In half-an-hour from the time Captain Carrington strode to the
telephone to arouse his friends, all Hampton had the startling news:
Davila Carrington and her guest, Miss Cavendish, had disappeared.
How, when, and where, it could not learn, so it supplied the deficiency
as best pleased the individual--by morning, the wildest tales were
rehearsed and credited.
The truth was bad enough, however. Miss Carrington and Miss Cavendish
were not in the town, nor anywhere within a circuit of five miles.
Croyden, Macloud, all the men in the place had searched the night
through, and without avail. Every horse, and every boat had been
accounted for. It remained, that they either had fallen into the Bay,
or had gone in a strange conveyance.
Croyden and Macloud had returned to Clarendon for a bite of
breakfast--very late breakfast, at eleven o'clock. They had met by
accident, on their way to the house, having come from totally different
directions of search.
"It's Parmenter again!" said Croyden, suddenly.
"It's what?" said Macloud.
"Parmenter:--Pirate's gold breeds pirate's ways. The lawyer villain has
reappeared. I told you it was he I saw, yesterday, driving the
automobile."
"I don't quite understand why they selected Elaine and Miss Carrington
to abduct," Macloud objected, after a moment's consideration. "Why
didn't they take you?"
"Because they thought we would come to time more quickly, if they took
the women. They seem to be informed on everything, so, we can assume,
they are acquainted with your fondness for Miss Carrington and mine for
Elaine. Or, it's possible they thought that we both were interested in
Davila--for I've been with her a lot this autumn--and then, at the
pinch, were obliged to take Elaine, also, because she was with her and
would give the alarm if left behind."
"A pretty fair scheme," said Macloud. "The fellow who is managing this
business knew we would do more for the women than for ourselves."
"It's the same old difficulty--we haven't got Parmenter's treasure, but
they refuse to be convinced."
The telephone rang, and Croyden himself answered it.
"Captain Carrington asks that we come over at once," he said, hanging
up the receiver. "The Pinkerton men have arrived."
They finished their breakfast and started. Half way to the gate, they
met the postman coming up the walk. He handed Croyden a letter, faced
about and trudged away.
Croyden glanced at it, mechanically tore open the envelope, and drew it
out. As his eyes fell on the first line, he stopped, abruptly.
"Listen to this!" he said.
"On Board The Parmenter,
"Pirate Sloop of War,
"Off the Capes of the Chesapeake.
"Dear Sir:--
"It seems something is required to persuade you that we mean
business. Therefore, we have abducted Miss Carrington and her
friend, Miss Cavendish, in the hope that it will rouse you to a
proper realization of the eternal fitness of things, and of our
intention that there shall be a division of the jewels--or their
value in money. Our attorney had the pleasure of an interview
with you, recently, at which time he specified a sum of two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, as being sufficient. A
further investigation of the probable value of the jewels, having
convinced us that we were in slight error as to their present
worth, induces us to reduce the amount, which we claim as our
share, to two hundred thousand dollars. This is the minimum of
our demand, however, and we have taken the ladies, aforesaid, as
security for its prompt payment.
"They will be held in all comfort and respect (if no effort at
rescue be attempted--otherwise we will deal with them as we see
fit), for the period of ten days from the receipt of this letter,
which will be at noon to-morrow. If the sum indicated is not
paid, they will, at the expiration of the ten days, be turned
over to the tender mercies of the crew.--Understand?
"As to the manner of payment--You, yourself, must go to
Annapolis, and, between eleven and twelve in the morning, proceed
to the extreme edge of Greenberry Point and remain standing, in
full view from the Bay, for the space of fifteen minutes. You
will, then, face about, step ten paces, and bury the money, which
must be in thousand dollar bills, under a foot of sand. You will
then, immediately, return to Annapolis and take the first car to
Baltimore, and, thence, to Hampton.
"In the event that you have not reduced the jewels to cash, we
will be content with such a division as will insure us a moiety
thereof. It will be useless to try deception concerning
them,--though a few thousand dollars, one way or the other, won't
matter. When you have complied with these terms, the young women
will be released and permitted to return to Hampton. If not--they
will wish they were dead, even before they are. We are, sir, with
deep respect,
"Y'r h'mbl. and ob'dt. serv'ts,
"Robert Parmenter's Successors.
"Geoffrey Croyden, Esq'r.
"Hampton, Md."
"Where was it mailed?" Macloud asked.
Croyden turned over the envelope. It was postmarked Hampton, 6.30 A.M.,
of that day.
"Which implies that it was mailed some time during the night," said
he.
"What do you make of it?"
"Do you mean, will they carry out their threat?"
Croyden nodded.
"They have been rather persistent," Macloud replied.
"It's absurd!" Croyden exclaimed. "We haven't the jewels. Damn
Parmenter and his infernal letter!"
"Parmenter is not to blame," said Macloud. "Damn the thieves."
"And damn my carelessness in letting them pick my pocket! there lies
the entire difficulty."
"Well, the thing, now, is to save the women--and how?"
"Pay, if need be!" exclaimed Croyden. "The two hundred thousand I got
for the Virginia Development bonds will be just enough."
Macloud nodded. "I'm in for half, old man. Aside from any personal
feelings we may have for the women in question," he said, with a
serious sort of smile, "we owe it to them--they were abducted solely
because of us--to force us to disgorge."
"I'm ready to pay the cash at once."
"Don't be hasty!" Macloud cautioned. "We have ten days, and the police
can take a try at it."
"_That_, for the police!" said Croyden, snapping his fingers. "They're
all bunglers--they will be sure to make a mess of it, and, then, no man
can foresee what will happen. It's not right to subject the women to
the risk. Let us pay first, and punish after--if we can catch the
scoundrels. How long do you think Henry Cavendish will hesitate when he
learns that Elaine has been abducted, and the peril which menaces
her?"
"Thunder! we have clean forgot her father!" exclaimed Macloud. "He
should be informed at once."
"Just what he shouldn't be," Croyden returned. "What is the good in
alarming him? Free her--then she may tell him, or not, as it pleases
her."
Macloud held out his hand.
"Done!" he said. "Our first duty _is_ to save the women, the rest can
bide until they are free. How about the money? Are your stocks readily
convertible? If not, I'll advance your share."
"Much obliged, old man," said Croyden, "but a wire will do it--they're
all listed on New York."
"Will you lose much, if you sell now?" asked Macloud. He wished Croyden
would let him pay the entire amount.
"Just about even; a little to the good, in fact," was the answer.
And Macloud said no more--he knew it was useless.
At Ashburton, they found Captain Carrington pacing the long hall, in
deep distress--uncertain what course to pursue, because there was no
indication as to what had caused the disappearance. He turned, as the
two men entered.
"The detectives are quizzing the servants in the library," he said. "I
couldn't sit still.--You have news?" he exclaimed, reading Croyden's
face.
"I have!" said Croyden, and gave him the letter.
He seized it. As he read, concern, perplexity, amazement, anger, all
showed in his countenance.
"They have been abducted!--Davila and Miss Cavendish, and are held for
ransom!--a fabulous ransom, which you are asked to pay," he said,
incredulously. "So much, at least, is intelligible. But why? why? Who
are Robert Parmenter's Successors?--and who was he? and the jewels?--I
cannot understand----"
"I'm not surprised," said Croyden. "It's a long story--too long to
tell--save that Parmenter was a pirate, back in 1720, who buried a
treasure on Greenberry Point, across the Severn from Annapolis, you
know, and died, making Marmaduke Duval his heir, under certain
conditions. Marmaduke, in turn, passed it on to his son, and so on,
until Colonel Duval bequeathed it to me. We searched--Mr. Macloud and
I--for three weeks, but did not find it. Our secret was chanced upon by
two rogues, who, with their confederates, however, are under the
conviction we _did_ find it. They wanted a rake-off. I laughed at
them--and this abduction is the result."
"But why abduct the women?" asked the old man.
"Because they think I can be coerced more easily. They are under the
impression that I am--fond of Miss Carrington. At any rate, they know
I'm enough of a friend to pay, rather than subject her to the hazard."
"Pay! I can't pay! My whole fortune isn't over twenty thousand dollars.
It I will gladly sacrifice, but more is impossible."
"You're not to pay, my old friend," said Croyden. "Mr. Macloud and I
are the ones aimed at and we will pay."
"I won't permit it, sir!" the Captain exclaimed. "There is no reason
for you----"
"Tut! tut!" said Croyden, "you forget that we are wholly responsible;
but for us, Miss Carrington and Miss Cavendish would not have been
abducted. The obligation is ours, and we will discharge it. It is our
plain, our very plain, duty."
The old man threw up his hands in the extremity of despair.
"I don't know what to do!" he said. "I don't know what to do!"
"Do nothing--leave everything to us. We'll have Miss Carrington back in
three days."
"And safe?"
"And safe--if the letter is trustworthy, and I think it is. The police
can't do as well--they may fail entirely--and think of the possible
consequences! Miss Carrington and Miss Cavendish are very handsome
women."
"My God, yes!" exclaimed the Captain. "Anything but that! If they were
men, or children, it would be different--they could take some chances.
But women!"--He sank on a chair and covered his face with his hands.
"You must let me pay what I am able," he insisted. "All that I
have----"
Croyden let his hand fall sympathizingly on the other's shoulder.
"It shall be as you wish," he said quietly. "We will pay, and you can
settle with us afterward--our stocks can be converted instantly, you
see, while yours will likely require some time."
The Captain pulled himself together and arose.
"Thank you," he said. "I've been sort of unmanned--I'm better now.
Shall you show the detectives the letter--tell them we are going to pay
the amount demanded?"
"I don't know," said Croyden, uncertainly. "What's your opinion,
Colin?"
"Let them see the letter," Macloud answered, "but on the distinct
stipulation, that they make no effort to apprehend 'Robert Parmenter's
Successors' until the women are safely returned. They may pick up
whatever clues they can obtain for after use, but they must not do
anything which will arouse suspicion, even."
"Why take them into our confidence at all?" asked Croyden.
"For two reasons: It's acting square with them (which, it seems to me,
is always the wise thing to do). And, if they are not let in on the
facts, they may blunder in and spoil everything. We want to save the
women at the earliest moment, without any possible handicaps due to
ignorance or inadvertence."
"But can we trust them?" Croyden asked, doubtfully.
"It's the lesser of two evils."
"We will have to explain the letter, its reference to the Parmenter
jewels, and all that it contains."
"I can see no objection. We didn't find the treasure, and, I reckon,
they're welcome to search, if they think there is a chance."
"Well, let it be exactly as you wish--you're quite as much concerned
for success as I am," said Croyden.
"Possibly, more so," returned Macloud, seriously.
And Croyden understood.
Then, they went into the library. The two detectives arose at their
entrance. The one, Rebbert, was a Pinkerton man, the other, Sanders,
was from the Bureau at City Hall. Both were small men, with clean
shaven faces, steady, searching eyes, and an especially quiet manner.
"Mr. Croyden," said Rebbert, "we have been questioning the servants,
but have obtained nothing of importance, except that the ladies wore
their hats and coats (at least, they have disappeared). This, with the
fact that you found Miss Cavendish's glove and handkerchief, on a road
without the limits of Hampton, leads to the conclusion that they have
been abducted. But why? Miss Carrington, we are informed, has no great
wealth--how as to Miss Cavendish?"
"She has more than sufficient--in fact, she is very rich----"
"Ah! then we _have_ a motive," said the detective.
"There is a motive, but it is not Miss Cavendish," Croyden answered.
"You're correct as to the abduction, however--this will explain," and
he handed him the letter.
The two men read it.
"When did you receive this?" said one.
"At noon to-day," replied Croyden, passing over the envelope.
They looked carefully at the postmark.
"Do you object to explaining certain things in this letter?" Rebbert
asked.
"Not in the least," replied Croyden. "I'll tell you the entire
story.... Is there anything I have missed?" he ended.
"I think not, sir."
"Very well! Now, we prefer that you should take no measures to
apprehend the abductors, until after Miss Cavendish and Miss
Carrington have been released. We are going to pay the amount
demanded."
"Going to pay the two hundred thousand dollars!" cried the detectives,
in one breath.