Under Cover

“He’s crazy,” Taylor shouted indignantly. “Don’t you believe him. He’s the crook. I’m an agent of the United States Customs and I came here to get Denby.”

“That’s a pretty poor bluff,” Denby scoffed. “This porch climber was one of the two who held up Monty and Miss Rutledge in the grounds to-night.”

“I said they’d break in!” Alice cried, and believed her statement. “And how fortunate Ethel moved her room. This man looks like the sort who wouldn’t stop short of murder, Michael.”

“The lowest human type!” Michael cried. “Look at his eyes and ears, and nose!”

“I tell you I came to arrest him!” Taylor cried, striving to keep his already ruffled temper.

“Absurd!” he sneered. “You won’t think so when you learn who I am. Ask that girl there; she knows; she’ll tell you whether I’m absurd.”

Instantly they all centred their gaze on Ethel. For a second she looked at him blankly. “I never saw the man before,” she told them.

“You didn’t, eh?” Taylor cried, after a pause of sheer astonishment, “I guess you’ll remember me when I serve a warrant for your sister’s arrest. It’s in my pocket now with other papers that prove I’m working for the United States Government.” He made a motion as though to get them but found Denby’s gun close under his nose.

“No you don’t,” Denby warned him. “You’ve probably got a neat little automatic pistol there. I know your sort.”

But when he seemed about to relieve the deputy-collector of his papers Taylor shouted a loud protest.

“Very well,” Denby cried. “If you had rather Mr. Harrington did, it’s all the same to me. Mr. Harrington,” turning to his host, “will you please remove whatever documents you find in his inner pocket, so that we may find out if what he says is true.”

“Surely,” Michael returned. “I like every man to have justice even if the electric chair yearns for him.” Carefully he removed a bundle of papers neatly tied together. And one of them, as Ethel Cartwright saw, was the warrant made out for her sister’s arrest. She wondered why Denby had invited inspection of them, but was not long to remain in doubt.

“Now,” said Michael judicially, “we’ll do the thing properly.”

But before he had unfolded a single one of the papers, they were snatched violently from his hand, and Denby, gun pointed at Taylor, was backing to the door. “Keep out of range, Harrington,” the retreating man warned. He cast a swift look of triumph toward Ethel. “It’s all right, Miss Cartwright,” he called cheerfully. “Don’t worry, it’s all right now.”

As the door closed, Taylor sprang from the chair with a curse. “Grab him, I tell you,” he cried raging. “He’s a crook. The Government wants him, and they’ll hold you people responsible if he gets away.” He blew his whistle loudly, and then rushed out of the door and down the hall taking the steps four at a time.

The French windows were open and out of them he ran, calling sharply for his men. But Gibbs and Duncan were even now fiercely searching the other wing and disturbing frightened servants above. It was not for some minutes that they made their way to their chief, and searched the grounds as he bade them.

And even here they were frustrated. Lambart’s tactical genius had forbidden him to remove the clothes-lines he had laid to bring wandering tramps low, and among them Duncan and Gibbs floundered with dreadful profanity.

There were two other men aiding them now, Ford and Hammett, who were stationed outside the grounds to watch the only road by which Denby could escape. When Taylor was satisfied they were doing what they could, he came back into the big hall where the frightened group was awaiting him.

“We’ll get your friend yet,” he observed disagreeably to Mrs. Harrington. “It’s bright moonlight, and my men’ll nab him.”

“But he’s not my friend,” she objected; “I had no idea he was that kind of a person.”

“When I find a man like that a guest in a house like this,” Taylor retorted, “I think I’m justified in calling him your friend. You’ll have time to think what to say later when you’re called as a witness.”

“I want to beg your pardon, Mr. Taylor,” said Michael anxiously. The idea of being cross-examined and made a fool of by a bullying counsel horrified him. He’d be a jest forever more at Meadow Brook and Piping Rock. The Harringtons casually to pick up a smuggler and make him free of their exclusive home! Never had he needed a drink to steady his nerves as he did now!

“Well, I certainly think there is an apology due me,” Taylor sneered. He was not one to forget an affront and Harrington had alluded to his criminal type in a way that rankled yet.

“But how could we know?” asked Mrs. Harrington; “he seemed perfectly all right, although I did say he might be a murderer.”

“That’ll come out in court,” Taylor reminded her disagreeably. “If it hadn’t been that my men were here to swear to me, I’d have spent the night in one of your little one-horse jails, and he’d have got away. When I do get him he’ll remember Daniel Taylor till the day he dies.”

Monty, overhearing these direful threats from behind a door, and happy because of his friend’s escape, walked boldly in.

“Did you get the burglar?” he demanded airily.

“There wasn’t any burglar,” Alice told him.

“It was your old friend Denby that caused all the trouble,” Michael informed him, “the old friend you introduced into my house. I tell you, Monty – ” “Don’t explain,” Taylor commanded. “Now,” he snapped to Monty, “have you seen Steven Denby in the last ten minutes?”

Monty found with glee that so far from being nervous he was enjoying the scene. He only regretted that his moustache was not long enough to permit him to curl it to a fierce and martial angle. He was glad that Nora had crept into the room and was watching him.

“Isn’t he in bed?” he demanded, yawning.

“You know he isn’t in bed,” Taylor answered. “Maybe you’re his pal – in on this job with him. Come here.”

Monty wished to refuse, but Taylor had a compelling manner, so he advanced with an insolent slowness.

Alice Harrington flew to his defence. “That’s too absurd!” she cried. “We’ve known Mr. Vaughan since he was a child.”

“Who is this person?” Monty demanded superciliously.

“Never mind who I am,” Taylor said gruffly, and started to search him.

“Don’t hurt him,” Nora cried, rushing to her fiancé’s side.

“It’s all right, Nora,” Monty said; submitting quietly. “He thinks he’s doing his duty. When you’re through with me,” he said to Taylor, “I’ll take you to my room. You’d probably like to go through that, too.”

“Here, that’ll be enough from you,” Taylor said frowning. “You aren’t smart enough to be Denby’s pal. Clear out – get back to the nursery.”

Nora cast a glance of vivid hatred at him, but Taylor turned his back on her.

“Do you want us any longer?” Michael asked.

“No,” he was told. “You can go and leave me with this girl,” pointing to Ethel, who had not said a word. “I want a little talk with her.”

“Please keep her out of it,” Michael asked him. “I’m sure she’s absolutely innocent in the matter.”

Taylor looked at him, exasperated. “See here,” he cried, “you’ve put enough obstacles in my way to-night as it is! Do you want to put any more?”

“It’s all right,” Ethel Cartwright said quickly; “there’s just some misunderstanding. Please go!”

“All right, then,” her host answered. “Come, Alice, I need a drink badly.”

“My dear,” she said affectionately, “under the circumstances you may have an all-night license.”

He had turned to go when Lambart approached him. “I beg your pardon, sir, but can I have a word with you?” “What is it?” Michael demanded anxiously. The news evidently affected him, and Taylor looked suspicious. “What’s this mean?” the deputy-surveyor asked.

“A long distance from my partner,” the agitated Harrington returned. “I stand to lose nearly a million dollars if something isn’t done. Excuse me, Alice – I’ll use the upstairs ’phone.” He hurried upstairs.

“Well,” said Monty to Taylor – Nora was hanging on his arm and he felt he would never again be afraid – “do you want me any longer?”

“I thought I sent you back to play,” Taylor snarled.

Ostentatiously Monty turned his back and walked leisurely to a door.

“You are perfectly splendid,” Nora exclaimed with ecstasy in her voice. “I’d no idea you were so brave.”

“Oh, you can never tell,” Monty returned modestly.

Alice joined them in retreat. “Michael’s thirst is catching,” she asserted. “I’m for some champagne, children, are you?”

“Sure,” said Monty. “What’s a quart amongst three?”

Taylor watched them depart, sneeringly. He hated the idle rich with the intensity of a man who has longed to be of them and knows he cannot. The look he flung at Miss Cartwright was not pleasant.

“What did you mean by telling them upstairs that you had never seen me before?” he cried vindictively.

“You said under no circumstances was I to mention your name.”

He looked a trifle disconcerted at this simple explanation. He was in a mood for punishment, and rebuke.

“Yes,” he admitted, “but – ”

“You said it was imperative your identity should not be disclosed,” the girl reminded him.

“I suppose that’s true in a way,” he conceded; “but when you saw me wanting to prove who I was, why didn’t you help?”

“I was afraid to do anything but follow your instructions,” she said earnestly. “I remembered that you swore you’d put my sister in prison if I even said I’d ever seen you before.”

“Well, then, we won’t say any more about it,” he returned ungraciously. “How did you find Denby had the necklace?”

“I got into his room and caught him,” she explained. “He had it in his hand.”

“Yes, yes!” he cried impatiently; “go on.”

“And when the lights went out and there was a shot, I screamed, and naturally I couldn’t see what happened in the dark. I thought you had killed him and I was frightened.”

Taylor frowned. He did not like to remember that directly the flash of his gun had disclosed his position Denby had sprung on him like an arrow and knocked him down. Denby had scored two knock-downs in one night, and none had ever done that before. There was a swelling on his jaw and three teeth were loosened. Denby should pay for that, he swore.

While he was thinking these vengeful thoughts, Duncan hurried in through the French windows.

“Say, Chief,” he shouted, “Denby didn’t leave the house. He’s up in his room now.”

“How do you know?” Taylor cried eagerly.

“Gibbs climbed up on the roof of the pagoda; he can see the room from there and Denby’s in it now.”

“Now we’ve got him sure,” his chief cried gleefully.

“And Harrington’s with him,” Duncan added excitedly.

“What!” Taylor ejaculated, stopping short on his way to the stairs. The two men talking together spelled collusion to him, and opened up complications to which he had hardly given a thought.

“Gibbs said they were talking together,” his subordinate continued.

“I was right at first,” Taylor exclaimed; “I thought that might be the game, but he fooled me so that I would have sworn he was innocent. Denby’s smuggling the necklace through for Harrington. Jim, this is a big job, get out there to make sure he don’t escape by the balcony. Have your gun handy,” he warned; “I’ve got mine.” He looked over to Ethel, whose face betrayed the anguish which she was enduring. “And I’ll get the drop on him this time.”

“No, no,” she cried, “you mustn’t!”

“You knew all the time he was back in his room and you’ve been trying to fool me – you’re stuck on him.”

“No, no, you’re wrong,” she said desperately.

“Am I?” he retorted; “then I’ll give you the chance to prove it. Send for Denby and ask him what he did with the necklace, and where it is now. Tell him I suspect you, and that he’s got to tell you the truth, but you won’t turn him over to me. Talk as if you two were alone, but I’ll be there behind that screen listening.” He took out his revolver and pointed to it meaningly. “If you tip him off or give him the slightest warning or signal, I’ll arrest you both, anyway. Wrong, am I?” he sneered. “We’ll see; and if you try to fool me again, you and your sister will have plenty of time to think it over in Auburn. Now send for him.”

There was a big screen of tapestry in one corner of the hall near the stairs. Behind this he had little difficulty in hiding himself.

The girl watched him in terror. It seemed she must either offer the man she loved bound and helpless to his enemies, or else by warning him and aiding him in escape, see him shot before her eyes. There seemed here no way out with Taylor watching her every look and movement from his hiding-place.

She stretched out her tremulous hand to grasp the table for support and clutched instead the silver cigarette-box, the same she had offered earlier to Denby. Her deep dejection was banished for she saw here a chance to defeat her enemy by a ruse of which he could not know. Watching her, Taylor saw her returning courage, and congratulated her. She knew, he thought, that her only chance was to play the square game with him now.

“Well,” he called from his concealment, “why don’t you send for him?”

“I’m going to!” she answered, walking to the bell and then coming back to the table. “You’ll see you’ve been all wrong about me.”

“I guess not,” he snarled, adjusting the screen so as better to be able to see her from between its folds. He noticed that Lambart passing close to him as he answered the bell had no suspicion of his presence.

“Mr. Denby’s in his room,” she told the man, “please say I’m alone here and wish to speak to him at once.”

“Yes, madam,” Lambart said, and a few seconds later could be heard knocking at a distant door.

“I can see you perfectly,” Taylor warned her. “When Denby comes in, stay right where you are and don’t move, or else I’ll – ” He stopped short when Lambart descended the staircase.

“Mr. Denby will be with you immediately,” the butler said, and left the hall.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

DENBY came eagerly down the stairs, looking about him with no especial care. He had learned that the special service men assumed him to have made good his escape and were contenting themselves with surrounding the gardens.

“What’s happened?” he asked, coming quickly toward her. “Is everything all right now? Where is – ”

Ethel interrupted him. “Will you have a cigarette, Dick?” she asked, pushing the silver box to him.

He took it calmly enough but instantly realized her warning. His alert gaze swept about the room and dwelt no longer on the screen than any other of its furnishing, but he knew where his enemy was hidden. “Thanks,” he said simply, and lighted it with a hand that was steady.

“Now we are alone,” she said, “and those men imagine you are not here, and I admit you’ve beaten me, please tell me the truth about that necklace. What have you done with it?”

“Are you still persisting in that strange delusion?” he asked calmly. “I never had a necklace, Miss Cartwright.”

“But I know you did,” she persisted, “I saw it.”

“Ah, you thought you did,” he corrected. “We went all over that in my room and I imagined I had persuaded you. Why do you want to know this?”

“The agent of the secret service has been here,” she told him, “and he suspects that I am defending you and won’t believe what I say. If you’ll tell me the truth, I’ll get him to let you go.”

“Then the secret service agent is just as wrong as you,” he remarked. “I have no necklace. Because I knock down a man who breaks into my room at night and escape rather than be shot, am I supposed on that account to carry these fabulous necklaces about with me? I don’t care even to prolong this conversation, Miss Cartwright.”

At this point Lambart entered, and coming toward him, delivered a small package.

“Pardon me, sir,” the butler began, “but Mr Vaughan asked me to take this to your room.”

“What is it?” Denby asked, and a slight movement behind the screen betokened the curiosity of the man hidden there.

“Mr. Vaughan didn’t say, sir,” Lambart returned. “He only said it was very important for you to get it immediately.” Lambart bowed and retired.

“I wonder what on earth Monty can be sending me at this time of the night,” said Denby, balancing the thing as though to judge its contents from the weight. “It must be important, so forgive me if I see what it is.”

He tore the envelope open carelessly, and out of it dropped the necklace. Quickly he stooped down and picked it up, putting it in his left-hand coat-pocket.

The girl could not refrain from giving a cry as he did so. “Oh,” she exclaimed, “we’re done for now.”

There was a crash behind them as the screen clattered to the floor and Daniel Taylor stepped over it, levelled gun in hand.

“Hands up, Denby,” he commanded, and then blew his police whistle.

He looked sourly at the trembling girl by the table. “I don’t know how you tipped him off, but you two are damned smart, aren’t you? But I’ve got you both now, so it’s just as well it happened as it did.”

Gibbs and Duncan burst in, their anxious faces breaking into smiles of joy. The Chief’s temper if his plans miscarried was a fixed quantity and an unpleasant one. They had been consoling themselves outside, and Duncan had been wishing he had Gibbs’ outside job. Now everything would be well and they would each be able to boast in his home circle of to-night’s exploit.

“You’re both under arrest,” Taylor said, addressing his captives. “Boys,” he commanded his satellites cordially, “take her into one of those side rooms and keep her there till I call. They can talk without speaking, these two. I’ll question ’em separately.”

For the second time within an hour he searched Denby. From the right-hand pocket of his dinner jacket he took an automatic pistol. From the left he drew out the string of pearls.

“It’s a pippin, all right,” Taylor muttered, his eyes gloating over the treasure. “How much did you pay the girl?”

“Not a cent,” his prisoner asserted. “Nothing. You’re all wrong there.”

“Then why did she tip you off just now?”

“She didn’t tip me off,” Denby told him. “She didn’t say a word, as you yourself must have heard.”

“Can it! can it!” Taylor retorted impatiently. “I saw the result all right, but I couldn’t get on to the cause. What did she do it for?”

Denby shrugged his shoulders and smiled a little. It was the first time he had come off his high horse.

“Maybe,” he hinted, “she didn’t want to see me go to prison.”

“Oh, you pulled the soft stuff, eh?” Taylor said. “Well, she tried to double-cross me and that don’t pay, Denby. She’ll find that out, all right.”

Denby assumed a certain confidential air. “Look here, Taylor,” he said, “so long as she did the decent thing by me, I’d like to see her out of this. You’ve got me, and you’ve got the pearls – Why not let her go?”

Taylor shook his head. He did not signalize his triumphs by the freeing of captives or the giving of rewards. “I guess not,” he returned with his sourest look. “You’ve both given me a lot of unnecessary trouble, and I think a little trip down south ought to fix you two comfortably. What do you say to five years in Atlanta? Fine winter climate they say.”

“Then I guess we are up against it;” Denby sighed.

“You are, son,” Taylor assured him; “right up against it.”

“Take it out on me,” the other implored; “ease up on her. It isn’t as if she were a grafter, either. Why, I offered her twenty thousand dollars to square it.”

“Tried to bribe a Government official, eh?” Taylor observed. “That don’t make it any better for you.”

“Oh, you can’t prove it against me,” Denby returned easily.

“Twenty thousand dollars,” Taylor muttered; “twenty thousand dollars! So you were trying to smuggle it in for the Harringtons, then?”

“I hate bringing names in,” said Denby, looking at him shrewdly.

“Well, they’ll have to come out in court anyway,” the other reminded him, and then reverted to the money. “Twenty thousand dollars!” he repeated. “It seems to mean a whole lot to you – or somebody – to get this through, eh?”

“It does,” Denby returned, “and it’s a big lot of money; but I’d rather pay that than sample your winter climate down south – see?” He looked at him still with that air of confidence as though he expected Taylor to comprehend his motives.

“Say, what are you trying to do?” Taylor said sharply; “bribe me?”

“What an imagination you have!” Denby said in astonishment. “Why, you couldn’t be bribed, Mr. Taylor!”

“You bet your life I couldn’t,” the deputy-surveyor returned.

Denby sighed. “What a pity I didn’t meet a business man instead of you.”

Taylor’s sharp eyes looked at the speaker steadily.

“You couldn’t square it even with a business man for twenty thousand dollars.”

Denby met his shrewd gaze without lowering his eyes.

“If I’d met the right kind of business man,” he declared, “I shouldn’t have offered twenty thousand dollars,” he said meaningly; “I’d have offered him all I’ve got – and that’s thirty thousand dollars.”

A slow smile chased Taylor’s intent expression away. “You would?” he said.

“I would,” Denby answered steadily.

“A business man,” Taylor returned, “wouldn’t believe you had that much unless he saw it with his own eyes.”

“I should prove it,” Denby answered. And with his first and second finger he probed behind his collar and produced three new ten-thousand-dollar bills.

“Beauties, aren’t they?” he asked of the staring Taylor.

The official seemed hypnotized by them. “I didn’t know they made ’em that big,” he said reverently.

When Denby next spoke, his tone was brisker. “Look here, Taylor, I haven’t been in Paris for two years.”

There was understanding in Taylor’s face now. “You haven’t?” he returned.

“And in case of a come-back, I’ve witnesses to prove an alibi.”

“You have?” Taylor responded, his smile broadening.

“How much does the Government pay you?” Denby questioned.

Taylor’s eyes were still on the bills. “Three thousand a year,” he answered.

Denby inspected the crisp bills interestedly. “Ten years’ salary!” he commented. “You couldn’t save all this honestly in your lifetime.”

Denby raised his eyes and the two men looked at one another and a bargain was as certainly made as though documents had been drawn up attesting it.

Taylor’s manner altered instantly. He removed his hat and became a genial, not to say jocular, soul.

“Too bad,” he said sympathetically, “a mistake like that happening.”

“It is a bit inconvenient,” Denby allowed.

“I’m sorry to have bothered you,” the deputy-surveyor assured him, “but you’re all right, Mr. Denby. I figured from the first that you might be a business man, and that’s why you slipped through so easily.”

“You’re a pretty smart man, Mr. Taylor,” Denby admitted, “and I think these belong to you.” He held out the money.

“Yes, I think they do,” Taylor said eagerly, reaching out for the bills.

“Wait a minute!” Denby cried, holding the money back. “How do I know you won’t take it and then double-cross me?”

“I’ll give you my word for it,” Taylor assured him fervently.

“That security isn’t good enough,” Denby remarked slowly. “We haven’t done business together before, and those two men of yours – are they in on it?”

“Not on your life,” Taylor laughed. “I haven’t split with anybody for five years. This is a one man job, Mr. Denby.”

“That may be,” the other protested, “but they saw you pinch me!”

“I’ll tell them it was all a mistake and I’ve got to call it off. I know the kind of help I want when I’m tackling a one man job.”

“Do you think you can get away with it?” Denby asked doubtfully.

“I always have,” Taylor said simply. “There’s no need for you to get scared.”

Denby still seemed perturbed. “I’ve been hearing a lot about this R. J.,” he told the official. “I don’t like what I’ve heard either. Is he suspicious about you by any chance?”

“What do you know about R. J.?” Taylor asked quickly.

“Some friends of mine – business men – in London, tipped me off about him. They said he’s been investigating the bribery rumors in the Customs.”

“Don’t you worry about him, my boy,” Taylor said with a reassuring air, “I’m the guy on this job.”

“That’s all well enough,” Denby said, “but I don’t want to give up thirty thousand and then get pinched as well. I’ve got to think about myself.”