FACE TO FACE
“I speak the truth,” Doris insisted indignantly, “and furthermore, Ronald
Trent, I am convinced that you are nothing but an impostor. You are
plotting with Henry and Cora Sully to swindle these people—out of
everything!”
“Doris!” Iris remonstrated.
“She’s lost her mind!” Cora exclaimed.
Thoroughly aroused at the false accusations made against herself and her
chum, Doris could not have remained quiet had she wished. However, she
forced herself to speak calmly.
“You shall not have a cent of my money when Jake arrives with it,” she
told Ronald.
“We shall see,” he returned, glaring back at her. “You have already lent
the money to the Misses Gates and they have promised it to me. Haven’t
you?”
Azalea and Iris, pale with excitement, nodded their heads miserably.
“We’ve given you nearly every cent we have of our own,” Iris admitted,
“and we did promise you Doris’s money. We trusted you—and now these
dreadful accusations.”
“What can you expect when you bring strangers into the house?”
“But we needed Doris’s help so much, Ronald,” Azalea protested, “and she
isn’t the same as a stranger.”
“You are willing to accept her word against mine?”
“Oh, Ronald, please don’t take that attitude,” Iris pleaded. “We want to
believe you both, but surely something is wrong.”
Ronald laughed shortly.
“I told you once I’d straighten out everything. Just send these intruders
on their way.”
Azalea and Iris exchanged uneasy glances. They did not know what to do.
For the sake of John Trent, the man they loved, they felt they could not
be disloyal to his son, and yet they were reluctant to ask Doris and
Kitty to leave, particularly as they had been given a special invitation
to visit their home. The girls had told a very straightforward story, but
on the other hand Cora and Henry were old servants.
“I don’t know what to do,” Iris murmured.
“There’s only one thing to do and that’s to send these girls packing,”
Ronald told her firmly. “Let me handle this for you.”
“But we want those important papers back,” Azalea protested. “Tell us
where they are.”
“How should I know?” Ronald demanded harshly. “These girls have probably
hid them somewhere!”
“You know that isn’t true!” Doris snapped. “We’ve told you where you’ll
find the papers, but apparently you’re afraid to look!”
Ronald scowled. He had been trying to induce the Misses Gates to send
Doris and Kitty away before they thought of bringing up again the subject
of the lost property. He realized that the girls had it in their power to
place him in an extremely awkward position. He hoped to bluff his way
through by appealing to the sympathies of the two ladies.
Cora and Henry paled as Doris reminded Azalea and Iris of the suitcase.
The housekeeper trembled and clung to her husband for support.
“Just look at them,” Ronald declared. “They’re crushed at the accusation
against their good names. Here they have served long and faithfully and
now these girls try to brand them as thieves!”
“Oh, Ronald, we aren’t branding any one,” Iris said at the point of
tears. “We only want to get at the truth.”
Doris and Kitty were at their wits’ end. In every manner possible they
had tried to convince the Misses Gates of their innocence, but they
realized that no matter how strong was the case against Ronald Trent, the
ladies would give him the benefit of the doubt. Only positive proof would
shake their faith in him, for in their minds they had built up a dream
man. It was difficult for them to see Ronald in his true colors.
Realizing this, it seemed to Doris that the best thing the girls could do
would be to leave the mansion at once. Perhaps later, the Misses Gates
would realize their error.
“We have caused you enough worry and pain,” she said quietly. “Kitty and
I will pack our things and leave at once.”
“But our lost papers!” Iris half sobbed.
“We can only tell you what we’ve said before,” Doris declared. “You’ll
find them in Henry’s suitcase!”
“I don’t see why we shouldn’t look, at any rate,” Azalea murmured.
“Ronald, don’t you think it would be the best way to clear up this
frightful muddle?”
“I wouldn’t give that much credit to the trumped-up story,” he returned
condescendingly. “My dear ladies, don’t take this matter so seriously.”
Azalea eyed him with the first glimmer of distrust.
“After all, it happens to be _our_ papers that are missing,” she told him
tartly. “I think we shall have a look inside that suitcase!”
Cora and Henry, now thoroughly frightened, began to back toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Azalea asked sharply.
“We are leaving,” Cora told her sullenly. “We won’t remain in this house
to be insulted!”
“You’ll not leave until we have examined your suitcase,” Azalea retorted,
displaying more spirit than the girls had known she possessed.
“You’ll not find any papers there!” Henry cried. “Not unless these girls
framed us!”
“That’s probably just what they did do!” Cora chimed in, catching at the
straw. “I’ll bet they put them in our suitcase, so as to throw suspicion
on us.”
“We’ll soon know if the papers are there or not,” Azalea declared.
Realizing that they could no longer bluff, Henry and Cora of one accord
started for the door, hoping to escape. They were abruptly halted by a
steel-like voice.
“Stand where you are!”
Doris and Kitty wheeled, to see Jake barring the door. And directly
behind him stood Marshmallow and Dave!