How Janice Day Won Part 45

Janice left Nelson in the car at the door, and ran into the cottage with the anxious father. Mrs. Narnay sat with the child on her lap, rocking herself slowly to and fro, and weeping. The children--even Sophie--made a scared little group in the corner.

The woman looked up and saw her husband. "Oh, Jim!" she said. "Ain't it too bad? She--she didn't know you was comin'. She--she's jest died."

Janice was crying frankly when she came out of the house a few minutes afterward. Nelson, seeing her tears, sprang out of the car and hastened up the ragged walk to meet her.

"Janice!" he exclaimed and put his arm around her shoulders, stooping a little to see into her face. "Don't cry, child! Is--is it dead?"

Janice nodded. Jim Narnay came to the door. His bloated, bearded face was working with emotion. He saw the tenderness with which Nelson Haley led the girl to the car.

The heavy tread of the man sounded behind the young folk as Nelson helped Janice into the car, preparing himself to drive her home.

"I say--I say, Miss Janice," stammered Narnay.

She wiped her eyes and turned quickly, in sympathy, to the broken man.

"I will surely see Mr. Middler, Mr. Narnay. And tell your wife there will be a few flowers sent down--and some other things. I--I know you will remain and be--be helpful to her, Mr. Narnay?"

"Yes, I will, Miss," said Narnay. His bleared eyes gazed first on the young girl and then on Haley. "I beg your pardon, Miss," he added.

"What is it, Mr. Narnay?" asked Janice.

"Mebbe I'd better tell it ter schoolmaster," said the man, his lips working. He drew the back of his hand across them to hide their quivering. "I know something mebbe Mr. Haley would like to hear."

"What is it, Narnay?" asked Nelson, kindly.

"I--I----I hear folks says ye stole them gold coins out of the schoolhouse."

Nelson looked startled, but Janice almost sprang out of her seat. "Oh, Jim Narnay!" she cried, "can you clear Mr. Haley? Do you know who did it?"

"I see you--you and schoolmaster air fond of each other," said the man.

"I never before went back on a pal; but you've been mighty good to me an' mine, Miss Janice, and--and I'm goin' to tell."

Nelson could not speak. Janice, however, wanted to cry aloud in her delight. "I knew you could explain it all, Mr. Narnay, but I didn't know that you _would_," she said.

"You knowed I could tell it?" demanded the startled Narnay.

"Ever since that five dollar gold piece rolled out of your pocket--yes," she said, and no more to Narnay's amazement than to Nelson's, for she had told the schoolmaster nothing about that incident.

"My mercy, Miss! Did _you_ git that five dollar coin?" demanded Narnay.

"Yes. Right here on your porch. The Sunday you were at home."

"And I thought I'd lost it. I didn't take the whiskey back to the boys, and Jack's been sayin' all the time I double-crossed him. Says I must ha' spent the money for booze and drunk it meself. And mebbe I would of--if I hadn't lost the five," admitted Narnay, wagging his head.

"But I don't understand," broke in Nelson Haley.

Janice touched his arm warningly. "But you didn't lose the ten dollar coin he gave you before that to change at Lem Parraday's, Mr. Narnay?"

she said slyly.

"I guess ye do know about it," said the man, eyeing Janice curiously.

"I can't tell you much, I guess. Only, you air wrong about me pa.s.sin'

the first coin. Jack did that himself--and brought back to camp a two gallon jug of liquor."

"_Jack Besmith!_" gasped the school teacher, the light dawning in his mind.

"Yes," said Narnay. "Me and Trimmins has knowed it for a long time.

We wormed it out o' Jack when he was drunk. But he was putting up for the stuff right along, so we didn't tell. He's got most of the money hid away somewhere--we don't know where.

"He told us he saw the stuff up at Ma.s.sey's the night before he stole it. He went there to try to get his job back, and seen Ma.s.sey puttin'

the trays of coin into his safe. He knowed they was goin' down to the schoolhouse in the mornin'.

"He got drunk," pursued Narnay. "He didn't go home all night. Early in the mornin' he woke up in a shed, and went back to town. It was so early that little Benny Thread (that's Jack's brother-in-law) was just goin' into the bas.e.m.e.nt door of the schoolhouse to 'tend to his fire.

"Jack says he slipped in behind him and hid upstairs in a clothes closet. He thought he'd maybe break open the teacher's desk and see if there wasn't some money in it, if he didn't git a chance at them coins.

But that was too easy. The committee left the coins right out open in the committee room, and Jack grabbed up the trays, took 'em to the clothes room, and emptied them into the linin' of his coat, and into his pants' pockets. They was a load!

"So, after the teacher come into the buildin' and went out again, Jack put back the trays, slipped downstairs, dodged Benny and the four others, and went out at the bas.e.m.e.nt door. Benny's always swore that door was locked; but it's only a spring lock and easy enough opened from inside.

"That--that's all, I guess," added Narnay, in a shamefaced way. "Jack backed that load of gold coin clean out to our camp. And he hid 'em all b'fore we ever suspected he had money. We don't know now where his _cache_ is----"

"Oh, Nelson!" burst out Janice, seizing both the schoolmaster's hands.

"The truth at last!"

"Ye--ye've been so good to us, Miss Janice," blubbered Narnay, "I couldn't bear to see the young man in trouble no longer--and you thinkin' as much as you do of him----"

"If I have done anything at all for you or yours, Mr. Narnay," sobbed Janice, "you have more than repaid me--over and over again you have repaid me! Do stay here with your wife and the children. I am going to send Mr. Middler right down. Let's drive on, Nelson."

The teacher started the car. "And to think," he said softly when the Kremlin had climbed the hill and struck smoother going, "that I have been opposed to your doing anything for these Narnays all the time, Janice. Yet because _you_ were kind, _I_ am saved! It--it is wonderful!"

"Oh, no, Nelson. It is only what might have been expected," said Janice, softly.

CHAPTER x.x.x

MARM PARRADAY DOES HER DUTY

It was on the day following the burial of the Narnay baby that the mystery surrounding Mr. Broxton Day's situation in Mexico was quite cleared up, and much to his daughter's satisfaction. Quite a packet of letters arrived for Janice--several delayed epistles, indeed, coming in a single wrapper.

With them was a letter in the exact script of Juan Dicampa--that mysterious brigand chief who was Mr. Day's friend--and couched in much the same flowery phraseology as the former note Janice had received.

It read:

"Senorita:--

"I fain would beg thy pardon--and that most humbly--for my seeming slight of thy appeal, which reached my headquarters when your humble servant was busily engaged elsewhere. Thy father, the Senior B. Day, is safe. He has never for a moment been in danger. The embargo is now lifted and he may write to thee, sweet senorita, as he may please. The enemy has been driven from this fair section of my troubled land, and the smile of peace rests upon us as it rests upon you, dear senorita.