Mary Louise Solves a Mystery

by L. Frank Baum

  CHAPTER XXJANET'S TRIUMPH

  Alora stood by the door, irresolute, wondering what to do. It occurredto her that she was not much afraid of Janet Orme. She had been trappedin order to bleed her father of money; it was all her father's fault--his fault and Janet's.

  "Suppose you help me get our breakfast," suggested the nurse, coolly."It will take your mind off your trouble and keep you from brooding. Iadmit I'm hungry, and I'm sure you'll feel better for a cup of coffee."

  She passed into another room, as she spoke, and Alora, realizing thehall door could not be forced by her puny strength, advanced into theliving room. There were three other doorways opening from thisapartment. She could hear Janet rattling dishes and pans, so the wayshe had gone led into the kitchen. The other two doors she found gaveentrance to small bedrooms, neither having egress other than throughthe living room. The furniture in all the rooms was cheap and tawdrybut fairly comfortable.

  Alora sat down and tried to collect her thoughts. Janet got thebreakfast unaided and then came to summon her. Alora quietly walkedinto the kitchen and sat down at a little table spread for two. Therewas a dish of crisp bacon, some toast and coffee. Alora silently ateand drank, determined to maintain her strength. Having finished hermeal she sat back and asked:

  "Do you mind explaining what all this means?"

  "No, indeed; I'm glad to explain," replied the woman, raising hereyelids an instant to flash a glance of approval at her prisoner. "Ihave already said that I was obliged to annoy you in order to reachyour father. The dear father is an elusive person, you know, and isdetermined to avoid paying the money he owes me. I haven't been able tolocate him, lately, but I have located you, and you are mighty preciousto him because if he loses you he loses the income from your fortune.Therefore it is my intention to hold you here until Jason Jones eitherpays my demands or allows the probate court to deprive him of hisguardianship. The proposition is really very simple, as you see."

  "Still," said Alora, "I do not quite understand. How did you know of myvalue to my father?"

  "I witnessed your mother's will," was the reply.

  Alora remembered that this was true.

  "But why does my father still owe you money? You were paid for nursingmy mother. And, if your demands are merely blackmail, why does not myfather defy you?"

  "I'll tell you," answered. Janet. "It is a bit of ancient history, butit may interest you. Your mother renounced your father when you werescarcely a year old. I met Jason Jones soon afterward, andbelieving,--as your own deluded mother did--that he would become a greatartist, I gambled with him on his career. In other words, I supportedJason Jones with all my earnings as a nurse for a period of six years andin return he signed an agreement which states that one-half of all themoney he received in the future, from whatever source, must be paid to mein return for my investment. Doubtless we both thought, at the time, thatany money he got would come from the sale of his pictures; neithercould have dreamed that your mother would call him to her on herdeath-bed and present sent him with your income until you came ofage--seven years' control of a fortune, with no other obligation than tolook after a child and keep her with him. But the agreement between uscovered even that astonishing event. Imagine, if you can, Jason Jones'amazement when he entered your mother's sick chamber to find me--hispartner--acting as her nurse. He was also annoyed, for he realized Iknew the terms of the will and would demand my share of his income. Canyou blame me? He hadn't made good as an artist and this was my onlychance to get back some of the hard earned savings I had advanced him.But Jason Jones isn't square, Alora; he's mean and shifty, as perhapsyou have discovered. He gave me some money at first, when I followedhim to New York, as you know; but after that the coward ran away. Thatprovoked me and made me determined to run him down. I traced him toEurope and followed him there, but he evaded me for a full year, untilmy money was gone and I was forced to return to America. For nearlythree years longer I worked as a nurse and hoarded my earnings. Then,through your father's banker in New York I managed to learn hisaddress. The banker didn't tell me, but I did a little spy work and inthe bank's mail I found a letter in Jason Jones' handwriting postmarked'Positano, Italy.' That was all the clew I needed and I went to Italyand soon located my man. I faced him in his own villa--I believe youwere away at the time--and when he found he was caught he cringed andbegged for mercy and promised to give me all that belonged to me. Hesaid he had a lot of gold in his possession and he would pay me partlyin gold and partly in drafts on his New York banker. Then he left theroom to get the gold and returned with a husky Italian servant whoseized and bound me and threw me into a stone house used to storegrapes, where I was kept a prisoner for nearly ten days and treatedlike a dog.

  "Finally the Italian released me, asserting that Jason Jones was on hisway to America. I followed as soon as I could get passage in a ship,but your clever father had left New York before I arrived there and Icould not discover where he had hidden himself. Once more he had beatenme."

  Her voice was hard and angry. Alora was tempted to believe the story,for many of its details she knew were true. She remembered, for onething, that queer letter from Silvio which she had discovered tuckedinside one of her father's books. It stated that, according to orders,the Italian had "released the prisoner." So the prisoner had beenJanet, and Alora could well understand her determination to securerevenge.

  "It seems to me," she said, "that you should have taken your contractwith my father to a lawyer, and brought suit to recover the money dueyou. Surely that would have been the easiest way to collect it."

  Janet's face grew red; her lashes dropped still further over the eyes;but she answered after an instant's pause:

  "I do not wish the world to know what a fool I was to support animitation artist for six long years. A lawsuit means publicity, and Ihave a little pride left, I assure you. Besides," collecting herthoughts as she spoke, "I cannot see the wisdom of dividing my sharewith a lawyer when I can bring your father to terms myself. I know Ihave executed a bold stroke in seizing you and making you my prisoner,but it's a stroke that's bound to win. It was conceived last night, onthe spur of the moment. Lately I have been nursing in Chicago, where Iam better known than in New York and can get better wages. Since myreturn from Italy I've been saving to renew the search for Jason Jones.While nursing a Mrs. Tolliver at the Hotel Blackington, fortunesuddenly smiled on me. I chanced to examine the hotel register lastnight and found you were registered with Colonel Hathaway's party. Yourroom number was marked opposite your name, so I had you properlylocated. During the night, while on duty in Mrs. Tolliver's room, I hadample time to figure out a plan of action. I knew you were fond of oldDoctor Anstruther and so used his name for a lure. I had already rentedthis flat; not with the idea of using it for a prison, but because itwas cheap and so isolated that I could sleep during the daytime withoutbeing disturbed. I believe that's all that I need explain to you. Ourlittle adventure of this morning you will now be able to understandperfectly. Also you will understand the fact that you must remain aprisoner until my purpose is accomplished. I'm sorry for you, but itcan't be helped. Won't you have another cup of coffee, Alora?"

  Alora had no answer ready. Janet's story did not satisfy her; she feltthat somewhere there was a flaw in it; but she decided to bide hertime.