Two Boys and a Fortune Part 16

"And you invited him to the house," Roy couldn't resist adding.

"Come," interposed Eva, "stop quarreling over what is past and decide what we must do in the present. For my part I can't think we are in any personal danger. If the man up stairs is the same one described in the book he has evidently reformed."

"But remember what it says about his smooth ways," interjected Jess.

"That is just where he has made his reputation, by his easy way of crawling into people's confidence."

"I tell you what to do," said Roy. "You and Rex, Eva, go up to bed.

Jess and I will stay up all night and stand watch."

"But what good will that do you if you haven't any weapons?" Rex wanted to know.

"We can run, any way," answered Jess. "That will be better than lying still to be murdered in our beds."

After some further discussion the matter was settled in this way.

CHAPTER XIV

WHAT HAPPENED AT MIDNIGHT

When Rex and Eva had gone up stairs, and Jess and Roy were left to themselves in the parlor, the brother and sister looked at each other rather soberly for the first few minutes.

"Are you very sleepy, Roy?" asked Jess presently.

She sat by the table still, with that book about criminals open before her, but she had not looked at it for some time now.

"No, not a bit. Shall I read you something? There's that book of Mark Twain's we haven't finished yet."

"I couldn't put my mind to listen to anything. I never was so nervous in my life. And I'm getting worse."

"There's really nothing to be nervous about, Jess. I have no doubt that Mr. Keeler is in bed sound asleep by this time, with no thought of burglarizing the house."

"I wish I could think so, but I can't."

"Think of something else then. When are we going to leave Marley?"

"The first of September. The new house is a beauty. You haven't seen it yet, have you?"

"No, and I don't know as I ever want to."

"Oh come, Roy, it is ridiculous your being so set or staying in Marley. We can come out here in the summer perhaps, although I'd prefer to go abroad."

"It must have been nice to live in Europe for a while as Mr. Keeler did, you get so well acquainted with the people."

"I wonder if they got well acquainted with him," remarked Jess significantly.

"Oh, I forgot," returned Roy, and then he remembered what Mr. Keeler had said to him down by the creek about trying to make himself contented with whatever was for the good of the greatest number.

It could not be possible that a man who could give such excellent advice had a record behind him like Martin Blakesley.

"Then you don't want me to read to you," Roy added. "What shall we do then? What do you say to a game of Authors?"

"All right. Mr. Keeler isn't represented, so I guess I can stand it."

Roy took the cards from the drawer of the bookcase and they began to play. But Jess's thoughts wandered and Roy was obliged to remind her to take her turn many times.

Suddenly she held up a finger hus.h.i.+ng him to silence.

"Don't you hear something?" she asked in a tremulous whisper.

"Nothing but the crickets outside and the splash of the water over the dam," he replied.

"No, it's something in the house up stairs. Hear it now; like the creaking of a board."

Roy did hear it this time plainly.

"It's Rex or Eva," he said rea.s.suringly.

"No, it isn't. See, it's nearly midnight. They were asleep long ago.

Oh, Roy, that man may stop on the way down and murder them both."

Jess had risen and stood there, staring toward the doorway into the hall, her eyes filled with terror.

Roy rose, too. He realized that the noise was not likely to be made by his brother or sister, and the servant slept in the rear of the house and always used the back stairs. He had often wondered whether he would be brave in a time of real danger as fellows in the books he read were. He did not feel by any means comfortable now. But he was not actually terrified.

"I'll go up and see what it is, Jess," he said, and started toward the door.

But his sister flung herself upon him, the tears starting from her eyes.

"Don't leave me or I shall die," she moaned.

She drew him back toward a sofa in the far corner of the room, and held him tightly by the wrist.

The noise from above drew nearer. They made it out to be the creaking of the stairs.

Jess was trembling frightfully. Roy could almost hear her teeth chatter. He wished that he could think of something to say to make her feel less terrified. He was sure if he had been a boy in a book he could have thought of something.

He determined to ask Mr. Keeler in the morning what would be the proper thing under the circ.u.mstances. Then he laughed out half hysterically as he realized that it would hardly be the thing to mention the matter to Mr. Keeler.

Jess heard the laugh and it frightened her more than ever. She thought Roy was more terrified even than she and was losing control of himself.

Nearer and nearer came the creak of descending footsteps. Roy started to go to the door. He felt that he could not remain in suspense an instant longer.

But Jess held him back.

"Don't, Roy," she whispered. "He will kill you."

And at that instant a man's form pa.s.sed the doorway.

It was Mr. Keeler. He had on his trousers, s.h.i.+rt and shoes, but nothing else. His hair was all rumpled and one hand was stretched out in front of him as though he had been feeling his way.