Part 30 (1/2)
”Well, since eight A.M. I've been holdin' up this door, waitin' for yer honor to pa.s.s by. An' I got you, didn't I?”
”Yes, I'm here.” I stepped inside and the boy closed the door. We went into the front bas.e.m.e.nt room, where there was a lighted gas stove.
”I camp here, 'count o' the heats. There's no use gettin' up the steam fer the few casual callers that drops in at present. Now, Mr. Calhoun, I don't want to be stuffy nor nuthin', but Mr. Stone said I might ask you some few things, if I liked an' you can answer or not, as you like. This ain't no orficial investigation, but I s'pose you're as intrusted as anybody in findin' this here Victoria Van Allen?”
”I'm interested in finding the murderer of Mr. Schuyler,” I replied.
”An' maybe they ain't one an' the same. That's so.” He spoke thoughtfully and scanned my face with a quizzical glance. ”But, of course, Mr. Stone'll find out. Now, Mr. Calhoun, if you don't mind, will you give me a line on that maid person, that Julia?”
”Julie, she is called.”
”All right, Julie goes. Is she a young thing?”
”No; just this side of middle-aged. Probably thirty-five or so.”
”Good looker?”
”Why, about average. Brown hair, brownish eyes--really, I never noticed her closely enough to think about her appearance. She is, I'm sure, a good servant and devoted to Miss Van Allen.”
”But don't you know anything special? Anything that would pick her out from a lot of other good servants?”
”In appearance, you mean?”
”Yes.”
”I can't think of anything. Let me see. She wears gla.s.ses--”
”What sort?”
”I don't know. Just ordinary gla.s.ses, I guess.”
”Spectacles or nose-riders?”
”I'm not sure. Spectacles, I think. And she has a great many gold-filled teeth.”
”Front ones?”
”Yes, that is, they're very noticeable when she speaks to you.”
”Well, that's sumpum. Is she quick and spry-like, or poky?”
I smiled at the boy's eagerness. ”She's rather alert,” I said, ”but, of course, quiet and respectful. I never looked at her with any personal interest, so I can only give you my general impressions.”
”You see, it's this way,” and the boy looked very serious, ”wherever Miss Van Allen is, that Julie's there, too. And when Miss Van Allen wants errands done, of course, she sends Julie. And, of course, said Julie is disguised. I dope out all this has to be so. For Miss Van Allen has mailed letters and--oh, well, of course she could mail letters in lots of ways, but sumpum tells me, that she depends on Miss Julie as an errand girl. So, I want to find out the look of the Julie person, and see if I can't track her down, and so get at Miss Van Allen. Vicky Van, I believe her friends call her.”
”They do,” said I, looking sternly at the boy, ”and I'll say right here, that I'm one of her friends, and I won't stand for any impertinence or any remarks of any sort about that lady. If she is suspected of this crime, let the law take its course, but until there is some direct evidence, don't you dare to connect her name with it.”
”I'm only obeying Mr. Stone's orders. And, take it from me, Mr.
Calhoun, I ain't so fresh as to make remarks about a lady. I'm a prevaricator of the truth, but only when it's abserlutely necessary.
And on the other hand, I'm a born protector of women. Why, I'd be only too tickled to find a gentleman suspect. Or, at least, to clear Miss Van Allen from all s'picion.”