CHAPTER VIII--VERY MYSTERIOUS
Arthur found Louise developing hysteria, while Beth, Patsy and HelenHahn were working over her and striving to comfort her. Uncle John, themajor and big Runyon stood gazing helplessly at the dolorous scene.
"Well? Well?" cried Mr. Merrick, as Weldon and young Hahn entered. "Anynews?"
Arthur shook his head and went to his wife, bending over to kiss herforehead.
"Be brave, dear!" he whispered.
It needed but this tender admonition to send the young mother into newparoxysms.
"See here; we're wasting time," protested Runyon, his voice reachinghigh C in his excitement. "Something must be done!"
"Of course," cried Patsy, turning from Louise. "We're a lot of ninnies.Let us think what is best to do and map out a logical program."
The others looked at her appealingly, glad to have some one assumecommand but feeling themselves personally unequal to the task ofthinking logically.
"First," said the girl, firmly, "let us face the facts. Baby Jane hasmysteriously disappeared, and with her the two nurses."
"Not necessarily with her," objected Rudolph. "Let us say the two nurseshave also disappeared. Now, the question is, why?"
A shriek from Louise emphasised the query.
"Don't let's bother with the 'why?'" retorted Patsy. "We don't care why.The vital question is 'where?' All we want, just now, is to find babyand get her back home again to her loving friends. She can't have beengone more than four hours--or five, at the most. Therefore she isn't sofar away that an automobile can't overtake her."
"But she can't walk, you know," squeaked Runyon. "Baby didn't go alone;some one took her."
"True enough," observed Uncle John. "You're wrong, Patsy. We must try todecide who took baby, and why. Then we might undertake the search with achance of success."
"Whoever took baby went on foot," persisted Miss Doyle. "The only fourautomobiles in the neighborhood are now standing in our driveway and inthe garage. This is a country of great distances, and no matter in whatdirection the baby has been taken an auto is sure to overhaul her, if wedon't waste valuable time in getting started."
"That's right!" cried Arthur, turning from Louise. "The theory agreeswith old Miguel's suspicion about Inez, and--"
"What suspicion?" cried half a dozen.
"Never mind that," said Rudolph, with a hasty glance toward Louise;"let's be off, and talk afterward."
"We men must decide on our routes and all take the road at once,"proposed Rudolph.
"It's pitch dark," said Runyon.
"Would you like to wait until morning?" demanded Rudolph, sarcastically.
"No; I want to rescue that baby," said the big fellow.
"Then take the north road, as far as Tungar's ranch. Stop at every houseto inquire. When you get to Tungar's, come back by the McMillan road.That's a sixty mile jaunt, and it will cover the north and northwest.Take Mr. Merrick with you. Now, then, off you go!"
Runyon nodded and left the room, followed gladly by Uncle John, wholonged to be doing something that would count. The others soon heard theroar of the motor car as it started away on its quest.
Then it was arranged for Arthur to drive back to Escondido to makeinquiries and to watch the departure of the evening train, the only oneto pass the station since baby had been missing. He was to carry MajorDoyle with him and return by another route. Hahn promised to cover withhis own car the only other two roads that remained to be searched, andhe figured that they would all return to the house within two or threehours, when--if still there was no news--they might plan a furtherpursuit of the fugitive baby.
Helen Hahn had promised not to leave Louise until baby was found, andbefore starting Arthur assisted his wife to her room, where he left herweeping dismally one moment and screaming for little Jane the next.
Sing Fing had sent a maid to announce dinner, but no one paid anyattention to the summons.
After the three automobiles had departed, Patsy and Beth remained in thenursery and left Helen and a maid with Louise. Once alone, Miss Doylesaid to her cousin:
"Having started them upon the search, Beth, you and I must take up thatpertinent suggestion made by Mr. Hahn and face the important question:'Why?'"
"I'm dying to be of some use, dear," responded Beth in a disconsolatetone, "but I fear we two girls are quite helpless. How can _we_ tell whythe baby has been stolen?"
"Has she been stolen?" inquired Patsy. "We mustn't take even that forgranted. Let us be sensible and try to marshal our wits. Here's thefact: baby's gone. Here's the problem: why?"
"We don't know," said Beth. "No one knows."
"Of course some one knows. Little Jane, as our friend Bul Run remindedus, can't walk. If she went away, she was carried. By whom? And why? Andwhere?"
"Dear me!" cried Beth, despairingly; "if we knew all that, we could findbaby."
"Exactly. So let's try to acquire the knowledge."
She went into Mildred's room and made an examination of its contents.The place seemed in its usual order, but many of Mildred's trinkets andpersonal possessions were scattered around.
"Her absence wasn't premeditated," decided Patsy. "Her white sweater isgone, but that is all. This fact, however, may prove that she expectedto be out after dark. It is always chilly in this country after sundownand doubtless Mildred knew that."
"Why, she used to live here!" cried Beth. "Of course she knew."
Patsy sat down and looked at her cousin attentively.
"That is news to me," she said in a tone that indicated she had made adiscovery. "Do you mean that Mildred once lived in this neighborhood?"
"Yes; very near here. She told me she had known this old house wellyears ago, when she was a girl. She used to visit it in company with herfather, a friend of old Senor Cristoval."
"Huh!" exclaimed Patsy. "That's queer, Why didn't she tell us this, whenwe first proposed bringing her out here?"
"I don't know. I remember she was overjoyed when I first suggested hercoming, but I supposed that was because she had at last found a payingjob."
"When did she tell you of this?"
"Just lately."
"What else did she say?"
"Nothing more. I asked if she had any relatives or friends living herenow, but she did not reply."
"Beth, I'm astonished!" asserted Patsy, with a grave face. "Thiscomplicates matters."
"I don't see why."
"Because, if Mildred knows this neighborhood, and wanted to steal babyand secrete her, she could take little Jane to her unknown friends andwe could never discover her hiding-place."
"Why should Mildred Travers wish to steal baby?" asked Beth.
"For a reward--a ransom. She knows that Arthur Weldon is rich, and thatUncle John is richer, and she also knows that dear little Toodlums isthe pride of all our hearts. If she demands a fortune for the return ofbaby, we will pay it at once."
"And prosecute her abductor, Mildred, afterward," said Beth. "No, Patsy;I don't believe she's that sort of a girl, at all."
"We know nothing of her history. She is secretive and reserved.Mildred's cold, hard eyes condemn her as one liable to do anything. Andthis was such an easy way for her to make a fortune."
Beth was about to protest this severe judgment, but on second thoughtremained silent. Appearances were certainly against Mildred Travers andBeth saw no reason to champion her, although she confessed to herselfthat she had liked the girl and been interested in helping her.
"We have still Inez to consider," said she. "What has become of theMexican girl?"
"We are coming to her presently," replied Patsy. "Let us finish withMildred first. A girl who has evidently had a past, which she guardsjealously. A poor girl, whose profession scarcely earned herbread-and-butter before we engaged her. A girl whose eyes repelfriendship; who has little to lose by kidnapping Jane in the attempt tosecure a fortune. She was fond of baby; I could see that myself; so shewon't injure our darling but will take good care of her until we pay
themoney, when Toodlums will be restored to us, smiling and crowing asusual. Beth, if this reasoning is correct, we needn't worry. Byto-morrow morning Arthur will receive the demand for ransom, and he willlose no time in satisfying Mildred's cupidity."
"Very good reasoning," said Beth; "but I don't believe a word of it."
"I hope it is true," said Patsy, "for otherwise we are facing a stillworse proposition."
"Inez?"
"Yes. Inez isn't clever; she doesn't care for money; she would not stealJane for a ransom. But the Mexican girl worships baby in every fibre ofher being. She would die for baby; she--" lowering her voice to awhisper, "she would _kill_ anyone for baby."
Beth shivered involuntarily as Patsy uttered this horrible assertion.
"You mean--"
"Now, let us look at this matter calmly. Inez has, from the first,resented the employment of Mildred as chief nurse. She has hated Mildredwith a deadly hatred and brooded over her fancied wrongs until she haslost all sense of reason. She feared that in the end baby Jane would betaken away from her, and this thought she could not bear. Therefore shehas stolen baby and carried her away, so as to have the precious onealways in her keeping."
"And Mildred?" asked Beth.
"Well, in regard to Mildred, there are two conjectures to consider. Shemay have discovered that Inez had stolen baby and is now following inpursuit. Or--"
"Or what, dear?" as imaginative Patsy hesitated, appalled by her ownmental suggestion.
"Or in a fit of anger Inez murdered Mildred and hid her body. Then, toescape the penalty of her crime, she ran away and took baby with her.Either one of these suppositions would account for the absence of bothnurses."
Beth looked at her cousin in amazement.
"I think," said she, "you'd better go and get something to eat; or a cupof tea, at least. This excitement is--is--making you daffy, Patsy dear."
"Pah! Food would disgust me. And I'm not crazy, Beth. Dreadful thingshappen in this world, at times, and Louise has a queer lot of peoplearound her. Think a moment. Our baby has disappeared. Her two nurses,neither of whom are especially trustworthy, have also disappeared.There's a reason, Beth, and you may be sure it's not any common,ordinary reason, either. I'm trying to be logical in my deductions andto face the facts sensibly."
"Inez would be as careful of baby's welfare as would Mildred."
"I realize that. If I thought for a moment that baby was in any peril Iwould go distracted, and scream louder than poor Louise is doing. Do youhear her? Isn't it awful?"
"Let us tell Louise these things," said Beth, rising from her chair."What you call your 'deductions' are terribly tragic, Patsy, but theyreassure us about baby. Shall we go to Louise?"
"I think it will be better," decided Patsy, and they left the nurseryand stepped out into the court. At the far end of the open space stoodhuddled a group of men, all of whom bore lanterns. Patsy advanced to thegroup and discovered them to be the Mexican laborers from the quarters.Old Miguel advanced a pace and bowed.
"We search for baby--for Mees Jane--eh?" he said, questioningly, as ifdesiring instructions.
"That is a happy thought, Miguel," replied the girl. "The others arescouring the roads in their motor cars, but the country needs searching,too--away from the roads, in the fields and orchards. Send your men outat once, and scatter them in all directions."
Miguel turned and rapidly harangued his followers in the Spanish patois.One by one they turned and vanished into the night. Only the old manremained.
"Ever'bod' love Mees Jane," he said simply. "They all want to find her,an' ask me to let 'em go. Good. They will search well."
In spite of the words there was a tone of indifference in Miguel's voicethat attracted the girl's notice. He did not seem in the least worriedor agitated, nor did he appear to attach much importance to the search.Yet Patsy knew the aged foreman was one of "Mees Jane's" most devotedadmirers.
"Where do you think baby is?" she asked abruptly.
"Quien sabe?" he answered, and then in English, "who knows?"
"Be sensible, Miguel! No one would hurt the dear child, I'm sure."
His dark features wrinkled in an engaging smile.
"No one would hurt Mees Jane. I believe it."
"But some one has carried her away."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Some time she come back," said he.
"Now, see here, Miguel; you know more than anyone else about thisaffair. Tell me the truth."
He raised his brows, shaking his head.
"I know nothing," said he. "I not worry much; but I know nothing."
"Then you suspect."
The old man regarded her curiously; almost suspiciously, Patsy thought.
"What ees suspec'?" he asked. "It ees nothing. To suspec' ees not toknow. Not to know ees--nothing at all."
The girl stamped her foot impatiently, for she caught Beth smiling ather.
"What is Inez to you, Miguel?" she demanded.
Again he smiled the childlike, engaging smile.
"She ees to me nothing," said he. "Inez is Mexican, but her family eesnot my family. Not all Mexicans ees--re--spec'--ble. Once I know Inez'father. He drink too much wheesky, an' the wheesky make heem bad."
"But you like Inez?"
"She ees good to Mees Jane; but--she have bad tempers."
Patsy thought a moment.
"Did you know Mildred Travers when she used to live near here?" sheasked.
Old Miguel started and took a step forward.
"Where she leeve, when she ees here?" he asked eagerly.
"I don't know. Have you ever seen her?"
"No. She do not come to our quarters."
"Wait a minute," said Patsy, and ran up to her room, leaving Beth toconfront the ranchero and to study him with her dark, clear eyes. Butshe said nothing until her cousin returned and thrust a small kodakprint into Miguel's hand.
"That is Mildred Travers," said Patsy.
Miguel held up his lantern while he examined the picture and both girlsobserved that his hand trembled. For a long time he remained bent overthe print--an unnecessarily long time, indeed--but when he raised hishead his face was impassive as a mask.
"I do not know Mees Travers," was all he said as he handed back thepicture. "Now I go an' hunt for Mees Jane," he quickly added.
They watched him turn and noticed that his steps, as he left the court,were tottering and feeble.
"He lied," said Beth, softly.
"I am sure of it," agreed Patsy; "but that does not enlighten themystery any. I'm sorry we brought Mildred to this place. There's justone thing you can bank on, Beth: that in some way or other Mildred isresponsible for the disappearance of our precious Toodlums."
Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch Page 8
