Free Mary Roberts Rinehart & Avery Hopwood by The Bat Page B

the whole matter as lightly as
possible.
    The Doctor repressed the obvious annoyance of a man who sees a warning,
given in all sobriety, unexpectedly taken as a quip.
    "There is some deviltry afoot," he persisted. "You are not safe here,
Miss Van Gorder."
    But if he was persistent in his attitude, so was she in hers.
    "I've been safe in all kinds of houses for sixty-odd years," she said
lightly. "It's time I had a bit of a change. Besides," she gestured
toward her defenses, "this house is as nearly impregnable as I can make
it. The window locks are sound enough, the doors are locked, and the
keys are there," she pointed to the keys lying on the table. "As for
the terrace door you just used," she went on, "I had Billy put an extra
bolt on it today. By the way, did you bolt that door again?" She
moved toward the alcove.
    "Yes, I did," said the Doctor quickly, still seeming unconvinced of the
wisdom of her attitude.
    "Miss Van Gorder, I confess—I'm very anxious for you," he continued.
"This letter is—ominous. Have you any enemies?"
    "Don't insult me! Of course I have. Enemies are an indication of
character."
    The Doctor's smile held both masculine pity and equally masculine
exasperation. He went on more gently.
    "Why not accept my hospitality in the village to-night?" he proposed
reasonably. "It's a little house but I'll make you comfortable. Or,"
he threw out his hands in the gesture of one who reasons with a willful
child, "if you won't come to me, let me stay here!"
    Miss Cornelia hesitated for an instant. The proposition seemed logical
enough—more than that—sensible, safe. And yet, some indefinable
feeling—hardly strong enough to be called a premonition—kept her from
accepting it. Besides, she knew what the Doctor did not, that help was
waiting across the hall in the library.
    "Thank you, no, Doctor," she said briskly, before she had time to
change her mind. "I'm not easily frightened. And tomorrow I intend to
equip this entire house with burglar alarms on doors and windows!" she
went on defiantly. The incident, as far as she was concerned, was
closed. She moved on into the alcove. The Doctor stared at her,
shaking his head.
    She tried the terrace door. "There, I knew it!" she said triumphantly.
"Doctor—you didn't fasten that bolt!"
    The Doctor seemed a little taken aback. "Oh—I'm sorry—" he said.
    "You only pushed it part of the way," she explained. She completed the
task and stepped back into the living-room. "The only thing that
worries me now is that broken French window," she said thoughtfully.
"Anyone can reach a hand through it and open the latch." She came down
toward the settee where Dale was sitting. "Please, Doctor!"
    "Oh—what are you going to do?" said the Doctor, coming out of a brown
study.
    "I'm going to barricade that window!" said Miss Cornelia firmly,
already struggling to lift one end of the settee. But now Dale came to
her rescue.
    "Oh, darling, you'll hurt yourself. Let me—" and between them, the
Doctor and Dale moved the heavy settee along until it stood in front of
the window in question.
    The Doctor stood up when the dusty task was finished, wiping his hands.
    "It would take a furniture mover to get in there now!" he said airily.
    Miss Cornelia smiled.
    "Well, Doctor—I'll say good night now—and thank you very much," she
said, extending her hand to the Doctor, who bowed over it silently.
"Don't keep this young lady up too late; she looks tired." She flashed
a look at Dale who stood staring out at the night.
    "I'll only smoke a cigarette," promised the Doctor. Once again his
voice had a note of plea in it. "You won't change your mind?" he asked
anew.
    Miss Van Gorder's smile was obdurate. "I have a great deal of mind,"
she said. "It takes a long time to change it."
    Then, having exercised her feminine privilege of the last word, she
sailed out of the room, still smiling, and closed the door behind her.
    The Doctor seemed a little nettled by her abrupt departure.
    "It may be