Part 32 (2/2)

”What were you going to say?” asked Tessie eagerly. ”Never mind the queen business. I want to hear what you were going to say.”

Mr. Bill looked at her flushed little face and into her starry blue eyes, and he did not care a penny if she were a queen. She was the dearest, the sweetest, the loveliest girl in the world. She was Tessie!

Tessie Gilfooly! He did not care a hang if she were also a queen. And he did not care another hang if they were there by the curb with the noon crowd moving up and down the sidewalk. He only remembered that Tessie was there beside him, within reach of his hand, and that all night he had been trying to find her, afraid for her. The words came in a great rush. He could not have kept one of them back to save his life. Tessie did not want him to keep them back--not one of them. Her ears were hungry to hear them all. She colored enchantingly.

”I'm crazy about you!” Mr. Bill said thickly. ”And when you were kidnaped yesterday I nearly died! I would have died if you hadn't been found. I know I would! I never felt about a girl as I do about you. I--I don't feel complete unless you are with me. Oh, darn it! I wish you weren't a queen!” He remembered what she was, and looked at her helplessly, almost indignantly.

Tessie laughed softly, and the wild roses deepened in her cheeks. ”I don't!” she said firmly. ”If I hadn't been a queen, you never, never would have seen me! You never did see me until that day, and all the time I was crazy about you. The first day I went to the Evergreen was the first day you were there, and Mr. Walker took you around and showed you everything. I thought you were the most wonderful man in the world!

But you never looked at me! You never saw me until I was a queen! I should say I was glad that Uncle Pete died and sent Ka-kee-ta to find me!” she finished breathlessly.

”You darling! You honey-girl!” Mr. Bill fought valiantly the impulse to take her in his arms and kiss her and kiss her right in the face of the moving noon throng. ”And you really do like me?” He wanted to hear her say again that he was the most wonderful man in the world.

”I'm crazy about you!” Tessie repeated happily.

”My word!” He stared at her. ”And I'm crazy about you! Can you believe it? I don't know how this is going to end,” he said firmly, ”but I know this much--I'm not going to give you up to any Suns.h.i.+ne Islands! You belong to me!” He held fast to what belonged to him and grinned.

”That's the wonderful part!” Tessie sighed with ecstasy, her heart beating so fast that she could scarcely find breath to go on. ”That I belong to you, and you belong to me! I--I can't make it seem true! It's far more amazing than that I'm a queen!”

The word reminded them that they were on the way to meet the queen's special representative. They never would meet him if they remained in front of the Evergreen. Mr. Bill reluctantly touched a b.u.t.ton, and they shot forward just as a man, a _Gazette_ reporter, recognized Tessie. He raised a cheer.

”Oh!” Tessie looked back and waved her hand before she turned her glowing face to Mr. Bill. ”Can you believe it? Isn't this the most wonderful world?”

Eventually they joined the others in Mr. Marvin's office. Not only were Joe, Norah, Bert and Mr. Kingley seated around Mr. Marvin's desk, but there was another man there, a big broad-shouldered man with a sunburned face, and beside him stood Ka-kee-ta, and clutched tight in Ka-kee-ta's right hand was the sleeve of Frederic Pracht. Mr. Pracht stood leaning against the wall, a cynical smile on his face.

As Tessie came in, all rosy apology, Ka-kee-ta gave a roar and rushed forward dragging Mr. Pracht with him, and whether he wanted to or not, Mr. Pracht had to make obeisance to the queen.

”Hang it all!” he muttered angrily. ”Let me go!”

”Yes, Ka-kee-ta, let him go,” ordered Mr. Marvin, as Tessie gave a little shriek when she saw who had been forced to bend before her.

But it was not until James Pitts uttered a few curt words in an unknown tongue that Ka-kee-ta released his prisoner. Mr. Pracht stumbled to his feet and withdrew to a corner, where he stood brus.h.i.+ng his clothes with a hand that would shake. He knew very well that it would not be wise for him to take another step. He had gone as far as he could.

”Why, Ka-kee-ta!” Tessie patted her bodyguard on the shoulder. ”Where were you? I was so worried about you? And how did you find Mr. Pracht?”

”I think I can tell you that better than Ka-kee-ta,” said Mr. Pitts, and he came forward to shake Tessie's little hand. ”Glad to meet you,” he said formally before he began his story. ”I was on my way to Mr.

Marvin's office yesterday when I met Ka-kee-ta in front of a candy store. I took him back to the Pioneer to ask him about things and detained him so late that I persuaded him to sleep on the floor of my room instead of returning to disturb you. He never would have left you for a moment if he had known that the Sons of Suns.h.i.+ne had threatened you. As for Pracht, he came to see me this morning to try and make a deal for the islands. He was there when Ka-kee-ta came back to tell me that Miss Gilfooly had disappeared. We suspected that Pracht knew something about the kidnaping, and Ka-kee-ta grabbed him. As long as no harm has been done and you are safe, I would suggest that Pracht be released. He is only the tool of a man who is known in the islands as the Shark. The Shark planned to make a fortune by selling the islands to j.a.pan, and he organized the Sons of Suns.h.i.+ne to cause dissension among the people, and influence them to refuse to accept a white queen. He sent Pracht here to oppose you, and to get the Tear of G.o.d, which means everything to the islanders. No one could expect to influence them unless he had the Tear of G.o.d. But the Sons of Suns.h.i.+ne turned against the Shark. He was killed in the fight which liberated me, and without him, Pracht is harmless. He did not know of the Shark's death until I told him. Let him go,” he advised curtly.

”Wait a minute,” exclaimed Mr. Kingley. ”Before he goes, I want to know why he used my car to kidnap the queen?” And he glared at Mr. Pracht.

”Because Miss Gilfooly knew your car and would get into it when she was told,” Mr. Pracht explained in a voice which was very different from the domineering tones he had used to Tessie. ”We had expected to go to the hotel and ask her to come to Mrs. Kingley, but when we picked her up in the street, it was easy. We didn't hurt her!” he added hurriedly.

”No, you didn't hurt her. You didn't dare!” Mr. Pitts told him coldly.

”You can go!”

Mr. Pracht did not wait to hear another word. He was glad to go, and he slid out of the door like a brown-and-green snake.

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