"What's the matter?" she repeated. "I insist on knowing!"
"Oh, well, things have gone a bit wrong. What do you care?"
She actually stamped her foot. "How dare you speak to me that way!
You came in here like the Lord Hereditary Marshal of England. How was
I to know?"
"Well, I didn't want to let on that I had balled things up," he said
sheepishly.
"You idiot! Will you ever learn the first rudiments of sense? Sit
down here!" She pulled him down beside her Pitman make-up and all.
"Now tell me all about it!"
Jack looked at her a little dazed by this sudden change of front.
"Why--I thought you were just having a little fun with me."
"Certainly I was. You asked for it. Whenever you take that 'my poor
little woman' tone with me, you simply give me a pain. But if you are
really up against it--Ah!"
Her voice caught on a deep low note of tenderness. Jack gave up all
thoughts of mastery; he would have been quite content to kiss her hand.
"Well, I am up against it," he said quite humbly and naturally--and
told her all about it.
She said nothing until he was through; then: "There's no occasion to be
cast down that I can see. You and the old man are playing a close
game, and he's turned a trick on you. But the game's not over yet."
"He's so darn sure of himself!" grumbled Jack. "He knows what I have
on him, but he goes around quite openly in his old black hearse! Shows
himself everywhere. Goes on making his blackguardly collections right
under my nose. He seems to enjoy playing with me."
"That's a kind of vanity," said Kate. "I have read that criminals
often display it. It is that very thing that will surely deliver him
into your hands in the end if you bide your time. Some day he is bound
to take a chance too many."
Jack began to feel comforted. "I believe I could have him arrested
to-morrow if I gave his description to the police," he said.
"Then why don't you?"
He shook his head obstinately. "I've got to do this myself. I've
sworn it.--But how does he know I'm not going to turn over my case to
the police? He seems to be able to read my mind!"
"Oh, there's no magic in that. He watches you of course, and anybody
who knew anything about you must know that you would feel that way."
There was subtle flattery in this, and Jack began to feel warm about
the heart once more.
"Well, he hasn't put me out of the game yet, though on this deal he has
certainly called all my tricks. The minute I tried to use Mrs. Cleaver
he trumped her. He has called the Pitman disguise, and he must know
about my connection with Anderson. If he has spotted me coming out of
this house, he must have guessed that there is a way through from the
hotel. I'll have to think up an entirely new combination."
"How does the situation stand with the anarchists?" asked Kate.
"Nothing new down there since I told you. I am now a full member of
the circle that Emil Jansen belonged to, but so far I have not
succeeded in establishing 'Mr. B's' connection with it. I know there
is a connection, because the murderers of both Ames Benton and Silas
Gyde graduated from that circle. I have to move slowly there."
"Then there is the girl Miriam," suggested Kate. "I believe you could
do something with her. Do you know where she is now?"
"Bobo told me she was at the Hotel Bienvenu. But she hates me like
poison."
Kate smiled a little. "From what you've told me about her I gathered
that she had a weakness of vanity, too. She was piqued because you
resisted her charms. Why don't you look her up and well--not resist
them quite so hard?"
"Kate!" he said scandalized.
"What?" she said with an innocent air.
"You recommend me to do that!"
"Why not? We don't owe her any consideration, I suppose."
"Oh, it's not that. But if you cared about me the least little bit,
you wouldn't be handing me over to another woman."
"That's up to you. I couldn't be jealous of one like Miriam. If you
are in any danger from that source, Mercy! I don't want you."
"In other words you know you've got me thrown and hog-tied!" he said
scowling.
"Don't be vulgar. This is simply business. You really have a chance
of getting somewhere through her. The old man will be sending her
remittances now. If you could trace one of those back to its
source----"
"Good! That's an idea! I think I see my way, too." His lassitude was
gone. A fresh determination filled him. "Kate, you are my good
fairy!" he cried. "You have put new life into me! I am going to start
to work again this very minute!"
She said nothing, but her eyes were bright.
At the door of the room he paused, holding her hand. "You might let me
kiss you before I go," he said diffidently. "Just as a kind of
encouragement to go in and win."
Kate smiled. "That's the first time you ever asked me with becoming
modesty.--Once. Right here." She put her finger on the dimple in her
right cheek.
He did.
25
When Jack got back to the Madagascar, Bobo had gone out. Jack was
relieved not to find him. Full of his new plans, he went on down to
the office. He was now attired again his proper person as Mr. Robinson
of course. He looked up Baldwin at the desk. Baldwin naturally was
keen to know more about the mysterious case that Jack was engaged on.
"Baldwin, I've got a new line on my man," said Jack. "Do you happen to
know any of the men behind the desk at the Bienvenu?"
"Surest thing you know. I've got a pal there. Name of Dick Starr."
"What's his job?"
"Room clerk. One of the head men."
"Will you introduce me?"
"Sure! When?"
"The sooner the better."
"I'm coming off duty now. I'll go right down there with you."
Starr of the Bienvenu proved to be just such another suave and
irreproachable man of the world as Baldwin, but somewhat older. He
knew all about Jack; no doubt the two friends had discussed him. While
the real secret of Jack's identity was safe, it was understood among
those whose business it was to inform themselves of such matters, that
the secretary was the real power behind the Norman throne.
Consequently he enjoyed more than the usual consideration shown to a
multi-millionaire's secretary.
Starr took them into a little room behind the office.
Jack said: "The fact is, I'm doing a bit of detective work for my
employer, and one of my clues leads to the Bienvenu. I want your help."
"Anything in my power!" Starr assured him.
"You have a young lady stopping here called Miriam Culbreth?"
Starr nodded. "Some Cleopatra!" he murmured.
"The same," said Jack. "Now some time during the next few days I have
reason to believe that a package will be sent her by messenger. Small,
flat packet about three inches by seven."
"Packages don't go through the desk."
"But in this case I am pretty sure the boy will be instructed to hand
it to her personally."
"Oh, in that case--Want me to have a look in it?"
"Simpler than that!" said Jack. "Just get me that boy's number so I
can trace him."
Starr assured Jack that he would be happy to serve him. He seemed a
little disappointed that he was not called upon to play a more
important part.
They strolled out into the lobby again, and at that identical instant
Miriam herself came through the revolving doors. But Jack saw her
first.
"Duck, you fellows! Duck!" he whispered swiftly. "Make out you don't
know me!"
Messrs. Baldwin and Starr being experienced men of the world, knew how
to act. They inconspicuously faded from Jack's side.
Miriam in sables and paradise plumes swam into the Bienvenu like a
swan. Not a man in the place but drew a long breath of longing at the
sight of her and looked enviously at the man slinking at her heels.
Your haughty beauty always brings a man with her like a small dog on a
leader.
This man was Bobo.