Pennsylvania Station that she was just taking thetrain for Berwick."
"I don't believe it!" cried Dotty. "Who told you?"
"McPherson. He took the message. Dolly said to tell you, Dotty, and totell me, but she sent no word to any one else."
"Looks bad," said Mr. Forbes, shaking his head.
"I told you so!" said Lewis Fenn, nodding his. "I knew when I flatlyaccused Miss Fayre this morning of taking the earring, that she was theguilty one. Understand me, she didn't mean to steal. She didn't lookupon it as theft. She only took a fancy to the bauble, and appropriatedit without really thinking it wrong. As a child would take a worthlesslittle trinket, you know."
Dotty looked stunned. She paid no attention to Fenn's talk; she staredat Mrs. Berry, saying, "Has she really gone?"
"Yes, dear," answered the sympathetic lady, "she has. Perhaps it's thebest thing. She'll tell her mother all about it, and then we'll knowthe truth."
"Yes, she'll confess to her mother," said Fenn, and he grinned insatisfaction.
"Shut up, Fenn," said Mr. Forbes. "I'm not at all sure Dolly is theculprit. If I know that girl, she wouldn't run away if she wereguilty,--but she might if she were unjustly accused."
"That's generous of you, sir," said the secretary, "but you knowyourself that when I taxed Miss Fayre definitely with the deed, sheimmediately went off, pretending that she was just going for a ride,and would return. That piece of deception doesn't look like innocence,I think you must admit!"
"No, no, it doesn't. Dotty, did you say you had some other suspicion?What is it?"
"I can't tell it now. I can't understand Dolly. I know, oh, I KNOW shenever took the earring, but I can't understand her going off like that.She never pretends. She's never deceitful--"
"She surely was this time," and Fenn seemed to exult in the fact.
"Maybe she changed her plan after she started," suggested Dottydelorously.
"Not likely," mused Mr. Forbes. "It was unprecedented for her to goalone for a bus ride, but if it was because she wanted to get off homesecretly, it is, of course, very plausible. She didn't want any of yougirls to know she was going, lest you persuade her not to. She didn'twant to go in my car alone, as that would seem strange. But to take abus, that was really a clever way to escape unnoticed!"
"I'm surprised that she telephoned back at all," said Mr. Fenn.
"Of course, she would!" said Dotty, indignantly. "She didn't want us tothink she was lost or worry about her safety."
"She was most considerate," said Fenn, sarcastically.
"Oh, stop!" cried Dotty, at the very end of her patience with the man."You're enough to drive any one distracted!"
"Let the child alone, Fenn," said Mr. Forbes; "your manner ISirritating."
"The whole affair is irritating," returned the secretary, "but it isnow in a way to be cleared up, I think. We shall hear from Miss Fayre'sparents, I'm sure."
"What IS going on?" spoke up Alicia from the doorway, and she andBernice came into the room. "I know we're forbidden up here, butDotty's here, so we came, too. What's the matter?"
"Dolly's gone home," said Mr. Forbes, looking at his nieces.
"Dolly has!" exclaimed Bernice. "What for?"
"Because she was persecuted!" Dotty replied, "and unjustly accused, andsuspected, and her life made generally miserable! I don't blame her forgoing home! I'm going, too."
"When did she go? Who took her?" Alicia asked.
"She went alone," said Mrs. Berry, and she gave them the details ofDolly's departure.
"Well, I am surprised," said Bernice, but Alicia began to cry softly.
"Yes, cry, Alicia!" said Dotty, turning on her.
"I should think you WOULD! YOU made Dolly go! YOU know where thatearring thing is!"
"I do not!" and Alicia stared at Dotty.
"Well, you know something more than you've told!"