The Heatherford Fortune Part 3

They soon retired, Mollie occupying Monsieur Lamonti's room, which adjoined, although it did not connect with the one where Lucille and Nannette slept. Mollie said she preferred this arrangement to being put off in the guest chamber, as she would feel less lonely.

After shutting herself into the room for the night--although she did not lock the door--not feeling sleepy, she began to look about the apartment, which, like the rest of the house, was full of beautiful and interesting things--fine paintings on the walls, choice books and bric-a-brac on tables and mantle, and in one corner a cabinet of curios, rare and costly.

Mollie spent a long time looking these latter over and reading from the "key" their history and the names of the far-off places whence they had come. But she grew weary of this occupation after a while and finally began to prepare for bed.

While thus engaged she observed on a stand behind the bed what appeared to be a book having a curious cover. She attempted to take it up when the top came off, and she was startled to find it was a box containing a small, but beautiful silver-mounted revolver.

Her start, however, was only momentary, for Mollie knew something about firearms, having had some practise at shooting at a target while she was abroad. She lifted the weapon and examined it carefully, noting the curious chasing on the silver, the number of chambers, and also that it was loaded.

She finally laid it back in its place, replacing the cover, and had scarcely done so when, for the first time, she noticed upon the opposite side of the room a small safe. For a moment an uncomfortable sensation began to creep over her, for the safe and the loaded revolver suggested that there might be valuables to be defended in the former--possibly, she thought, costly jewels, which might have belonged to Lucille's mother and grandmother.

But she put away the feeling with a little shrug and smile, resolutely put out the electric lights, then crept into bed and was soon dreaming, as on two previous nights since her meeting with him, of the hero of her girlhood--Clifford Faxon.

The next she knew she was vaguely conscious of hearing the cathedral clock in the hall strike two; then she was suddenly broad awake, every sense painfully on the alert, although she could not, for the moment, move a muscle, as the conviction was forced upon her that some one was moving stealthily about the room.

CHAPTER IV.

A THRILLING MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE.

For a moment Mollie was simply paralyzed with fear; she could neither move hand nor foot, which perhaps was the very best thing that could have happened under the circ.u.mstances. But her mind worked with the rapidity of lightning and to some purpose.

She could distinctly hear the movements of some one about the room, stealthy and cautious as the invader tried to be, and once she plainly saw the outline of a man as the figure pa.s.sed between her vision and a window.

She was sure that a burglar had entered the house--some one who, doubtless, had learned of Monsieur Lamonti's absence and had taken advantage of it to come and help himself to what valuables he could find.

Then a shock of dismay and fear set all her nerves tingling as she remembered the safe; but this was almost immediately succeeded by a great calm, a grim determination taking possession of her, and plans to carry it out quickly forming in her active brain.

Very cautiously she reached out her right hand and secured the revolver that lay on the stand beside her. Her touch was so light that, as she timed her act just as the burglar stooped to examine the safe, not a sound was distinguishable.

Slipping it under the bed-clothing she softly removed it from the box.

The next moment it was c.o.c.ked and she drew a deep, silent breath of relief as she realized that she could now control the situation about as she pleased.

Her next act was to reach out again and feel for a cl.u.s.ter of three electric b.u.t.tons, which had been placed in the wall close beside the bed.

One of these controlled a wire communicating with the nearest police-station, and had been put there for just such an emergency as the present. Another was connected with the electric apparatus for lighting the house, and the third governed the lock of the front door.

Similar b.u.t.tons were in every room of the main portion of the house, and Monsieur Lamonti had explained their operation to Mollie several weeks previous during one of her visits, and they were grouped in the form of a triangle; two were side by side, and the third between and above them.

It was the upper b.u.t.ton which Mollie had touched. Then she lay quietly listening for several minutes, while the other occupant, having produced a tiny dark-lantern, continued his investigations at the safe.

All at once, in the distance, she caught the sound of hoofs and wheels, and knew that help was coming to her.

She now touched the b.u.t.ton controlling the front door. A moment later she lightly pressed the third b.u.t.ton, and instantly the apartment was flooded with light, as was also the hall outside. With a startled oath the burglar sprang to his feet, and, turning, found himself confronted by the loveliest vision he had ever seen in his life, as he afterward told a pal in prison, and a "dandy barker" that was c.o.c.ked and aimed straight at his heart.

Mollie had sprung to a sitting posture after touching the third b.u.t.ton and was prepared for duty. Her face was pale as marble, but there was a determined light in the blue eyes which warned the invader that she was braced for instant action while his experienced eye immediately grasped the fact that she knew how to manipulate the weapon she held, and that her hand was as steady as if she were holding simply a gla.s.s of water.

But the man was a desperate and powerful fellow, and he did not mean to be beaten at his game "by any slip of a girl like that," and so determined to make a bluff to attain his object and watch his chance to disarm her.

The house was perfectly still, and he was confident that no one else in it had been aroused, and he fondly imagined he could easily intimidate his fair captor, for he had not the slightest suspicion that she had any way of summoning a.s.sistance from outside.

"You'd better put down that barker, miss, if you don't want to get into trouble," he commanded in a gruff, though subdued voice, for he had no desire to arouse any one else. "I don't ever like to hurt a lady, and I'd be 'specially loath to do harm to such a pretty girl as you are."

Mollie's eyes flashed indignant fire at his familiar language and obnoxious compliment.

"Silence!" she cried, in a clear, incisive tone, and her faultless elocution served her to some purpose now, for it made her every word tell effectively. "No!--don't you dare to attempt to get out your revolver if you have one," she continued, as she saw his right hand creeping toward one of his pockets. "That is right," as he instantly dropped it again to his side. "Obey me and you will not be hurt. Show the slightest disposition to disobey me and I will not hesitate to let you have the contents of one of these chambers, and I shall not miss you, either. Now sit down in that rocking-chair near you and put your hands upon the arms."

But the man did hesitate to obey this command and glanced nervously toward the door, which he had left open when he entered the room, as if contemplating a bold dash for freedom. Then he suddenly changed his mind, as the small hand which held that costly revolver was slightly raised as if to take a truer aim, and he obediently dropped into the chair which Mollie had indicated, then added in a tone of mingled wrath and admiration:

"Well, for a girl of your years, you're the coolest specimen I've ever seen."

"Yes, I know something about firearms. I had considerable practise shooting at a target in a gallery in Paris a couple of years ago,"

remarked the intrepid girl with deliberate distinctness.

Her captive cringed visibly at her remark, and, observing it, she realized that he was at heart a coward in spite of his profession and his attempt to bully her, and her courage rose in proportion. Just then she heard a vehicle outside slacken speed and stop before the house. The burglar also caught the sound and an anxious look shot into his eyes.

"What's that?" he demanded roughly; "the boss coming home?"

"No; Monsieur Lamonti will not return until to-morrow, or until this afternoon, I should have said," Mollie composedly remarked. Then she added with a gleam of triumph in her blue eyes:

"I am expecting some friends whom I have summoned to aid me in this emergency; doubtless they have arrived."

"The cops!" cried the burglar in a startled tone.

"Yes."

"How on earth did you manage that?" he questioned breathlessly.

"Ah!"--as his practised eye swiftly swept the walls and finally rested on the group of electric b.u.t.tons--"the house is wired for it."

"You are right, and it is an exceedingly convenient arrangement," dryly responded the girl.

"Thunder and lightning! I swear I won't sit here to be caught like a rat in a trap," snarled her companion, as he started wildly to his feet and glanced around him for some way of escape.

"Sit down!" and the pistol in Mollie's hand was again raised menacingly, while footfalls were now plainly heard ascending the steps leading to the entrance to the house.

The man dropped with a quick, indrawn breath, as his eye fell upon the white, slim finger that rested on the trigger of the revolver. Then a sudden thought struck him and he breathed more freely.

"But they can't get in," he observed with a chuckle of exultation, for he told himself that if she was obliged to get up to admit the policemen he would have an opportunity to make a bolt for the nearest window and have a fair chance to escape by means of a balcony which could be plainly discerned outside.

"You are mistaken," his fair captor replied, "for when I touched the b.u.t.ton that governs the communication with the station-house I also pressed another that unlocks the front door. Allow me to say for the information of any of your friends who may be followers of your profession, in case you should have an opportunity to communicate with them, that almost every room in the house is wired in the same way."

"h.e.l.l and furies!" groaned the unfortunate victim, and actually writhing in his chair, for at that moment steps and voices were heard in the hall below, and he knew that he was inextricably "bagged." Involuntarily he clapped his hand to his pistol-pocket.

"Sit still!" commanded the brave girl, and she leaned forward, her eyes blazing like two points of flame. "Another movement and I fire."