“Smart little business woman, eh? How soon will you be able to get to the bank?”
“I suppose I could go today,” Doris said quietly.
“Fine! Don’t forget to have the draft made out in my name.”
While they had been talking, Henry Sully had entered the dining room to ask the Misses Gates a question concerning the gardening work to be done that day, and now as Ronald turned around he gave the man a sly wink. Doris, who was by chance looking directly into the buffet mirror, saw the wink and immediately her suspicions were aroused.
“On second thought,” she remarked, eying Ronald closely, “I don’t believe I’ll be able to get to the bank today.”
The man wheeled and regarded her sharply.
“Why not?”
“Oh, I have some practising to do and I must study my French,” Doris returned.
“I’ll take you in my car.”
“Thanks, but I really won’t be able to make it today.”
There was a ring of finality to her voice, but Ronald did not give up. Instead, he changed his tactics.
“A delay may mean the loss of the entire inheritance, Doris,” he began in a soft, wheedling voice. “You don’t realize how lucky you are to get into the good graces of the Misses Gates.”
“They have been more than kind,” Doris murmured, feeling very uncomfortable.
“Listen, cousin, you stick with me in this deal and you’ll come out on top of the heap. Why, before you get through, you’ll be rich. You’ll sing in Grand Opera!”
“I’ll try to get to the bank some time this week,” she told him.
“But why not go today?”
“Really, Ronald, I don’t think you should urge her,” Iris interposed in her gentle voice. “I can’t quite see the need for such haste. Surely the lawyers will wait a few days for their money.”
“A lot you all know about business!” the man blurted out, and then caught himself and spoke more quietly. “I suppose we shall have to await the whim of this kid, but if we lose the entire fortune, don’t blame me.”
With that he strode out of the house, banging the door behind him. Henry, who had stood listening to the entire conversation, followed him without waiting for his orders.
“Ronald is so impetuous,” Iris said apologetically to the girls. “You mustn’t take him seriously. He really doesn’t mean anything the way it sounds.”
Doris and Kitty had their own idea as to that, but they permitted the matter to pass without stating their views. Breakfast finished, the Misses Gates went out into the garden and Kitty went to her room, taking Wags with her. Doris was left to practise her music, but for some time she sat idle at the piano.
“I wonder if I should have gone to the bank this morning?” she thought uncomfortably. “I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the fortune, and yet, try as I may, I simply can’t trust that man!”
The conversation which she had overheard between Ronald and Henry Sully on the first night of her arrival came back to her. She remembered that Ronald had called the other man “Hank” and that they had appeared to be on unusually friendly terms. Perhaps in her desire to aid the Misses Gates she was overlooking a number of important facts. Was it not an unwise step to lend her money without first consulting her uncle?
At length she began to practise, but she could not concentrate, and after three-quarters of an hour decided to give it up.
She started up the stairs to find Kitty, but before she had gone very far down the hall leading to the right wing, she met her chum and Wags coming toward her. She saw at a glance that the girl was greatly excited.
“What’s the matter?” she asked in surprise.
“Oh, Doris,” Kitty whispered tensely. “I was just on my way to find you! I think I’ve discovered the source of those strange sounds that have been disturbing us at night!”
“What?”
“Wags is really responsible, because he led the way. He ran off and I had to go after him. Quite by accident I stumbled upon this room.”
“What are you talking about, Kitty?”
“Come, I’ll show you. Follow me and don’t make any noise.”
CHAPTER XVIII
The Floor Above
Wondering what it was her chum had discovered, Doris followed her down the hall. Kitty paused at the door of their own bedroom.
“We’d better leave Wags here until we come back,” she whispered. “He might take it into his head to bark at the wrong moment and give us away.”
Leaving the dog in the bedroom, they listened to make certain that the coast was clear and then stole softly down the long dark hallway until they came to a flight of stairs leading to the attic floor.
“This is as far as I came when I chased Wags,” Kitty whispered, “but I distinctly could hear the strangest sounds coming from that room at the top of the stairs. I was afraid to go on alone.”
“Why, this must be part of the quarters occupied by the Sullys,” Doris told her. “I’ve seen them go up the back stairs any number of times. Do you think we should go up when they aren’t here? Cora is working in the kitchen and Henry is out in the garden.”
“But just listen,” Kitty commanded. “Some one is up there.”
The girls listened intently and to their startled ears there came a low moan, not unlike the sound they had heard during the night.
“You don’t suppose Henry could be up there?” Kitty whispered. “Perhaps he’s drunk.”
Doris shook her head.
“No, I saw him in the yard just before I came up to find you. It can’t be either Cora or Henry.”
“Then who can it be?”
“We’ll find out.”
Noiselessly, they crept up the stairs which creaked alarmingly underfoot. At the top of the landing they hesitated, a little afraid to open the door leading into the Sully suite. At last, summoning all of her courage, Doris turned the knob and pushed the door back a tiny way.
Peeping through the crack, the girls saw only an empty and very untidy sitting room. Becoming bolder, Doris opened the door wider and they stepped inside.
“There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong here,” she murmured in perplexity.
Just at that moment there came another, moan, louder than before. Kitty clutched her chum nervously by the arm and would have retreated from the room had not Doris held her back.
“It’s coming from that bedroom,” she whispered, indicating a closed door.
“Let’s go back,” Kitty begged.
“No, I intend to find out what that noise is.”
“But some one may come up the stairs.”
They listened, but heard nothing behind them.
“Do you think it could be an animal?” questioned Kitty, wide-eyed with fear, as another moan came from the room beyond.
“Hush!” warned Doris.
They took a step forward.
Another groan.
“I’m getting frightened,” whispered Kitty in a voice full of distress.
“Oh, Kitty, I think—”
“What can it be, Doris?”
“Look