The Mystery of the Secret Band Read online

  CHAPTER III _The Book Club_

  Mary Louise was a little awe-struck as she sat down alone in her newbedroom. The first time she had ever been away from home by herself,without any friends! Alone in a big city--working on a job! It seemed toher that she had suddenly grown up. She couldn't be the same care-freehigh-school girl who had gone coasting only yesterday afternoon with herfriends.

  A momentary sensation of depression took hold of her as she thought ofJane and the boys and the informal party she was missing that evening. Itwould be wonderful if Jane could be with her now, sharing her experiencesas she always had, helping her to solve this mystery. But such a thingwas impossible, of course. Jane wouldn't want to give up the Christmasgayety at Riverside, and besides, this was a real job. You couldn't bringyour friends along on a real job as if it were only play.

  Then she thought of that other Riverside girl alone in this big city.Margaret Detweiler, the girl who had so mysteriously disappeared. Whatcould have happened to her? Suppose something like that should happen toMary Louise!

  "I'm positively getting morbid," she thought, jumping up from the chairon which she was seated and beginning to unpack her things. "I'd betterget dressed and go down and meet some of the young people. I'll neveraccomplish anything by mooning about like this."

  She unpacked her suitcase and hung her clothing in the closet. What aneat little room it was, with its pretty maple furniture and whiteruffled curtains! So different from the common, ugly boarding-housebedroom! She was lucky to have such a nice place to live in. And Mrs.Hilliard was certainly a dear.

  She found the shower bath down the hall, and feeling refreshed, slippedinto a new wine-red crepe, which her mother had bought her especially forthe holidays. It was very becoming, and her eyes sparkled as she ran downthe steps to the first floor. No use bothering with elevators when shehad only one flight to go.

  Mrs. Hilliard was at the desk, talking to the secretary, who was puttingon her hat and coat.

  "Oh, Mary Louise," she said, "I want you to come here and register andmeet Miss Horton. This is Miss Gay," she explained, "a young friend ofmine. She is visiting me for the holidays, and I forgot to have herregister when she came in. But as she is using room 206, and not myapartment, I think she had better register."

  Mary Louise nodded approvingly and wrote her name in the book.

  "You have never come across a girl named Margaret Detweiler, have you,Miss Horton?" she asked. "I want to find her if I can while I am inPhiladelphia."

  The secretary shook her head.

  "No, I don't think so. You might look through the book, though. I can'tremember all the transients who have stopped here at Stoddard House."

  "Naturally," agreed Mary Louise, and she turned the pages eagerly. But ofcourse she did not find the name. Coincidences like that don't oftenhappen, and besides, she reasoned, if she did find it, it wouldn't do hermuch good. That wouldn't tell her where Margaret was now.

  "Come into the music room with me," said Mrs. Hilliard. "I see one of ournewest arrivals here--a young girl who came only last week. She can't bemore than nineteen or twenty. I think you'd like each other."

  The girl, an attractive brunette with a gay manner and a little too muchlipstick, was standing beside the radio, turning the dials. She looked upas Mrs. Hilliard and Mary Louise entered the room.

  "Miss Brooks, I want you to meet a friend of mine--Miss Gay," said Mrs.Hilliard. "Perhaps I'd better say 'Pauline' and 'Mary Louise,' because Iknow you young people don't bother with last names."

  The girls smiled at each other, and the manager went towards the door.

  "Would you be good enough to take care of Mary Louise--introduce her toany of the other guests who come in--Miss Brooks? I have to go back tothe desk, for the secretary has gone home."

  "Certainly," agreed Pauline immediately. She turned on some dance music."What do you say we dance?" she asked Mary Louise. "And does everybodycall you by both names?"

  "Most people shorten it to 'Mary Lou.' Yes, I love to dance. That's adandy fox trot."

  The girls stepped off, Pauline talking gayly all the time, asking MaryLouise all sorts of questions: where she was from, how long she was goingto stay, and so on. Mary Louise answered pleasantly, happy to have founda new friend. It wouldn't be so bad without Jane, now that she had founda girl near her own age in Philadelphia, although she thought thatPauline was probably nearer twenty-five than twenty. Middle-aged peoplelike Mrs. Hilliard weren't so good at guessing young people's ages,unless they had children of their own.

  "I wish I could take Pauline into my confidence," thought Mary Louise,"and have her help me the way Jane did. It would be so much nicer." Butshe knew that would not be wise: her father and Mrs. Hilliard wanted herto keep her job a secret. However, she did make it a point to ask Paulinea few questions in return for those she had answered. Not that she wasinterested in Pauline as a suspect--the girl had only arrived last week,Mrs. Hilliard said--but because she really wanted a young companion whileshe was in this strange city.

  "My parents are dead," Pauline told her. "I have a rich aunt who usuallystays at the Ritz when she's in Philadelphia, but I don't care enoughabout her to live with her. I sort of flit from place to place, and writefashion articles for the magazines whenever my income runs short. I havea pretty good time."

  "Have you ever stayed at Stoddard House before?" asked Mary Louise.

  "No, I usually avoid women's places like Y. W. C. A.'s and girls' clubs,"was the reply. "But this sort of looked different to me, and I thoughtI'd give it a try. It's pretty good, don't you think?"

  "I like it very much."

  By this time half-a-dozen people had entered the room, and two morecouples were dancing. Suddenly Mary Louise felt bewildered. How could shepossibly get to know so many people in the short space of two weeks andhope to find the thief?

  The music changed, and the other dancers left the room. Apparently thedining-room doors were open.

  "Gosh, I couldn't introduce you to any of those women, Mary Lou," saidPauline. "I don't know any of their names."

  "Oh, that's all right," agreed the young detective. "I'm not feeling abit lonely."

  "Let's go eat--or are you supposed to wait for Mrs. Hilliard?"

  "No, she told me not to. She's such a busy person, she has to snatch hermeals whenever she can. But I'll be with her in the evenings."

  "Exciting life!" observed Pauline. "Maybe I can rake up a date for youlater. I've got one myself for tonight, and I'll sound Ben out. If he canget hold of another fellow for tomorrow night----"

  "Oh, I don't think I better make any plans," interrupted Mary Louise."Though I do appreciate it a lot, Pauline. But you see I am Mrs.Hilliard's guest. I have to consult her."

  "O.K."

  The two girls went into the dining room, an attractive place, with tablesfor two and four persons, and chose one of the smaller ones.

  "We don't want any of the old dames parking with us," observed Pauline,glancing at a couple of elderly women just entering the room. "They crampmy style."

  "Rather," laughed Mary Louise, though she secretly wished she might meetsome of the "old dames," as Pauline called them. Any one of them might bethe thief.

  Pauline Brooks was very different from the girls of Riverside--not nearlyso refined, Mary Louise thought--but she was a gay companion and madewitty remarks about everything. No doubt she was a clever writer.

  Just as the girls finished their excellent dinner, Mrs. Hilliard cameinto the room. Pauline stood up.

  "I'll be running along, Mary Lou," she said. "Now you have company Ibetter leave you and get dressed."

  Mary Louise smiled. "Have a good time--and I'll see you tomorrow."

  "Not too early!" warned Pauline. "I'll probably be dancing till the smallhours tonight." She left the room, and Mrs. Hilliard sat down in herplace.

  "Will you stay here with me while I eat my dinner, Mary Louise?" sheasked.

  "Yes,
indeed," replied the girl.

  "And did you enjoy your dinner?"

  "It was wonderful! Just like a fine hotel."

  "I think Stoddard House is a fine hotel--on a small scale, of course....And now I have a suggestion to offer for tonight," she continued as sheate her dinner. "Some of the regular guests here have a book club whichmeets once a week. I seldom go to the meetings--I never seem to havetime--but I thought I could take you tonight, and in that way you wouldget acquainted with some of these people. Though I don't suppose you'llfind the person we're looking for among them. Thieves aren't often booklovers."

  "But it will help me to get the people sorted out, and I am so at sea,"said Mary Louise. "I think it is a fine idea, Mrs. Hilliard. What timedoes the club meet?"

  "Seven-thirty. But we'll go to my room first, and you can copy down thenames of all the guests, and their room numbers."

  "Oh, that's great!" she cried, thankful to be getting at somethingdefinite to start with.

  As soon as Mrs. Hilliard finished her dinner she and Mary Louise took theelevator to the fourth floor and walked down the long corridor to theback of the hotel. Here was Mrs. Hilliard's own private apartment, a cozysuite of three rooms and a bath.

  Mary Louise settled herself comfortably in an armchair and took out hernotebook.

  "Do you want the names of the maids?" asked Mrs. Hilliard as she pickedup some papers from her desk.

  "No, not yet," replied the girl. "You believe in their innocence, so Ithink I'd rather study the guests first."

  Mrs. Hilliard handed her a paper, a methodical list of the bedrooms onthe second and third floors, and Mary Louise copied it, just as it was,into her notebook:

  "Second Floor: Room 200 Pauline Brooks. 202 May and Lucy Fletcher. 204 206 Mary Louise Gay. 208 201 Mrs. B. B. Macgregor. 203 205 Anne Starling. 207 209Third Floor: Room 300 Miss Henrietta Stoddard. 302 Mrs. Weinberger. 304 Miss Hortense Weinberger. 306 Dorothy Semple. 308 Miss Hastings. 301 Ruth and Evelyn Walder. 303 305 Mrs. Moyer. 307 309 Miss Violet Granger."

  "You have quite a lot of empty rooms, haven't you, Mrs. Hilliard?"inquired Mary Louise, when she had finished her copy.

  "Yes. It's always dull at this time of year. And we never are very full.After all, it's rather expensive, with wages on the scale they are now."

  "How much do you charge?"

  "Fourteen dollars a week. But that doesn't cover our expenses."

  "No, I'm sure it doesn't. Everything is lovely--I didn't tell you howmuch I like my room--and the food couldn't be better."

  "Well, we have an income from the Stoddard estate which helps to payexpenses," Mrs. Hilliard explained.

  "There is a woman here named Miss Henrietta Stoddard," observed MaryLouise, looking at her list. "Is she any relation of the founder?"

  "Yes, she is her niece. Old Mrs. Stoddard provided in her will thatHenrietta should be allowed to live here free all her life, as long asshe was single or a widow."

  "How old a woman is she?"

  "About forty-five now, I should judge. And very bitter. She expected toinherit her aunt's money, and she even tried to break the will. Shehasn't any money--I think she does odd jobs like taking care of childrenand doing hand sewing for her spending money and her clothing."

  "Hm!" remarked Mary Louise.

  Mrs. Hilliard smiled. "I know what you are thinking--and I kind of thinkso myself. That Miss Stoddard is the thief. But you'd never believe it tolook at her. She's prim and proper and austere."

  "You never can tell," said Mary Louise.

  "No, that's true.... Well, you'll have a good chance to judge foryourself tonight. Miss Stoddard is the one who is in charge of the bookclub. There is a library fund in the endowment, and these women decideupon what to buy."

  "Tell me which of these guests belong to the club," urged the girl.

  "All the regular residents belong, except Miss Violet Granger. She is anartist--she draws for magazines and for an advertising firm--and shealways keeps apart from the other guests. She is the one from whom theoil painting and the fifty dollars were stolen."

  Mary Louise nodded and put a check beside Miss Granger's name.

  "Now," she said, "I ought to check the names of all the other people whohave had valuables stolen. Who else was there?"

  "Well, as I told you, the hotel itself lost the silverware and theChinese vase. Then there were four watches stolen--my own, Mrs.Weinberger's, and the two Walder girls.... By the way, they are lovelygirls, Mary Louise--they've lived here a couple of years, and I knowtheir families--I'm sure you're going to like them....

  "And the final--at least, I hope it's the final robbery--was the paintingand the money from Miss Granger's room. But I have a feeling that isn'tthe end, and the guests are all nervous too. It's hurting ourbusiness--and--making my own job seem uncertain."

  Mary Louise closed her notebook thoughtfully and sighed.

  "I'll do the best I can, Mrs. Hilliard," she promised solemnly.

  Ten minutes later they took the elevator to the first floor, and Mrs.Hilliard led the way into the library. It was a cheerful room with anopen fireplace, a number of comfortable chairs and built-in bookcasesaround the walls.

  Miss Henrietta Stoddard, a plain-looking woman with spectacles, sat atthe table on one side, with a pile of books and a notebook beside her.She was talking to an elderly woman and a younger one. Mrs. Hilliardintroduced Mary Louise.

  "Mrs. Weinberger and Miss Weinberger," she said, and Mary Louiseimmediately placed them as the mother and daughter who lived in rooms 302and 304.

  The daughter was complaining to Miss Stoddard.

  "I don't see why we can't have some more exciting books," she said."Something a little more youthful."

  Miss Stoddard drew the corners of her severe mouth together.

  "We buy just what the club votes for," she replied icily.

  "Because the younger members never come to put in their votes!" returnedthe younger woman petulantly. "I asked the Walder girls to come to themeeting tonight, but of course they had dates." She turned eagerly toMary Louise. "You can put in a vote, Miss Gay!" she exclaimed. "Will yousuggest something youthful?"

  Mary Louise smiled. "I shan't be here long enough to belong to the club,"she answered. "I'm just visiting Mrs. Hilliard for the vacation."

  "You're a schoolgirl?"

  "Yes. A junior at Riverside High School."

  "Never heard of it," returned Miss Weinberger, abruptly and scornfully.

  "I'm afraid it's not famous--like Yale or Harvard," remarked Mary Louise,with a sly smile.

  Miss Weinberger went on talking to the others in her complaining, whiningtone. Mary Louise disliked her intensely, but she didn't believe shewould ever steal anything.

  "What time is it?" demanded Miss Stoddard sharply.

  "I don't know. My watch was stolen, you know," replied Mrs. Weinberger,looking accusingly at Mrs. Hilliard, as if it were her fault.

  "You never heard anything about those watches, did you?" inquired MissStoddard.

  "No," replied the manager, keeping her eyes away from Mary Louise. "Therewas a night watchman that night, but he said he didn't see any burglar orhear any disturbance."

  "The night watchman couldn't watch four watches," Mary Louise remarkedfacetiously.

  "Yes, there were four stolen," agreed Mrs. Weinberger. "I suppose Mrs.Hilliard told you?"

  Mary Louise flushed: she must be more careful in the future.

  "I think that bleached-blond chorus girl took them," observed MissWeinberger. "She was here then and left the next day. That name of herswas probably assumed. 'Mary Green!' Too common!"

  Mary Louise wanted to write this in her notebook, but caution bade herwait till the meeting was over.

  The door opened, and an old lady came in, leaning on her cane. She waspast eighty, but very bright and cheerful, with beautiful gray hair and achar
ming smile.

  Mrs. Hilliard sprang up and offered her the best chair in the room andintroduced Mary Louise to her. Her name was Mrs. Moyer.

  Now the meeting began: the guests returned the books they had borrowedand discussed new ones to purchase. At half-past nine a maid brought intea and cakes, and the evening ended sociably.

  Thankful to slip off alone to write her observations in her notebook,Mary Louise went to her own room.