A moment of silence followed, and Doris thought suddenly of her friend Dave, and wondered what he would think of the token and the story it symbolized.
CHAPTER XV
Questionable Characters
The Misses Gates did not appear at luncheon but kept to their individual rooms. Azalea sent word by Cora that she was ill with a headache and preferred to be alone; Iris offered no excuse. Kitty and Doris knew that they were still upset over the finding of the ruby ring.
“I almost wish Wags hadn’t dug it up,” Doris remarked dolefully. “It’s making the poor ladies feel so unhappy.”
The girls ate a rather forlorn meal in the big dining room. Cora waited on them in a more slipshod manner than usual and took no pains to conceal her dislike. Shortly after luncheon, they saw her leave the premises by the back gate.
“I’ll venture the Misses Gates don’t know she’s leaving,” Doris commented. “Cora thinks they’ll not find out she’s gone.”
The mansion seemed very quiet and desolate to the girls, and they found it difficult to settle down to reading.
“Why not see something of the town ourselves?” Doris suggested by way of a question. “We’re in for a dull time here this afternoon if we don’t bestir ourselves. Anyway, I must send Dave a message telling him we’ll go with him tomorrow.”
“Suits me fine,” Kitty agreed, putting aside her book. “But what shall we do about the ring? We can’t very well take it with us. We might be robbed.”
At a loss to know what to do with the ruby, Doris had carried it around in her pocket, but now she removed the tiny case and studied it in perplexity.
“I wish the Gates sisters would accept it,” she murmured. “I’m scared to death we’ll lose it.”
“They won’t take it,” Kitty returned, “and you know it will pain them to bring up the subject again.”
“We can’t wear the ring, that’s certain, for it isn’t ours. We’ll have to hide it somewhere.”
“But where?”
“How about our bedroom?”
“You know Cora goes snooping around there. She might find it.”
“I know!” Doris exclaimed. “We’ll hide it under the mattress. No one would ever think of looking there!”
“Great!” her chum approved. “Let’s do it now, while the coast is clear.”
They hurried upstairs and, closing the bedroom door, secreted the tiny jewel case beneath the mattress, taking care to rearrange the covers.
“Now we can forget about it,” Kitty declared.
However, both girls knew that as long as the ruby ring remained in their possession, they could not forget its existence. It was certain to give them many uneasy moments.
Satisfied that for the time being the jewel was safe, they left the mansion by the back gate.
Locked Gates was located at the edge of Rumson but it was only a short walk to the main part of the little city. The girls stopped first at the post office where they dispatched an air mail letter to Dave.
Then, as time rested heavily upon them, they dropped in at a corner drug store for an ice cream soda. Doris bought a few things she needed, and they continued down the street with no particular destination in view.
Not being acquainted with the town, they unwittingly turned down a street which led them toward the poorer section. They had gone a considerable distance before they realized their error.
“Let’s turn back,” Doris suggested. “I don’t like the appearance of this street. There are so many pool halls and gambling places.”
Abruptly they retraced their steps but, before they had gone far, Doris caught her chum by the sleeve.
“Look!” she commanded. “Isn’t that Henry Sully just ahead of us?”
“It is!” Kitty agreed. “We’ll meet him face to face!”
The man was walking toward the girls, but his head was lowered and he had not seen them. While he was still at least a hundred yards away, he turned into an old tumbledown building which opened off the street.
As Kitty and Doris passed the place a few minutes later, they surveyed it rather curiously and were not surprised to see that it was probably a gambling house.
“So that’s the way he spends his time!” Doris commented. “I guess he knew the Misses Gates were in their rooms and that he would have a good chance to slip away with no questions asked.”
“Did you notice the way he walked, Dory?”
“Yes, I did. His head was down—sort of flopping all around. And he walked with such a precise step as though he were trying not to stagger.”
“I’ll bet he’s had about one drink too many.”
“Probably six would be more like it. Do you suppose the Misses Gates know he drinks?”
“Oh, I’m sure they don’t. You know how strict they are about such things.”
“I think it’s time they find out about their help, then. I don’t see how they can be so blind.”
They continued down the street and presently had forgotten about Henry Sully. The town was soon explored and they were thinking of returning to the mansion when Kitty suggested that they attend a moving picture show.
“All right,” Doris agreed, “if we can find anything good.”
They had noticed a number of theaters near the post office and turned that way.
“We’re coming to one now,” Kitty observed a few minutes later. “Can you make out the sign?”
“Oh, we don’t want to go there,” Doris said hastily. “It’s one of those cheap places that cater to folks with perverted tastes.”
They were about to pass on without a glance at the advertisements when they noticed a familiar figure. Of one accord they paused and pretended to be looking at the window display of a candy shop adjoining the theater.
“It’s Cora Sully!” Kitty whispered to her chum. “She’s buying a ticket.”
Without glancing in their direction, the woman entered the moving picture house.
“Aren’t they a pair!” Doris exclaimed in disgust. “Henry half drunk in a gambling place and Cora here at this cheap movie! I don’t see how Azalea and Iris can tolerate them—they are so refined themselves.”
“Either they don’t know about it, or they must have some very special reason for keeping them. Didn’t they say Cora was the daughter of their former dressmaker?”
“Yes, perhaps they keep the couple out of sheer sentiment. I’m sure if I were in their place I’d send Cora and Henry away in a hurry.”
Farther on down the street the girls found a picture house which satisfied them and they purchased tickets. The show lasted for two hours and when they left the theater, it was nearly supper time.
“We must be getting back to the mansion,” Doris declared. “Before we go, though, I have a notion I ought to put in a telephone call to the bank at Chilton and find out how much money I have there. I’d ask Uncle Ward but he’s still out of town campaigning for that Fresh Air Fund.”
“Then you’ve decided to loan the Misses Gates the money they want?”
“Oh, I haven’t decided anything. I don’t know what to do! I thought if I found out exactly how much money I have, it might be