CHAPTER XVI.
A SCHEME AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
We will now have to take our readers away from the Winnebagos and theiraffairs for a few moments and admit them into the private office of Mr.Rumford Thurston. Mr. Thurston, dealer in stocks and bonds and promoterof investments, was closeted with his business associate and intimatefriend, Mr. Nathan Scovill. An earnest discussion was in progress, thetheme of which was apparently drawn from a paper which was spread out onthe desk between them.
"I tell you, it's the chance of a lifetime," said Mr. Scovill. "We canclean up a cool half million on it before the public wakes up, and whenthey do we can take a trip to Hawaii or Manila for our health until thebusiness is forgotten. You put in ten thousand now and you'll be on easystreet for the rest of your life."
"But I tell you, I haven't the ten thousand to put in," answered Mr.Thurston crossly. "I haven't one thousand. That last deal finished me."
"Borrow some," said Mr. Scovill impatiently.
"Can't get any more credit," said Mr. Thurston gloomily. "The officefurniture is attached already."
Mr. Scovill scowled. Then he went carefully over the ground again,dwelling on the ease of making money without working for it by thesimple method of swindling the public, and enlarging on the joys of lifeas a rich man. "Think, man," he said in conclusion, "think what you'remissing!"
Mr. Thurston leaned his head on his hands and thought of what he wasmissing, and he also thought of something else. A peculiar calculatingexpression appeared in his eyes and around the corners of his mouth."There is some money to be had," he said slowly, "if I can get hold ofit."
"Where?" asked Mr. Scovill eagerly. "If it's to be had you may restassured we'll get hold of it by hook or crook."
"You remember John Rogers?" asked Mr. Thurston. Mr. Scovill nodded."When he died he left his daughters a fortune in stocks," continued Mr.Thurston.
"Yes?" inquired Mr. Scovill encouragingly.
"Well," said Mr. Thurston, with a glitter in his eye, "I was appointedguardian of those two girls."
Mr. Scovill whistled. "Meaning to say------" he began.
"That I have the managing of their property until they come of age,"finished Mr. Thurston.
"Our fortune's made," said Mr. Scovill, shaking him by the hand.
"The only thing is," said Mr. Thurston, scratching his headreflectively, "that the oldest girl comes of age in June, and theremight be an awkward inquiry just at the wrong time. We can't afford tohave any investigations begun inside of the next six months if we expectto carry through the other scheme. Any breath of scandal would wreck ourprospects."
Mr. Scovill's face fell. He saw only too clearly the truth of theother's words. But where Mr. Thurston came to a halt in front of a deadwall, Scovill's scheming mind saw the loophole. "But just suppose," hesaid slowly, "that there shouldn't be any investigation when the oldestgirl comes of age? Suppose she should never put in a claim for herproperty?"
"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Thurston.
"Something like this," said Mr. Scovill. "If she were to be kept shut upsomewhere for a year or so until you have had time to make your fortune,it would be too late to hurt you with a disclosure after that. Wherenobody asks questions there is no need of answering."
Thurston saw the point, but he didn't see how it was going to be done.It was Scovill who thought out the whole scheme. He had a large piece ofland far outside the city limits on the lake front. There was anunoccupied house on the property. Here the girl could be kept locked upon the pretext that she was insane, with a certain woman he knew askeeper, a deaf-mute. He shared a secret with her and could use thisknowledge to force her to serve him. The whole thing was very simple.
"But how are we going to keep the one locked up away from the other?"asked Mr. Thurston. "Her sister would have the whole country searchingfor her."
"Then take them both," said Mr. Scovill promptly. "That'll make matterssimpler yet. You say they have no relatives and are now away in school?Nothing could be easier. We'll build a room they can't get out of oncethey're in, and when it's finished you invite them to your house for avisit. They'll think they're coming to see you, but it's out there tothat house they'll go and they'll not come back in a hurry. In themeantime you get hold of those stocks and bonds, sell them and put themoney in this venture and come out a rich man. When you're ready toclear out of the country you can let the girls out, and they won't beany worse off than when they went in--except that they won't have acent."
Bit by bit the plan was perfected. Mr. Thurston took a sudden interestin his orphan wards to the extent of writing to the school where theywere attending and asking when it closed for the summer. When he wasinformed that school closed the last week in May, he invited the twogirls, Genevieve and Antoinette Rogers, to spend the first weeks oftheir vacation at his home. He had not seen either of them since theywere little children. They graciously accepted the invitation.
But on the day they were to arrive, Mr. Thurston found that some privatebusiness of his very urgently required his presence in another city, andleft Mr. Scovill to see to the landing of the birds in the trap. Mr.Scovill met the unsuspecting girls at the train, explaining with manyexpressions of regret the enforced absence of their guardian, took themto dinner in a fine hotel and showed them the sights of the town withall the cordiality of a sincere friend of their host, who was doing hisbest to make up for his not being there. He won their hearts completely.They were simple girls who had been brought up in a strict churchschool, and the sights and sounds of the large city were all wonderfulto them.
Now, thanks to Mr. Scovill's activities, the trap was all set. The towerwas built with its room at the top without any door and its barredwindow, and the deaf-mute was installed on the place and giveninstructions to act as guard to two girls who were mentally unbalanced.Furnishing the room in violet was the last touch of his cunning brain,because he knew the depressing effect it would have on the inmates. Hegave strict orders to the keeper to remove any sign of a bright color,as this might cause them to become violent.
Mr. Scovill had left directions for his automobile to be at a certainplace at half-past four to convey them to the house in the country. Now,for reasons of his own, Mr. Scovill did not wish to be the last one seenin the company of the two girls in case his plans should go wrong andsome one would start an inquiry for them. Therefore, he gave his driverprivate instructions to drive like the wind with two girls who should beplaced in the car, and under no condition to let them out of the car.
Accordingly, when they were all a little weary of sight-seeing hesteered them gently toward the corner of ----th Avenue and L---- Street,where the car was to wait for them. Half a block off he saw that it wasin place. So, pulling out his watch and suddenly remembering that he hadan important engagement for that very minute, he courteously took hisleave and pointed out the car they were to get into, telling them thatit was Mr. Thurston's and would take them to his home. "You can't missit, girls," he said, pointing with his finger. "It's that bright blueone with the basket-work streamer." Antoinette and Genevieve thanked himkindly for showing them such a good time and entered the car he hadindicated. Mr. Scovill withdrew into a doorway and watched them. In afew moments the driver appeared, saw the two girls in the machine,touched his hat to them, and taking his place behind the wheel, droverapidly off in the opposite direction. Mr. Scovill rubbed his handstogether as he watched the car disappear. It was a way he had when hisplans were turning out nicely. Forty-five minutes later his drivercalled up from the country house to say that he had brought the girlsout in safety. Mr. Scovill smiled blandly. So far everything had playedinto his hands. When Mr. Thurston returned the following day heannounced the fact to him that the birds were safe in the trap. Then heleft town for a protracted stay. Mr. Thurston made one trip out to thehouse to behold the thing for himself. Riding up in the elevator, he sawthe girls standing by the barred window of their prison. When they litthe light he descended in haste so as not to be seen by them
. Then healso left town for a while.
The Winnebagos, who were all in time for the Limited except Nyoda andGladys, boarded the car without them and amused themselves during theride by thinking up ways to tease the tardy ones when they should arriveon the next car. Pretty Mrs. Bates met them at the car stop with thenews that Nyoda and Gladys were coming out in the automobile, and whenthey thought it was time for them to arrive they all lined up in theroad where the drive turned off, and were ready to sing a funny songwhich Migwan had made up about not getting there on time. The blue carcame in sight and the girls ranged themselves straight across the roadso it could not pass until the entire song had been sung. With mouthsopen ready to sing they stopped in astonishment. The two girls in thetonneau were strangers. They smiled bashfully at the row of maidens withthe bright red ties.
Mrs. Bates stepped forward. "Whom have you brought us, John?" she asked.
"Why, you said there'd be two girls in the car when I came out,"answered the driver; "and there were."
"Oh, is there any mistake?" asked one of the strange girls. "Our namesare Genevieve and Antoinette Rogers. We've come up from Seaville tovisit our guardian, Mr. Thurston. He couldn't meet us and anothergentleman pointed out his automobile and said the driver would take usout to Mr. Thurston's country place, and we got in, and he brought ushere."
"This is Bates Villa," said Mrs. Bates. "You undoubtedly got into ourcar by mistake."
"I'm sorry this is not the right place," said Antoinette in a tone offrank regret. "I was so glad when I saw all you girls and thought youwere to be our friends."
"You will be very welcome guests until your guardian comes for you,"said Mrs. Bates in her gracious way.
The Winnebagos were much amused to think that Gladys and Nyoda hadmissed their chance to ride out in the automobile, and added anotherverse to the song to be sung when they should arrive on the nextLimited. Mrs. Bates found Mr. Thurston's name in the telephone book andcalled his residence, but could get no answer. Now, Mr. Scovill hadintroduced himself to Genevieve and Antoinette as "Mr. Adams." They didnot know his initials and attempts to get him on the wire were futile.
The girls all went down to the car-track when it was time for the nextLimited. A regular fusilade of jests and jibes were prepared for Nyodaand Gladys. The Limited appeared and thundered by without stopping. "Noton this one?" said the girls. "What on earth could have happened?"
"Here comes another car," said Hinpoha; "they're running adouble-header. Nyoda and Gladys must be on this one." The second carwhizzed by with a deafening clatter and a cloud of dust.
"Maybe they're not coming," said one of the girls, and disappointmentwas visible on every face. This jolly party would not be completewithout their beloved Guardian and Gladys. Mrs. Bates telephoned to theEvans's house in town, but there was nobody home. She tried the housewhere Nyoda lived, but got no satisfaction, for the landlady merely saidthat Miss Kent had not been home since leaving for school in themorning. The evening passed off as merrily as possible and the girlsrose the next morning feeling sure that Nyoda and Gladys would be out onthe first car. But the day passed with no sign of them. They telephonedto the Evans's again and this time they got Mrs. Evans.
"Gladys hasn't arrived there?" she asked in a frightened voice. "Shewasn't at home last night. Where can she be?" Wonder gave way to anxietyon all sides and there was no more thought of fun.
"They must be out at Mr. Thurston's, of course," suggested AntoinetteRogers. Renewed efforts were made to get into communication with Mr.Thurston, but in vain. No answer came from the number which was oppositehis name in the telephone book. Genevieve and Antoinette were highlyembarrassed at being obliged to stay with strangers, and were not alittle mystified over the non-appearance of their guardian.
The days passed in frightful suspense for the parents and friends of themissing girls. The aid of the police was called in, but they could findno clue. Early on the morning of the fourth day Mrs. Evans was called tothe phone and was overjoyed to hear Gladys's voice on the wire. She andNyoda were at a house on the lake shore and would be home soon. Therewas a happy home-coming that morning. Nyoda and Gladys told the almostunbelievable tale of their imprisonment and escape from the tower. Afterlying exhausted on the beach for a time, they had walked until they cameto a house where they were warmed and lent dry clothes, for they hadlost their bundles in the waves.
"And that's what would have become of us," said Antoinette Rogers with ashudder, when Nyoda and Gladys had finished their story, "if we had notmade a mistake and gotten into the wrong automobile."
The police were informed of the matter and as soon as Mr. Thurstonreturned to his place of business he was arrested and charged with theconspiracy to abduct and forcibly detain his two wards. At first hedenied any knowledge of the affair, but the proof was overwhelming.Nyoda accompanied a delegation of police and witnesses in a motor boatto the foot of the tower and showed them the bent-out bars and the veryplace where they had jumped into the water, and later they raided thehouse from the land side. The deaf mute was nowhere to be found. She hadfled when she discovered that her charges had escaped and was neverheard of again. They ascended in the elevator but were unable to findthe contrivance which opened the door into the room, so cunningly was itdevised, and had to be content with looking through the grill-work intothe lavender room.
The Rogers girls, who were taken away from the guardianship of Mr.Thurston, went to stay with friends in Cincinnati. Mr. Thurston was leftto pay the penalty of his villainy alone, for Mr. Scovill had made goodhis escape before the plot was disclosed.
Thus Nyoda and Gladys all unknowingly were the cause of a great crimebeing averted, and were regarded as heroines forevermore by theWinnebagos and their friends.
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