XXXI
THE NINE DAYS
"I wish Chuff would come, and get it over!" she heard Churn sigh aloud,in his sweet, foreign-sounding voice.
"I wonder why he went out?" said Kit. "He ought to have been home allevening. He was expecting Pete on business, you know."
"Can he have got onto de reason dat fellah Pete didn't come?"
"No, no," Kit answered. "I've told you a dozen times no! He wouldn'thave gone to the Westmorland. Pete had to call on him. But there musthave been something important to take Chuff out."
"Vat vas de plan?"
"Oh, what does it matter? To-night's changed everything for me, and you,too. You are goin' to stand by me, aren't you, Churn, through thick andthin?"
"You bettcha life! For de whole of vot I'm vorth!"
Kit's tone changed. She chuckled. "You may be worth a lot. You'vemarried a rich heiress. See?"
"Sh, girl! If Chuff comes spyin' on us we don't vant him to hear datword 'married.' He'd only laugh--or vorse."
"All right! But he ain't our master any more. We can do without him."
"Maybe he von't tink he can do vidout us."
"He'll _have_ to, when we get something good on the pearls. And say, Inever thought you could kill any one and feel no more than I do now.Churn, if you'd been there, you'd 'a' settled his hash long before Idid. The things he said to me--and me your wife! It makes me sick tothink o' them--and of him, the low beast!"
"Don't tink, den. Tink of me."
"I do. I love you, Boy! The minute I lamped the pearls--when I sensedthey was real--I meant to get 'em, for you and me to set up house faraway somewheres on our own. We can go to Buenos Aires or some placesouth, where they love a nice voice like yours, so you won't feelwasted. If Chuff knew what we've got here in this table drawer!"
"Better tie 'em up in your handkerchief again. If Chuff----"
"Oh, Chuff nothing! I feel in my bones, now he's so late, he won't comehome to-night. I don't care what happens to Chuff. Let's go to bed."
"No--not yet. I vait."
"Peterson thought he could say what he liked to me, the pig!" Kit wenton. "Well, he's paid. His blood's on his own head. Oh, Churn, it was onhis head, every sense o' the word! I didn't like the look of it--turnedme sick! Lucky my long cloak was in the room. See--on my dress, twostains! Boy, that trunk stunt was awful. You've got to let me go to bedand sleep, or I believe I'll have hysterics and yell the house down. Ithought I was all right since I found you, but it's comin' on again,that tremblin'!"
"Go to bed, den, girl. I vait. Dat's easy."
"I will. Just one more look at the pearls--our pearls! But I lost one. Iheard it roll. It was so close to him I--I couldn't----"
"Don't you care. Dere's a lot for us. We'll count 'em first tingto-morra', ven ve both feel like ourselves."
"They ought to fetch a king's ransom, Boy."
"Dey vill not, den. Dere'll be all de bulls in N'York after em. Joke onus, dough, if Chuff was in de deal mit Pete!"
"I'm sure he wasn't--dead sure."
Silence fell. When the pair spoke again it was of other things. At lastClo fell suddenly fast asleep, on the floor. She knew that Beverley'spearls were in the next room. That had to be enough for the night.
* * * * *
The girl slept till dawn. Waking, she was astonished to find herself onthe floor, and for an instant could not remember what had happened. Butin a flash it all came back. Quickly she got up and quietly undressed,putting on Mrs. MacMahon's immense nightgown before she droppedthankfully upon the cot bed. Clo did not sleep again, but lay untileight o'clock, when her neighbours began to stir. Then she listened oncemore at the hole in the wall until she feared that Violet might comewith breakfast. The woman had suggested bringing it at nine, and lestshe should wonder why the hungry girl hadn't supped, the milk had to behastily poured away and the bread and ham hidden. The bed had also to belifted into place covering the hole in the wall.
Nothing of special interest had been said by Kit and her husband sincetheir waking, but soon the young woman began to concern herself with thesubject of clothes.
"I told Mrs. MacMahon we expected our baggage this morning fromBrooklyn. If it doesn't come it's been stolen--see? The old party won'tthink wrong of Chuff's pals. He's a real family friend. Gee, all sortsof things happen in a house like this! Before long we'll 'phone Isaacsto come along and look at the pearls. Chuff's got a 'phone in his room,you know."
Clo knew also. She had good reason to know, and that Chuff had lent histelephone book to "Jake."
As Violet kicked on the door (her hands being occupied with the tray)Clo hastily stuffed a handkerchief into the hole she had made in thewall. She feared that the pair in the next room might take alarm at thesound of voices, and therefore she cautiously subdued her own. Shehadn't slept well, she answered Violet's question. Her head ached, andperhaps she might lie in bed the rest of the day. The promised rewardwas given, and more offered if Violet would find time to buy toiletarticles, and a few clothes. She was begged to bring writing paper also;there might be a letter to send by express delivery.
The coffee, though weak, was hot, and Clo felt revived after drinkingit. Once more she placed the bed across the door, pulled out thehandkerchief "gag" from the hole in the wall, and thus, on sentinelduty, finished her breakfast.
Later in the day the couple next door resigned themselves to theindefinite absence of Chuff. "Mrs. Mac" herself came up to see herguests, who called themselves Mr. and Mrs. Stahl. The landlady talked ofMr. Cheffinsky as her "star boarder," and said that she was used to his"queer ways." Often he stopped away from home a day or two, but shenever worried. He always came back. The "Stahls" were voluble over thenon-arrival of their luggage, which seemed to vex them more than theappearance of Cheffinsky, their old friend. Whether or not Mrs. MacMahonbelieved the story, at all events she agreed to supply the needs of Mr.and Mrs. Stahl, ordering a list of things for their selection. Thisarrangement raised Clo's hopes. Maybe Churn and Kit intended to ventureout! If they went for a short airing, they would probably leave thepearls at home. In their absence Clo would somehow get into the roomnext door. With Beverley's jewels recaptured, her mission in this housewould be accomplished.
But she was doomed to disappointment. After writing her hopeful letterto Leontine, Clo's expectations of quick success were dashed. Kit andChurn received the clothes they wanted, but did not go out; nor did theyaudibly plan to go. Their intention was to eat downstairs, but theywould take turns. One would always keep guard over the pearls. Newspapermention of the "girl in pink" had scared them. After a heated argumentthey decided that, till they "saw how the wind blew," they would notrisk sending for Isaacs. This was a sacrifice, because they wished todispose of the pearls before Cheffinsky came "nosing around"; but theywere not sure of Isaac's loyalty. Who could tell what he might do, iftempted by big bribes to "frame" his pals? They must wait; and so mustClo.
Days passed. The girl still posed as an invalid taking a rest-cure, andher tips to Violet were generous. Once she heard Kit inquiring who livedin the next room; but Mrs. Mac's answer was satisfactory. A poor littlemite of a thing, out of a job as lady's maid, was their neighbour;Irish, and recommended by an old client.
Nine days lagged on, and then at last Clo came upon a "personal" in thenewspaper she took in. Instantly she realized that it was meant for her,and put in by Justin O'Reilly. It was so worded that no "outsider" couldguess its meaning. "C.R. from her cousin who is just in," was theheading which caught her eye. He knew that she knew his name was Justin;and she had first introduced herself as his cousin! "Working outSunday's problem with expert help," she read, "Message receivedinsufficient. Won't you let me know where you are?"
The girl dared not answer by letter or newspaper. Violet would undertakeany errand, but she could not be trusted for a mission of suchimportance. O'Reilly must be content with the message passed on by Mrs.Sands.
On the ninth day Kit and Churn had a serious q
uarrel. The man insistedon going out. He could stand his imprisonment no longer; not for Kit,not for the pearls!
Clo was not on sentinel duty when the explosion came. The hole in thewall was open (she stuffed it up only when someone knocked, lest thepair should take alarm at the clearness of sounds), but it was late inthe afternoon of a blazing hot day, and the girl lay on her narrow bed,disgusted with life. She had now paid for a second week in advance.There wasn't money to go on with for long, at the present rate, and sheknew not how to get more, but it was too hot to trouble about thefuture. The quarrel next door was so sordid that Clo had ceased tolisten, when suddenly the names "Olga and Stephen," spoken loudly byKit, waked her from a half doze. With the light swiftness of a cat shesprang off the bed, and went to her post.
The Lion's Mouse Page 31
