THE DETECTIVE DETECTED
One Monday, at high noon, the pretty Miss Selenski was married in the
Hungarian church and her four new friends were among the many foreign
women who came to wish their kindly neighbor much happiness in her new
life.
Gloria had been pleased with the earnest face of the man who had won the
love of little Miss Selenski, and when the smiling pair rode away on an
automobile delivery truck, which was their very own, the Vandergrift
girls, with Nell Wiggin, stood on a crowded street corner and waved and
nodded, promising that very soon they would visit the little home, with a
yard around it, that was out near the woodsy Bronx Park.
Bobs at the last moment had tied an old shoe to the back of the truck
with a white ribbon, and there it hung dangling and bobbing in a manner
most festive, while through a small hole in the sole of it a stream of
rice trickled, but in the thronging, surging masses of East Side humanity
this little drama was scarcely noticed.
When Mr. and Mrs. Cheniska had disappeared up Third Avenue, Gloria turned
to smile at little Nell Wiggin.
"Now, let us make haste to get your new apartment in order that you may
wire your brother to come at once; that is, if a wire will reach him."
"Yes, indeed it will, and he is eagerly awaiting it," Nell happily
replied. "Since our foster-father's death my brother has been living in
town with the missionary of whom I told you, the one who used to visit
the remote farms and who brought my brother, years ago, his first book of
poetry. They have been close friends ever since."
But when the girls reached the little apartment, they found that there
was nothing to be done. It was in perfect order, and the thoughtful bride
had even left part of her wedding flowers that they might be there to
welcome the new agent of the model tenements.
"There seems to be nothing to do here," beamingly Miss Wiggin said.
"Perhaps I would better go at once to my room and pack."
"I will go with you and help," Bobs told her.
"Then both of you come to the Pensinger mansion for lunch," Lena May
suggested.
"What did you do about notifying Mr. Queerwitz?" Bobs inquired an hour
later as the two girls started down Fourth Avenue toward the basement
home of Nell Wiggin.
"Nothing as yet. That is, I merely telephoned that I would not be there
today. I suppose I will have to give two weeks' notice. Let us go there
at once and I will do so."
When the two girls entered the Queerwitz Antique Shop, Miss Peerwinkle
seemed to be much excited because of their arrival and, hastening to the
rear door, which was labeled "No Admittance," she gave three sharp raps
and then hurried back and took up her post near the front door, as though
to prevent escape in that direction.
Bobs looked all around, wondering if there was a customer in the store
who was being watched, but she and Nell seemed to be the only other
occupants of the place. To add to the mysteriousness, Miss Harriet
Dingley, upon receiving a nod from the head lady, walked to the entrance
of the cloakroom, deliberately turned the key and put it in her pocket.
Bobs, always on the alert, noted all this and marveled at it. Surely Nell
Wiggin had done nothing to arouse the suspicion of Mr. Queerwitz! Then,
suddenly, a very possible solution of the mystery flashed into Roberta's
consciousness.
Undoubtedly Mr. Queerwitz suspected that the late Miss Dolittle had
something to do with the disappearance, reappearance and subsequent sale
of the rare old book. She well knew how enraged the grasping shopkeeper
would be if he learned that he had received only half as much for the
second volume as had been paid by Mr. Van Loon for the first, and if that
gentleman had described the girl who had sold the book to him! Bobs
actually smiled as she thought, "I guess I'm trapped all right. A fine
detective I would make when I never even thought to wear a disguise.
Well, the game's up!"
She knew that she ought to feel troubled when she saw Mr. Queerwitz
emerge from his secret sanctum and approach her, looking about as
friendly as a thunder cloud, but, instead, that irrepressible girl felt
amused as though she were embarking upon another interesting adventure,
and she actually smiled to greet him. Bobs was depending upon her natural
quick-wittedness to save her from whatever avalanche of wrath was about
to descend upon her.
She had glanced beyond the man, then suddenly she stared as though amazed
at what she saw back of him. The shopkeeper, noting this, turned and
observed that in his haste he had neglected to latch the door labeled "No
Admittance," and that a draught of air had opened it.
Beyond plainly were seen several workmen engaged in making antique
furniture. Mr. Queerwitz looked sharply at the girl, trying to learn, if
possible, how much of his secret had been revealed to her.
His anger increased when he saw that her eyes were laughing. "What
puzzles me," she was saying, innocently, "is how you can make things look
worm-eaten as well as time-worn."
Whatever accusations might have been on the lips of Mr. Queerwitz when he
approached Roberta, they were never uttered. Instead he turned and walked
rapidly back to his workshop and closed the door, none too quietly, but
in a manner that seemed to convince Miss Peerwinkle that she and Miss
Dingley need no longer guard the entrances.
How Bobs wanted to laugh, but instead she walked over to Nell Wiggin, who
had been collecting the few things that she had at the shop.
"Have you given notice?" Roberta inquired.
"I wrote a note and asked Miss Peerwinkle to give it to Mr. Queerwitz.
Come, let us go."
Half an hour later Nell Wiggin was packing her few garments in a
suitcase, while Roberta tied up the precious books. Two hours later the
new agent of the model tenements was established in the sunny apartment
and her row of red-bound books stood on one shelf of the built-in
bookcase.
"Now I will wire my brother Dean that he may come as soon as he wishes;
and oh, how I do hope that will be soon," Nell said as she happily
surveyed the pleasantest place that she had ever called home.
The message was sent when they were on their way to the Pensinger mansion
for lunch.
"I must not remain long," the new agent told Gloria, "for I promised Mrs.
Doran-Ashley that I would be on duty at one."
Every little while during that noon meal Bobs would look up with laughing
eyes. At last she told the cause of her mirth. "I am wondering what Mr.
James Jewett thinks of his assistant detective," she remarked. "I am so
glad that I gave the name Miss Dolittle. Now I can retire from the
profession without being traced."
"Oh, good, here comes the postman," Lena May declared as she rose and
went to the side door to meet the mail-carrier. Gloria looked up eagerly.
She was always hoping that Gwendolyn would write. The letters that she
had sent to the Newport home of the schoolmate whom Gwendolyn had said
that she was going to visit, had been returned, marked "Whereabouts not
known."
There were two letters and both were for Bobs. One was a bulging missive
from her Long Island friend, Dick De Laney, but it was at the other that
the girl stared as though in uncomprehending amazement. The cause of her
very evident astonishment was the printed return address in the upper
left-hand corner. It was "Fourth Avenue Branch, Burns Detective Agency."
Then she glanced, still puzzled, at her own name, which was written, not
typed.
"Miss Roberta Vandergrift," she read aloud. Then suddenly she laughed,
and looking up at the other girls who, all interest, were awaiting an
explanation of her queer conduct, she exclaimed: "The amateur detective
has been detected, but how under the shining heavens did Mr. James Jewett
know that my name wasn't Miss Dolittle?"
Gloria smiled. "You haven't much faith, it would seem, in his ability as
a detective. What has he written, Bobs?"
There were few words in the message:
"Miss Vandergrift, please report at this office at once, as we have need
of your services. Signed. J. G. Jewett."
"Well, I'll be flabbergasted!" Roberta ejaculated. "But I must confess I
am curious, and so I will immediately, if not sooner, hie me down that
way. Wait a jiff, Miss Wiggin. I'll walk along with you."
When Roberta and Nell were gone, Gloria found the bulging letter from
Bobs' oldest friend, Dick De Laney, lying on the table unopened. The girl
who was so loved by that faithful lad had quite forgotten it in her new
interests. Gloria sighed. "Poor Dick," she said to Lena May as she placed
the letter on a mantel, "I wish he did not care so much for Roberta, for
I fear that she does not really care for him."
True it was that at that particular moment Bobs was far more interested
in learning what Mr. Jewett had to tell her than in any message that a
letter from Dick might contain.