He grinned. "It is a very great pleasure, I a.s.sure you."
"You are asking the impossible," she went on. "Mr. Croyden told you the simple truth. He _didn"t_ find the Parmenter jewels."
The man"s face showed his surprise, but he only shrugged his shoulders expressively, and made no reply.
"I know you do not believe it--yet it"s a fact, nevertheless. Mr.
Croyden couldn"t pay your demands, if he wished. Of course, we enjoy the experience, but, as I said, it"s a trifle expensive for you."
The fellow"s grin broadened.
"You"re a good sport!" he said--"a jolly good sport! But we"re dealing with Mr. Croyden and Mr. Macloud, so, you"ll pardon me if I decline to discuss the subject."
XIX
ROBERT PARMENTER"S SUCCESSORS
In half-an-hour from the time Captain Carrington strode to the telephone to arouse his friends, all Hampton had the startling news: Davila Carrington and her guest, Miss Cavendish, had disappeared.
How, when, and where, it could not learn, so it supplied the deficiency as best pleased the individual--by morning, the wildest tales were rehea.r.s.ed and credited.
The truth was bad enough, however. Miss Carrington and Miss Cavendish were not in the town, nor anywhere within a circuit of five miles.
Croyden, Macloud, all the men in the place had searched the night through, and without avail. Every horse, and every boat had been accounted for. It remained, that they either had fallen into the Bay, or had gone in a strange conveyance.
Croyden and Macloud had returned to Clarendon for a bite of breakfast--very late breakfast, at eleven o"clock. They had met by accident, on their way to the house, having come from totally different directions of search.
"It"s Parmenter again!" said Croyden, suddenly.
"It"s what?" said Macloud.
"Parmenter:--Pirate"s gold breeds pirate"s ways. The lawyer villain has reappeared. I told you it was he I saw, yesterday, driving the automobile."
"I don"t quite understand why they selected Elaine and Miss Carrington to abduct," Macloud objected, after a moment"s consideration. "Why didn"t they take you?"
"Because they thought we would come to time more quickly, if they took the women. They seem to be informed on everything, so, we can a.s.sume, they are acquainted with your fondness for Miss Carrington and mine for Elaine. Or, it"s possible they thought that we both were interested in Davila--for I"ve been with her a lot this autumn--and then, at the pinch, were obliged to take Elaine, also, because she was with her and would give the alarm if left behind."
"A pretty fair scheme," said Macloud. "The fellow who is managing this business knew we would do more for the women than for ourselves."
"It"s the same old difficulty--we haven"t got Parmenter"s treasure, but they refuse to be convinced."
The telephone rang, and Croyden himself answered it.
"Captain Carrington asks that we come over at once," he said, hanging up the receiver. "The Pinkerton men have arrived."
They finished their breakfast and started. Half way to the gate, they met the postman coming up the walk. He handed Croyden a letter, faced about and trudged away.
Croyden glanced at it, mechanically tore open the envelope, and drew it out. As his eyes fell on the first line, he stopped, abruptly.
"Listen to this!" he said.
"On Board The Parmenter, "Pirate Sloop of War, "Off the Capes of the Chesapeake.
"Dear Sir:--
"It seems something is required to persuade you that we mean business. Therefore, we have abducted Miss Carrington and her friend, Miss Cavendish, in the hope that it will rouse you to a proper realization of the eternal fitness of things, and of our intention that there shall be a division of the jewels--or their value in money. Our attorney had the pleasure of an interview with you, recently, at which time he specified a sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, as being sufficient. A further investigation of the probable value of the jewels, having convinced us that we were in slight error as to their present worth, induces us to reduce the amount, which we claim as our share, to two hundred thousand dollars. This is the minimum of our demand, however, and we have taken the ladies, aforesaid, as security for its prompt payment.
"They will be held in all comfort and respect (if no effort at rescue be attempted--otherwise we will deal with them as we see fit), for the period of ten days from the receipt of this letter, which will be at noon to-morrow. If the sum indicated is not paid, they will, at the expiration of the ten days, be turned over to the tender mercies of the crew.--Understand?
"As to the manner of payment--You, yourself, must go to Annapolis, and, between eleven and twelve in the morning, proceed to the extreme edge of Greenberry Point and remain standing, in full view from the Bay, for the s.p.a.ce of fifteen minutes. You will, then, face about, step ten paces, and bury the money, which must be in thousand dollar bills, under a foot of sand. You will then, immediately, return to Annapolis and take the first car to Baltimore, and, thence, to Hampton.
"In the event that you have not reduced the jewels to cash, we will be content with such a division as will insure us a moiety thereof. It will be useless to try deception concerning them,--though a few thousand dollars, one way or the other, won"t matter. When you have complied with these terms, the young women will be released and permitted to return to Hampton. If not--they will wish they were dead, even before they are. We are, sir, with deep respect,
"Y"r h"mbl. and ob"dt. serv"ts,
"Robert Parmenter"s Successors.
"Geoffrey Croyden, Esq"r.
"Hampton, Md."
"Where was it mailed?" Macloud asked.
Croyden turned over the envelope. It was postmarked Hampton, 6.30 A.M., of that day.
"Which implies that it was mailed some time during the night," said he.
"What do you make of it?"
"Do you mean, will they carry out their threat?"
Croyden nodded.
"They have been rather persistent," Macloud replied.
"It"s absurd!" Croyden exclaimed. "We haven"t the jewels. d.a.m.n Parmenter and his infernal letter!"
"Parmenter is not to blame," said Macloud. "d.a.m.n the thieves."
"And d.a.m.n my carelessness in letting them pick my pocket! there lies the entire difficulty."
"Well, the thing, now, is to save the women--and how?"
"Pay, if need be!" exclaimed Croyden. "The two hundred thousand I got for the Virginia Development bonds will be just enough."
Macloud nodded. "I"m in for half, old man. Aside from any personal feelings we may have for the women in question," he said, with a serious sort of smile, "we owe it to them--they were abducted solely because of us--to force us to disgorge."
"I"m ready to pay the cash at once."