The Heatherford Fortune Part 4

He knew she would, for there was a relentless purpose in her watchful gaze, and he settled back limp and white to await the inevitable.

With her glance never for an instant wavering from the form in the rocker, Mollie called out in clarion tones:

"Come right up-stairs, Mr. Officer, and you will find what you are looking for."

A moment later two policemen entered the room and took in the situation at a glance.

In a trice they had their prize--whom they instantly recognized as a man they had long been trying to run down--disarmed and safely handcuffed, he offering no resistance.

Then they turned their attention to the heroic girl upon the bed. But she felt little like a heroine at that moment.

She had dropped her weapon the instant the officers appeared upon the scene, too weak and spent to hold it longer, and now lay white and panting upon her pillows, consciousness almost forsaking her now that the reaction had come.

Almost simultaneously Nannette rushed into the room, her eyes wide and staring with fear upon beholding three strange men in the place, while she tremulously inquired if the house was on fire.

"No, no," one of the policemen replied rea.s.suringly, "everything is all right now; but you'd better get the young lady a gla.s.s of wine or something. Did he attempt to do you any harm, miss?" he respectfully inquired.

"No, he did not have any opportunity," she panted, a ghost of a smile curving her white lips as she significantly touched the revolver that lay beside her.

"I see," said the man with a nod, "and you are a downright plucky girl!

There, drink something, and then you shall tell us all about the affair," he concluded as Nannette approached with a gla.s.s of port wine which she had taken from a small cabinet which Monsieur Lamonti had in his room.

There was a tall Oriental screen before the fire-place, and the men placed this between the bed and their prisoner, then retired behind it themselves to give the exhausted girl time to recover herself.

Mollie sipped a little of the wine and soon found her strength returning, and with it and the friendly presence of Nannette, much of her habitual self-possession.

"Nannette, pray, get me a shawl or dressing-sack," she whispered to the girl. The maid whisked into her own room and returned almost immediately with a pretty wrapper of her own, and into which she deftly a.s.sisted Mollie, who then signified her readiness to talk with the officers, while she seated herself in a chair outside the screen and motioned Nannette to another near her.

She briefly related what had occurred from the moment when she had heard the clock strike two until the appearance of the officers. Her language was simple and una.s.suming, but the story produced a marked impression upon her hearers.

Nannette became greatly excited during the recital, but protested that she had not heard a sound until Miss Heatherford called out to the officers to come up-stairs, when she hurriedly threw on her robe and came to her, fearing she might be ill or the house afire.

The policemen regarded the fair narrator with undisguised admiration, as she told how she had softly taken possession of the revolver and c.o.c.ked it beneath the bed-clothing before turning on the lights.

"It was a mighty plucky thing to do," one of them remarked.

"I sincerely hope that I shall not have to testify against this man at a public trial," said Mollie anxiously.

The officers saw that she was greatly distressed in view of such a possibility, and their sympathies were with her.

"Well, miss, I can't say for certain about that. I reckon you'll have to appear and give evidence; but perhaps a private examination can be arranged, and if the reporters don't get hold of it you'll be all right.

I'm sure I, for one, would be glad to oblige a lady who has shown more grit than many a man would have done in such a tight place," one of the men observed in the most respectful manner.

"And I'm with you," said the other heartily.

"Thank you very much," Mollie replied gratefully and with that rare smile of hers which made every one delight to serve her.

"Are you timid, Miss Heatherford?" the one who appeared to be the superior officer inquired. "Would you like one of us to stay in the house or about the place for the remainder of the night?"

"Oh, no--thank you. I am sure that will not be necessary, for we shall not be likely to have this experience repeated to-night. We will open the door connecting with the servants' hall, and I shall feel perfectly safe."

"Very well; then we may as well be getting our jailbird into his cage.

But, upon second thought," the man added, as he caught sight of Nannette's s.h.i.+ver of terror and saw that Mollie was still very pale, "I think when I get him aboard the patrol-wagon I will leave Brown here to watch about until daylight; maybe it will make you a little easier in your mind."

Mollie smiled gratefully into his honest face.

"Thank you," she said heartily, and with a sudden sense of relief which convinced her that she had overestimated her feeling of security; "perhaps you are right, and I think, on the whole, we may rest better to know that we are guarded."

"Come," said the officer, turning to the burglar, who had not once spoken, except to curse when the handcuffs were slipped upon his wrists, "we must be moving."

Then, with a respectful good-night to the two girls, the officers led him away, and three minutes later Mollie heard the patrol-wagon drive away and heaved a long sigh of thankfulness that the horrible experience was over, and with no loss of valuables to her good friend, Monsieur Lamonti.

Nannette, who had been watching the departure from a window, informed her that Officer Brown had been left behind, and was slowly pacing the sidewalk before the house.

This arrangement was so rea.s.suring to both girls that they immediately retired with a sense of perfect security, and were soon sleeping as soundly and restfully as if they had not been disturbed.

CHAPTER V.

THE TEMPLES APPEAR.

It was after eight o'clock when Mollie finally awoke again, and feeling, somewhat to her surprise, not one whit the worse for her exciting adventure during the small hours of the morning.

After making her toilet she sought Nannette, who was dressing Lucille, and they both agreed not to speak of what had occurred before the servant--at any rate, until after Monsieur Lamonti's return.

Lucille was better, and, after they had had their breakfast, Mollie thought, as the day was very fine, it would do her good to go for a drive.

The carriage was accordingly ordered, and the three--for Lucille never went anywhere without her maid, except on rare occasions with her grandfather--were soon rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue, thence to Mollie's home to ascertain how Mr. Heatherford had pa.s.sed the night, after which the coachman was told to drive out toward Arlington Heights.

They rested a while in the venerable mansion, and then started on their homeward way. They were just pa.s.sing the boundary of what was once known as the "old Lee estate," when they met another carriage entering the beautiful grounds.

This vehicle contained four persons, and they were none other than Mr.

and Mrs. William Temple, with their daughter Minnie, and Philip Wentworth. This quartet manifested no little astonishment upon beholding Mollie, sitting like a fair young princess in her fine equipage, and she experienced a little secret amus.e.m.e.nt as she encountered their wondering gaze.

Mr. and Mrs. Temple bowed politely, but with marked formality. Minnie waved her hand, with a smile of pleasure, at her old friend, of whom she had been very fond, while Philip removed his hat with elaborate courtesy, his eyes beaming with admiration as he looked into Mollie's fair face and realized that she was even lovelier than when he had seen her last in Boston, a year and a half previous, and instantly all his old-time pa.s.sion for her revived.

Mollie returned these greetings courteously and with the utmost self-possession; but her eyes were very bright and the color in her cheeks gleamed like scarlet poppies for a moment.

Then the carriages pa.s.sed and were parted without a word having been spoken, although Minnie had been upon the point of bursting out in her childish eagerness with some expression of greeting; but her mother hushed her with a single low-spoken word.

Mollie's heart burned within her with mingled scorn and indignation, in view of this coldness, for she well remembered the days when the whole family had been most gracious in their manner toward her--had even fawned upon her and spared no effort to cultivate her society.

She was stung anew, too, with the memory of the unpardonable outrage perpetrated against her father during their last visit with the Temples; while, even though she had long known that she had never loved and could never love and would never marry him under any circ.u.mstances, Philip's peculiar att.i.tude toward her filled her with a secret contempt for him.

"Why! how strange that we should have met Mollie Heatherford, and what an elegant turnout that is in which she is riding!" Mrs. Temple observed to her husband after the encounter, while she turned and peered out of the rear window of their own carriage for another glimpse of Monsieur Lamonti's fine victoria with its liveried coachman and footman.