The Mystery of the Secret Band Read online

  CHAPTER VIII _Knocked Out_

  Max, who was standing on the ground near by, heard the heavy thud of thestone as it hit the floor of the car. Turning about sharply, he saw MaryLouise slumped in her seat, unconscious from the blow. He flung open thedoor and jumped in beside her.

  "Mary Lou! Mary Lou! Are you alive?" he cried desperately.

  The girl did not answer.

  "Help! Help!" he shrieked, at the top of his lungs.

  A mocking laugh sounded from the tree above. Max looked up, but in thedarkness he could see no one. How he wished he had his flashlight! But itwas behind in the rumble seat, and he daren't waste a minute; he must getMary Lou to a doctor with all possible speed.

  Starting his engine immediately--for there was no reply to his call forhelp--he circled around the tree and crept cautiously down the slipperyhill, praying as he had never prayed before. Oh, suppose Mary Louise weredead!

  With as much speed as he dared put on, he drove back to the Center Squarehotel. As he came to a stop he felt a little movement beside him, andMary Louise raised her head and opened her eyes.

  "Where are we, Max?" she asked. "What happened?"

  "Oh, my darling!" he cried, flinging his arm around her shoulders. "Youare alive!"

  The girl managed a feeble laugh.

  "Of course I am. My head hurts dreadfully, though. What happened?"

  "You were hit by a stone--see it there, on the floor?--from that tree wewere parked under. It knocked you out.... Now, can you manage to walk upto the hotel, or shall I carry you?"

  "I can walk," she replied, taking his arm.

  In the light of the hotel doorway Max saw the blood running down herneck. He wiped it with his handkerchief.

  "Can we have a doctor immediately?" he asked the hotel clerk the momentthey were inside the door.

  "Yes, there's one in the dining room now, eating his dinner. I'll callhim. An accident?"

  Max explained the strange happening at the empty house, but the clerksaid he did not know anything about the place. He had not heard of anygangsters in these parts.

  The doctor came immediately and dressed Mary Louise's head. The cut wasnot serious, he assured her; it was not in a vital place. When it waswashed and bandaged she was able to eat her dinner with enjoyment.

  "Maybe that first person I saw was Margaret Detweiler," she said. "I wishI could stay here all night and go investigate tomorrow. But Motherwouldn't approve of it."

  "I should say not!" thundered Max. "I'm taking you back to Mrs. Hilliardtonight, and I think you had better go home to Riverside tomorrow."

  "Indeed I won't, Max. And that reminds me, I have to be at the hoteltonight at eleven o'clock. I want to spy on an elopement."

  "Elopement! What next?"

  "Well, one of the guests, a Miss Stoddard, who happens to be a niece ofthe founder of Stoddard House, thinks another guest is eloping tonight.She thinks this couple are responsible for all the robberies at thehotel. You know it was a man who entered my room and stole my watch, so Ihoped maybe I could identify this fellow as the burglar. If I could, themystery would be solved."

  "And you could go home?"

  "Yes, unless I could find out something more about Margaret Detweiler.But I wouldn't stay here just on purpose for that. I'd go home and seewhat I could do from there, with Dad's help."

  "What time is it now, I wonder?" asked Max. "We must get back withoutfail!"

  "I don't know," replied Mary Louise regretfully. "I haven't any watch."

  "I'm going to buy you one for Christmas, if I get a check from Dad,"announced Max. "Of course, it will be late, but I'll give you your otherpresent first, so you wouldn't mind that, would you, Mary Lou?"

  "You'll do nothing of the sort!" protested the girl. "I couldn't acceptit. If you get a check from your father it's to buy something foryourself. I'll get an Ingersoll tomorrow when I'm in town.... Now, whattime is it?"

  "It's half-past eight. If you feel able, I think we better go along,because I don't dare drive too fast on these slippery roads at night."

  "I'm all right--I only have a headache now. So let's get going."

  Max paid the bill, and they were off.

  "Now, what will your plans be for tomorrow?" he inquired, as they rodealong.

  "I'd like to come out here and visit that empty house with a policeman,"she replied. "If it's possible, I will. But of course I have to see whatturns up at the hotel. That is my real job: I'm being paid for it, and myfather and Mrs. Hilliard are counting on me to do my best."

  "I wouldn't care if you never saw Center Square again," muttered Maxresentfully. "Still, it would be great to catch the guy who threw thatrock at you."

  "And find out whether the girl really was Margaret Detweiler. Yes, andI'd like to see that ugly woman again. I've seen her face beforesomewhere, but I can't place her. You don't forget a face like that."

  "There's something crooked about their hiding in that house," remarkedMax.

  "Yes, of course.... Well, to continue with my plans: I'll see whatdevelops tonight. If there really is an elopement, I'll try to identifythat man. If he isn't anything like my burglar, I'll believe that MissStoddard is guilty herself and that she just made the whole story up tothrow suspicion away from herself."

  Max regarded her admiringly.

  "You are a pretty clever girl, Mary Lou," he said. "I do think you'llmake a swell detective."

  "Thanks, Max. But I'm afraid there's nothing clever about that. It's justusing common sense."

  "Well, the good detectives say that's the most important thing: not tolet anything escape their notice and to use common sense all the time."

  They talked of other things for a while, of school and dances andbasketball. Finally they reached Stoddard House, a little after teno'clock.

  "Oh, I do hope we're in time!" exclaimed Mary Louise.

  They found the hotel almost deserted. Mrs. Hilliard was sitting in achair, knitting. Nobody else was around.

  "Did you have a good time, dear?" she asked, after Max had beenintroduced to her.

  "An exciting time," replied the young man. "Mary Lou was hit on the headwith a stone and knocked out. But detectives have to expect that sort ofthing, I suppose."

  "Sh!" warned the girl. "Nobody except Mrs. Hilliard is supposed to knowI'm acting as detective."

  "I didn't k-n-o-w that!" apologized Max, in the tone of Joe Penner.

  Mrs. Hilliard looked troubled. "Tell me what happened," she urged.

  Briefly Mary Louise related the story, and the good woman was relieved tohear that the blow was not serious. She was thankful, too, that the jobat Stoddard House had not been responsible for it.

  "Are the Weinbergers still here?" was Mary Louise's next question.

  "Mrs. Weinberger is. But her daughter went out early this afternoon, andI don't think she came back. Her mother was in a great stew at suppertime. You would think from the way she carries on that her daughter was agirl in her teens instead of a woman of twenty-eight or so."

  A look of disappointment crossed Mary Louise's face.

  "I must see Miss Stoddard," she announced. "Max, you wait here with Mrs.Hilliard till I come back, because I may need you. I shan't be gonelong."

  She ran off and took the elevator to the third floor and knocked at MissStoddard's door.

  "Who is it?" was the query.

  "Mary Louise Gay. May I come in, Miss Stoddard?"

  The woman turned the key in the lock and opened the door. She was dressedin a kimono and slippers.

  "You're too late, Miss Gay," she said. "Miss Weinberger has alreadyeloped. I'm sure of it. I saw her get into a taxi this afternoon, and oneof the maids came out and brought her her suitcase. She probably hadhidden it somewhere from her mother. She's probably married by now--andrun off with all the money and jewelry from Stoddard House!"

  "Oh!" gasped Mary Louise in dismay. "Why wasn't I here! Did you see theman, Miss Stoddard?"

  "No
--unless he was the taxi driver. But I didn't even get a good look athim."

  "Probably she was to join him somewhere. He wouldn't risk coming near thehouse in broad daylight if he was the burglar who entered my room."

  "No, that's true."

  "If Hortense Weinberger really is married," said Mary Louise, "don't yousuppose her mother will hear about it tomorrow? And if I keep in touchwith her mother, I ought to see the man when he comes back from thehoneymoon."

  "Mrs. Weinberger was planning to leave Stoddard House tomorrow," returnedMiss Stoddard.

  "Yes, I know. But this may alter her plans. And besides, she will surelygive her forwarding address to Mrs. Hilliard. She has no reason to hide;she doesn't have any idea that her daughter or her husband is suspectedof stealing."

  "I hope you're right, Miss Gay.... Now, tell me what happened to yourhead."

  "I was riding in an open car, and a stone fell out of a tree and hit me,"she answered simply.

  The older woman pulled down the corners of her mouth and looked doubtful.

  "Of course, she's thinking I'm just a wild young girl," Mary Louiseconcluded. But it really didn't matter in the least to her what MissStoddard chose to believe about her. "Well, I must get to bed, MissStoddard," she said aloud. "So good-night."

  "Good-night," returned the other, carefully locking the door after MaryLouise went out.

  A moment later the girl joined Mrs. Hilliard and Max on the first floor.

  "Miss Stoddard thinks Miss Weinberger eloped this afternoon," sheannounced.

  Mrs. Hilliard laughed incredulously.

  "Old maids love to imagine romances," she said. "Well, we'll see.... Now,don't you think you had better go to bed?" she asked Mary Louise in amotherly way.

  "Yes, I do," agreed the girl, "Max, if you're still here, I'd be glad tohave you come to lunch with me tomorrow. We're allowed to have men tomeals, aren't we, Mrs. Hilliard?"

  "Certainly, dear."

  "Nix on that!" protested the young man immediately. "Can you imagineme--one lone fellow--in that dining room full of dames? Looking me overand snickering at the way I wear my hair or tie my shoes? Nothing doing!I'll call for you at one, Mary Lou, and we'll go out somewhere to lunch."

  "O.K.," agreed the girl, smiling. "See you then!"