Witch Winnie's Mystery, or The Old Oak Cabinet Part 19

Winnie crossed the room and deliberately placed her arm around Milly.

"Milly, dear," she said, "the truth is always the best way, though it may seem the hardest way; and, whatever you may have to confess, I for one shall love you just the same."

"Perhaps it is just as well," Milly replied cheerfully, "though Adelaide and I did not intend that Tib should know it. You remember that it was the eve of Tib's birthday; Adelaide and I each wanted to give her fifty dollars toward her European fund. So after we were sure that she must be asleep, I slipped out into the parlor and took the money from Adelaide's pigeon-hole and from my purse, and laid it on Tib's shelf, where we intended she should find it in the morning. Professor Waite had gone when I did this, so he could not have taken it. Adelaide told me to put hers with mine, for she didn't see the use of both of us going into the parlor. We were afraid we might wake the other girls."

"You did waken me, Milly dear," Winnie said. "I heard you, and standing just behind my door I saw you go to the cabinet as you have said, and take out Adelaide's money and count out fifty dollars, and then take the gold pieces from your own little purse. Then I went back to bed and did not see any more until you went away, when I stepped out and examined the cabinet, and the money was gone."

Milly did not then comprehend the terrible suspicion which had been in Winnie's mind, and she was very much pleased to find her testimony corroborated. "Adelaide saw me, too," she said. "You were watching me all the time, weren't you, Adelaide?"

"Yes," Adelaide replied. "Tell about the note, too, Milly."

"Oh! that isn't of any consequence. After I had put the money in Tib's compartment, I thought it would be a good idea to write her a note with it, and I pulled out the shelf in the cabinet that serves as a writing desk, but I didn't write anything for I heard a noise in Tib's room. It must have been Winnie going back to bed. So I shoved the shelf in and scooted back to my own room. We didn't say anything about it in the morning because Adelaide and I didn't feel like boasting of the presents we had given Tib, especially as she never received them."

There was a great light in Winnie's eyes. It was evident that the suspicion which had poisoned her life ever since the robbery had vanished. To Winnie's satisfaction, at least, Milly had cleared herself.

Mr. Mudge, too, had certainly shared this suspicion. His announcement that Professor Waite was the culprit had been only a clever trick to make Milly criminate herself, for he had guessed her attachment to the Professor, and felt sure that, rather than let the blame rest with him, she would confess her crime. His next question showed that he was not yet fully satisfied.

"Miss Roseveldt," he asked, "will you tell me where you obtained the money with which you paid Madame Celeste's bill for Miss Cynthia's costume the day after the robbery?"

"I would rather not tell that," Milly replied.

"I must insist upon it."

"Papa called the day before, and I confessed all about the bill to him, and he forgave me, and gave me the money."

"We know that he gave you the gold pieces which you placed in your purse, but these were stolen, and you were apparently penniless on the morning after the robbery."

"Papa drew a check for Celeste for the amount of the bill, and that was in my pocket. I did not put it in the cabinet at all. Then he said that it was a very sad, disgraceful affair, but he knew that I would never do so again, and he was glad I told him, and he forgave me freely, and now it was all over we would bury it in the Dead Sea and never let mortal man or woman know a word about it, and that is why I could not tell Winnie how I had paid the debt. Papa said too--what was not true--that it was partly his own fault, for keeping me so short in pocket money and leaving me free to run up large bills. And then he said that he would change his tactics and give me an allowance in cash every month, and I am not to have anything charged any more, but manage my expenses as Adelaide does. And with that he gave me the gold pieces, and I told him that I wanted to give them to Tib, and he said, 'Very well, do what you please, but you will have nothing more for a fortnight, when I will give you your allowance for the coming month.'"

We each of us drew a long breath. It all seemed so simple now that Milly explained it that I wondered how we could ever have mistrusted her.

Winnie clasped her more tightly. There was a look of remorse in her eyes, which told how she reproached herself for having wronged her darling.

Mr. Mudge tapped the table with his pencil thoughtfully.

"I must acknowledge, Miss Roseveldt," he said, "that you have completely cleared Professor Waite. It is perfectly evident that he could not have taken the money; but the question still remains, Who did? How long an interval was there, Miss De Witt, between the time that Miss Roseveldt returned to her bedroom, and your examination of the cabinet?"

"I do not know exactly. I waited only until I fancied Milly might be asleep, then I slipped out softly, closed the doors opening into all the bedrooms, lighted my candle, and examined the cabinet."

"And when Miss Roseveldt left the room the money was there, and when you looked----"

"It was gone."

"It seems to me," said Cynthia maliciously, "that Winnie is placed in a very disagreeable position by these revelations. Her testimony has been very contradictory and her manner from the first, to say the least, peculiar. She acknowledges that she was awake during the time that intervened between Milly's visit to the safe and her own. If a thief came in it is very strange that she did not hear him."

"It is strange," Winnie acknowledged. "I can hardly believe it possible, but these are the facts in the case. I certainly did not take the money, as Cynthia implies."

"Tut, tut," Mr. Mudge remarked sharply. "I am convinced that the thief is not a member of the Amen Corner. I have in turn taken up the supposition that the robbery might have been committed by each of you young ladies, beginning with Miss Cynthia and ending just now with Miss Milly, and I have proved to my own satisfaction that you are all innocent. Miss Winnie may have fallen asleep, and during her brief nap some one may have slipped in from the studio. Professor Waite had gone, but he may have left the turret door unlocked."

"I heard no one mount the stairs," said Milly.

"True, but a sneak thief might steal up so softly as to disturb no one.

A man bent on such an errand does not usually whistle opera tunes, and then again the rogue may have been in the studio during Professor Waite's hasty call. You told me, Miss Armstrong, that the Professor was the only one who had a key to the turret door."

"I did," Adelaide replied, "but I was mistaken; Polo has a duplicate key."

"And who is this lawn tennis girl?"

"Polo, Mr. Mudge, not tennis. Her name is Polo, a contraction for Pauline," said Adelaide.

"Very extraordinary name. Lawn tennis is a much more suitable game for a young lady. Who is she, anyway?"

"She is a model, and a very good girl. Polo is above suspicion," Winnie remarked authoritatively.

"Hum--of course," replied Mr. Mudge. "Let me see, this Base-ball must be the young lady of whom Miss Noakes spoke to Madame as having conducted herself in a rather peculiar manner night before last, the evening of the subterranean entertainment."

We all looked up in surprise, and Mr. Mudge continued:

"Madame has confided to me the fact that you young ladies were unpleasantly intruded upon by certain unknown persons, who may, or may not, have been connected with one of our well known schools. Madame felt that they could not have effected their entrance and disguise without the connivance of some member of this household. This individual need not necessarily have been one of the young ladies; it may have been a servant. I have known it to be a fact that the chamber-maids at Va.s.sar have carried on flirtations with young gentlemen who supposed themselves to be in correspondence with Va.s.sar girls. Now it is quite possible that your chambermaid may have heard of this frolic and have mentioned it to her admirers."

"Oh, no," we all exclaimed; while Adelaide continued: "We never mentioned it in her presence; besides, she is as stupid and honest as she is old and homely. I would as soon suspect Miss Noakes."

"But this Lawn Tennis, I beg pardon, Base-ball, of whom we were just speaking, is neither stupid, nor old, nor ugly, and we know very little in regard to her honesty----"

"That is so," Cynthia a.s.sented, and we all turned and scowled upon her.

"You tell me that she possesses a key to the turret door, and now Miss Noakes's testimony fits in like the pieces in a Chinese puzzle. On the afternoon of your entertainment Miss Noakes says that a request was preferred from you to allow Lawn Tennis--no, Croquet--to share Miss Vaughn's bedroom for the night. Miss Noakes says she felt a strange hesitancy about granting this request----"

"Not at all strange," Winnie interrupted. "It is a hesitancy which is quite habitual in her case."

Mr. Mudge waved his hand in a deprecatory manner and continued. "Miss Noakes further testifies that in the early evening, as she was sitting at her open window, the night being especially balmy for the season, she was startled by a long whistle, which was not that of the postman.

As there was no light in her own room she could look out without being observed. The gas was lighted in Miss Vaughn's room, and though from its oblique position she could not see what pa.s.sed within she could recognize any one leaning from it." [See plan of Amen Corner.]

Cynthia straightened herself up, and as it seemed to me turned a trifle pale, while Mr. Mudge went on.

"Miss Noakes says that the first whistle did not appear to be noticed, and stepping on to her balcony she saw two young men, or boys, standing at the foot of the tower, looking up at Miss Vaughn's windows. She instantly retreated into her own room and awaited further developments.

A second whistle, and some one in Miss Vaughn's room turned down the gas, and coming to the window gave an answering whistle. Miss Noakes says she could hardly credit her senses, for she has looked upon Miss Vaughn as a model of propriety; an instant later she observed that the girl now leaning out of the window and talking with the boys wore a dark blue Tam O'Shanter cap, and she comprehended that it was not Miss Vaughn, but Lawn Tennis, or Cricket, or whatever her name is, who had been given permission to pa.s.s the night in Miss Vaughn's room. She could not hear the entire conversation, her desire to remain undiscovered keeping her well within her own room, but she distinctly heard one of the young men say, 'Throw it out--I'll catch it.' The girl replied, 'Here it is,' and said something about the sheets and things being on the upper landing. She added quite distinctly, 'Don't come into the studio until I give the signal.'

"Miss Noakes says she was too horrified to act promptly, as she should have done; but that a few moments later she visited the Amen Corner and found it deserted by all the young ladies with the exception of Miss Vaughn, who was studying quietly in the parlor. She asked where the others were, and was told that they were in the studio, where the procession was to form. On asking Miss Vaughn why she had not joined them, she replied that she intended to do so in a short time, but had been improving every moment for study. Miss Noakes asked for Lawn Tennis and was told that she had been appointed door-keeper for the evening.

On intimating that she had seen her in Miss Vaughn's room, Miss Vaughn had replied that this was very possible as she had just left the room."

During this relation of Mr. Mudge's, Cynthia had turned different colors, from livid purple to greenish pallor. And had several times been on the point of replying, but the lawyer-detective had continued his narrative in a sing-song, monotonous way, as though reading it from a written deposition, and had left her no opportunity for interrupting. He now turned to her and remarked:

"I repeat all this here, Miss Vaughn, in order to hear your side of the story."

"I have nothing to say," Cynthia replied sullenly.

"Then Miss Noakes's statement is substantially correct?"

"I don't understand what you are driving at." Cynthia flashed out pa.s.sionately. "If you mean to insinuate that I threw the key out to some of the cadets, and helped disguise them, and gave them the signal when to join in the procession--why then all I have to say is that it is a very pretty story, but you will find it very hard to prove it."