Part 34 (2/2)

The news of the attempt spread quickly, for it was a police case and got into the papers.

It was not half an hour after I reached the laboratory that the door was pushed open by Inez Mendoza, followed by a boy spilling with fruit and flowers like a cornucopia.

”I drove to the apartment,” she cried, greatly excited and sympathetic, ”but they told me you had gone out. Oh, I was glad to hear it. Then I knew it wasn't so serious. For, somehow, I feel guilty about it. It never would have happened if you hadn't met me.”

”I'm sure it's worth more than it cost,” I replied gallantly.

She turned toward Kennedy. ”I'm positively frightened,” she exclaimed.

”First they direct their attacks against my father--then against me--now against you. What will it be next? Oh--it is that curse--it is that curse!”

”Never fear,” encouraged Kennedy, ”we'll get you out--we'll get all of us out, now, I should say. It's just because they are so desperate that we have these things. As long as there is nothing to fear a criminal will lie low. When he gets scared he does things. And it's when he does things that he begins to betray himself.”

She shuddered. ”I feel as though I was surrounded by enemies,” she murmured. ”It is as if an unseen evil power was watching over me all the time--and mocking me--striking down those I love and trust. Where will it end?”

Kennedy tried his best to soothe her, but it was evident that the attack on us could not have had more effect, if it had been levelled direct at her.

”Please, Senorita,” he pleaded, ”stand firm. We are going to win. Don't give in. The Mendozas are not the kind to stop defeated.”

She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears.

”It was my father's way,” she choked back her emotion. ”How could you, a stranger, know?”

”I didn't know,” returned Kennedy. ”I gathered it from his face. It is also his daughter's way.”

”Yes,” she said, straightening up and the fire flas.h.i.+ng from her eyes, ”we are a proud, old, unbending race. Good-bye. I must not interrupt your work any longer. We are also a race that never forgets a friend.”

A moment later she was gone.

”A wonderful woman,” repeated Kennedy absently.

Then he turned again to his table of chemicals.

The telephone had begun to tinkle almost continuously by this time, as one after another of our friends called us up to know how we were getting on and be a.s.sured of our safety. In fact I didn't know that it was possible to resuscitate so many of them with a pulmotor.

”By George, I'm glad it wasn't any more serious,” came Norton's voice from the doorway a moment later. ”I didn't see a paper this morning.

The curator of the Museum just told me. How did it happen?”

Kennedy tried to pa.s.s it off lightly, and I did the same, for as I was up longer I really did feel better.

Norton shook his head gravely, however.

”No,” he said, ”there were four of us got warnings. They are a desperate, revengeful people.”

I looked at him quickly. Did he mean the de Moches?

<script>