CHAPTER VDOROTHY IS DISTURBED
Nothing, of course, had been seen or heard of Tavia’s bag. Mr. Schuman himself had made the investigation, and he came to the girls personally to tell them how extremely sorry he was. But being sorry did not help.
“I’m done for!” groaned Tavia, as they returned to their rooms at the hotel just before luncheon. “I can’t even buy a stick of peppermint candy to send to the kids at Dalton.”
“How about that five dollars in the bank?” asked Dorothy, suddenly remembering Tavia’s previous and most surprising statement. “And how did you ever come to have a bank account? Is it in the First National of Dalton?”
There was a laugh from Tavia, a sudden flash of lingerie and the display of a silk stocking. Then she held out to her chum a neatly folded banknote wrapped in tissue paper.
THE TWO GIRLS STEPPED OUT OF THE ELEVATOR AND FOUND GARRY KNAPP WAITING FOR THEM.Dorothy Dale’s EngagementPage41
THE TWO GIRLS STEPPED OUT OF THE ELEVATOR AND FOUND GARRY KNAPP WAITING FOR THEM.Dorothy Dale’s EngagementPage41
THE TWO GIRLS STEPPED OUT OF THE ELEVATOR AND FOUND GARRY KNAPP WAITING FOR THEM.
Dorothy Dale’s EngagementPage41
Dorothy Dale’s Engagement
Page41
“First National Bank of Womankind,” she cried gaily. “I always carry it there in case of accident—being run over, robbed, or an earthquake. But that five dollars is all I own. Oh,dear! I wish I had stuffed the whole roll into my stocking.”
“Don’t, Tavia! it’s not ladylike.”
“I don’t care. Pockets are out of style again,” pouted her friend. “And, anyway, you must admit thatthiswas a stroke of genius, for I would otherwise be without a penny.”
However, Tavia was too kind-hearted, as well as light-hearted, to allow her loss to cloud the day for Dorothy. She was just as enthusiastic in the afternoon in helping her friend select the goods she wished to buy as though all the “pretties” were for herself.
They came home toward dusk, tired enough, and lay down for an hour—“relaxing as per instructions of Lovely Lucy Larriper, the afternoon newspaper statistician,” Tavia said.
“Why ‘statistician’?” asked Dorothy, wonderingly.
“Why! isn’t she a ‘figger’ expert?” laughed Tavia. “Now relax!”
A brisk bath followed and then, at seven, the two girls stepped out of the elevator into the lobby of the hotel and found Garry Knapp waiting for them. He was likewise well tubbed and scrubbed, but he did not conform to city custom and wear evening dress. Indeed, Dorothy could not imagine him in the black and severe habiliments of society.
“Not that his figure would not carry them well,” she thought. “But he would somehow seem out of place. Some of his breeziness and—and—yes!—hisnicekind of ‘freshness’ would be gone. That gray business suit becomes him and so does his hat.”
But, of course, the hat was not in evidence at present. The captain of the waiters had evidently expected this party, for he beckoned them to a retired table the moment the trio entered the long dining-room.
“How cozy!” exclaimed Dorothy. “You must have what they call a ‘pull’ with people in authority, Mr. Knapp.”
“How’s that?” he asked.
“Why, you can get the best table in the dining-room, and this morning you rescued us from trouble through your acquaintanceship with Mr. Schuman.”
“The influence of the Almighty Dollar,” said Garry Knapp, briefly. “This morning I had just spent several hundred dollars of Bob Douglass’ good money in that store. And here at this hotel Bob’s name is as good as a gold certificate.”
“Oh, money! money!” groaned Tavia, “what crimes are committed in thy name—and likewise, what benefits achieved! I wonder what the person who stole it is doing withmymoney?”
“Perhaps it was somebody who needed it morethan you do,” said Dorothy, rather quizzically.
“Can’t be such a person. And needy people seldom find money. Besides, needy folk are always honest—in the books. I’m honest myself, and heaven knows I’m needy!”
“Was it truly all the money you had with you?” asked Garry Knapp, commiseratingly.
“Honest and true, black and blue, lay me down and cut me in two!” chanted Tavia.
“All but the five dollars in the bank,” Dorothy said demurely, but with dancing eyes.
And for once Tavia actually blushed and was silenced—for a moment. Garry drawled:
“I wonder who did get your bag, Miss Travers? Of course, there are always light-fingered people hanging about a store like that.”
“And the money will be put to no good use,” declared the loser, dejectedly. “If the person finding it would only found a hospital—or something—with it, I’d feel a lot better. But I know just what will happen.”
“What?” asked Dorothy.
“The person who took my bag will go and blow themselves to a fancy dinner—oh! better even thanthisone. I only hope he or she will eat so much that they will be sick——”
“Don’t! don’t!” begged Dorothy, stopping her ears. “You are dreadfully mixed in your grammar.”
“Do you wonder? After having been robbed so ruthlessly?”
“But, certainly, dear,” cooed Dorothy, “your knowledge of grammar was not in your bag, too?”
Thus they joked over Tavia’s tragedy; but all the time Dorothy’s agile mind was working hard to scheme out a way to help her chum over this very, very hard place.
Just at this time, however, she had to give some thought to Garry Knapp. He took out three slips of pasteboard toward the end of the very pleasant meal and flipped them upon the cloth.
“I took a chance,” he said, in his boyish way. “There’s a good show down the street—kill a little time. Vaudeville and pictures. Good seats.”
“Oh, let’s!” cried Tavia, clasping her hands.
Dorothy knew that the theatre in question was respectable enough, although the entertainment was not of the Broadway class. But she knew, too, that this young man from the West probably could not afford to pay two dollars or more for a seat for an evening’s pleasure.
“Of course we’ll be delighted to go. And we’d better go at once,” Dorothy said, without hesitation. “I’m ready. Are you, Tavia?”
“You dear!” whispered Tavia, squeezing her arm as they followed Garry Knapp from the dining-room. “I never before knew you to be so amenable where a young man was concerned.”
“Is that so?” drawled Dorothy, but hid her face from her friend’s sharp eyes.
It was late, but a fine, bright, dry evening when the trio came out of the theatre and walked slowly toward their hotel. On the block in the middle of which the Fanuel was situated there were but few pedestrians. As they approached the main entrance to the hotel a girl came slowly toward them, peering, it seemed, sharply into their faces.
She was rather shabbily dressed, but was not at all an unattractive looking girl. Dorothy noticed that her passing glance was for Garry Knapp, not for herself or for Tavia. The young man had half dropped behind as they approached the hotel entrance and was saying:
“I think I’ll take a brisk walk for a bit, having seen you ladies home after a very charming evening. I feel kind of shut in after that theatre, and want to expand my lungs.”
“Good-night, then, Mr. Knapp,” Dorothy said lightly. “And thank you for a pleasant evening.”
“Ditto!” Tavia said, hiding a little yawn behind her gloved fingers.
The girls stepped toward the open door of the hotel. Garry Knapp wheeled and started back the way they had come. Tavia clutched her chum’s arm with excitement.
“Did you see that girl?”
“Why—yes,” Dorothy said wonderingly.
“Look back! Quick!”
Impelled by her chum’s tone, Dorothy turned and looked up the street. Garry Knapp had overtaken the girl. The girl looked sidewise at him—they could see her turn her head—and then she evidently spoke. Garry dropped into slow step with her, and they strolled along, talking eagerly.
“Why, he must know her!” gasped Tavia.
“Why didn’t he introduce her then?” Dorothy said shortly. “It serves me right.”
“What serves you right?”
“For allowing you, as well as myself, to become so familiar with a strange man.”
“Oh!” murmured Tavia, slowly. “It’s not so bad as allthat. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”
But Dorothy would not listen.