Part 29 (1/2)

”I should think he would be,” Joe said dryly, when Norah had told them what Mrs. Kingley had said.

Mr. Bill dropped back in his big chair with a groan, but in a flash, he jumped up and went out. Norah's eyes followed him.

”He's worried,” she told Joe.

”We're all worried!”

”I know. I'm so--so sorry for you!” She just touched Joe's sleeve to let him know how sorry she was.

He looked up suddenly. How sympathetic she was! What a good friend she had been to Tessie. There was no one quite like Norah Lee. His heart thumped a bit as he thought how unusual Norah Lee was.

”You go to bed, too!” he insisted huskily. ”I'll call you the minute we hear anything. But if you don't get some sleep you won't be much help to-morrow. I'll just stay here beside the telephone. We may hear something. We must hear something!” he insisted, because he so desperately wished to hear something. ”But I shan't let you stay up any longer. You're all tired out!”

She hesitated as if she were going to insist on staying with him, and then she said good night softly and went away. Joe's eyes followed her until she was out of sight. What a splendid girl she was, he thought, as he tramped up and down the room before he threw himself into a chair beside the telephone. He had always known she was splendid. And what a good friend she was to Tessie! How different they were! Norah was the kind of a girl a man would have to reach up to. He would always have to be right on his toes, for she would be a little ahead--always. While Tessie--a man would have to put back his hand and pull Tessie up to him.

Tessie was all sweetness and tenderness. She made a man contented and happy while Norah--Norah--

Joe's heart gave a sudden leap which almost choked him. He jumped to his feet and looked about him bewildered. ”Gos.h.!.+” he exclaimed, puzzled at this emotion which had gripped him so suddenly. He tramped up and down the room again. ”Norah!” The name made him tingle. ”Norah!” He dropped weakly into a chair and put his hand to his forehead. What on earth was the matter with him? Why should he feel smothered and limp and exhilarated when he thought of Norah Lee? He did not understand why, but he discovered that when he thought of Norah, he forgot Tessie. But he must not forget Tessie--Tessie was lost. It must be because he was so tired. Lord, how tired he was! He slouched down in his chair and relaxed his tired muscles. Tessie--Norah-- The lids dropped over his weary eyes, and he began to dream--strange, sweet, new dreams.

Downstairs, Mr. Bill had settled himself in a chair beside the telephone switchboard and lighted a cigarette.

”Give me any message about Queen Teresa,” he told the telephone girl.

”Ain't it awful about her?” she shuddered. ”I used to wish I could change places with her, when I'd see her go in and out with that black fellow with his ax, but now-- Say, where do you suppose she is?”

”I wish you would tell me,” Mr. Bill said wearily. ”Don't forget to give me any message that comes in. Everybody upstairs is asleep, and I don't want them disturbed.”

”The old lady ought to get a good night's rest,” agreed the telephone girl. ”You just shut your own eyes, and I'll call you the first thing.”

Mr. Bill could close his eyes, but he could not sleep. He smoked cigarette after cigarette, and listened unconsciously to the uninterrupted chatter of the girl who had envied Tessie until Tessie had been kidnaped. When the telephone operator went off duty, and the switchboard was turned over to the night clerk, Mr. Bill went over to police headquarters, where there was no news at all.

”We have all our men out, Mr. Kingley,” the sergeant told him. ”Even the chief's working on the case. We're trying to round up that Pracht--Smith, he called himself, didn't he?--and make him confess. But we don't know anything about those Sons of Suns.h.i.+ne. They sound like anarchists or Black Hands to me. But we oughta hear something pretty soon.”

The minutes dragged into hours and there was no news. Mr. Bill dropped into a troubled doze and woke to find himself in another day. He went drearily back to the hotel. Joe was furious because he had fallen asleep over his strange new dreams. Granny, with a face that was gray and worried, instead of happy and rosy, was talking to him and to Norah Lee. The Boy Scout was splas.h.i.+ng in the bathroom.

”You heard anything?” demanded Granny as Mr. Bill entered.

Before he could answer, the telephone rang sharply. Joe and Mr. Bill dashed to answer it, but Joe caught the receiver. He pushed Mr. Bill away.

”Yes,” he said impatiently through the transmitter. He waved his hand to them. ”It's Tess!” he cried chokingly. ”Yes, Tessie! Where are you?” He listened eagerly. ”Where are you?” he demanded fiercely. ”Where--” He shook the instrument and turned to them in exasperation. ”Isn't that the limit? Central broke the connection before Tessie could tell me where she was.”

”What did she say?” demanded Mr. Bill.

”She said she was all right, and that Granny wasn't to worry. She isn't coming back for a while. She's going to hide until Pitts comes and straightens everything out. She said Granny wasn't to worry, n.o.body was to worry.” But Joe looked worried. ”Do you suppose she did get away?” he asked Mr. Bill. ”Is this message a plan to call off the police?”

Mr. Bill had taken the receiver from Joe and was calling Central and ordering her for heaven's sake to get a move on and trace the call she had just given them. Several days later, it seemed to all of them, Central reported that the call had come from a pay station. Hadn't they heard the nickel drop? Central couldn't say which pay station. She would try and find out if they wanted her to, she added obligingly.

”You'd better!” advised Mr. Bill. ”And immediately!” He swung around and faced the others. ”We know she's alive and well. That's something! Did she talk as if she were frightened?”

”No,” remembered Joe. ”She said she would have called before but she fell asleep. She said she was awfully tired.”