Mary was as good as her word, and she made sure that the several parcels were on their way to Riverside Drive before she returned to the front of the store. When she did so she saw a little tableau, un.o.bserved by the busy clerks and customers, which made her heart stand still.
Lorna was standing by one of the bon-bon show cases talking to a tall stranger who ogled her in bold fashion, and a manner which indicated that the conversation was far from that of business.
"Who can that be?" thought Mary. An intuition of danger crept over her as she watched the shades of sinister suggestion on the face of the man who whispered to her sister.
The man was urging, Lorna half-protesting, as though refusing some enticing offer.
Mary stepped closer, and the deep tones of the stranger"s voice filled her with a thrill of loathing. It was a voice which she felt she could never forget as long as she lived.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The deep tones of the stranger"s voice filled her with a thrill of loathing.]
"Come up to my office with me when you finish work and I"ll book you up this very evening. The show will open in two weeks, and I will give you a speaking part, maybe even one song to sing. You know I"m strong for you, little girl, and always have been. My influence counts a lot--and you know influence is the main thing for a successful actress!"
Mary could stand it no longer.
She touched Lorna on the arm, and the younger girl turned around guiltily, her eyes dropping as she saw her sister"s stern questioning look.
"Who is this man, Lorna?"
The stranger smiled, and threw his head back defiantly.
"A friend of mine."
"What does he want?"
"That is none of your affair, Mary."
"It is my affair. You are employed here to work, not to talk with men nor to flirt. You had better attend to your work. And, as for you, I shall complain to the manager if you don"t get out of here at once!"
The stranger laughed softly, but there was a brutal twitch to his jaw as he retorted: "I"m a customer here, and I guess the manager won"t complain if I spend money. Here, little girlie, pick me out a nice box of chocolates. The most expensive you have. I"m going to take my sweetheart out to dinner, and I am a man who spends his money right.
I"m not a cheap policeman!"
Mary"s face paled.
Her blood boiled, and only the breeding of generations of gentlewomen restrained her from slapping the man"s face. She watched Lorna, who could not restrain a giggle, as she took down a be-ribboned candy box, and began to fill it with chocolate dainties.
"Oh, if Bobbie were only here!" thought Mary in despair. "This man is a villain. It is he who has been filling Lorna"s mind with stage talk.
I don"t believe he is a theatrical man, either. They would not insult me so!"
The manager bustled about.
"Closing time, girls. Get everything orderly now, and hurry up. You know, the boss has been kicking about the waste light bills which you girls run up in getting things straight at the end of the day."
Mary turned to her own particular counter, and she saw the big man leave the store, as the manager obsequiously bowed him out.
In the wardrobe room where they kept their wraps, Mary took Lorna aside. Her eyes were flaming orbs, as she laid a trembling hand upon the girl"s arm.
"Lorna, you are not going to that man"s office?"
"Oh, not right away," responded her sister airily. "We are going to Martin"s first for a little dinner, and maybe a tango or two. What"s that to you, Mary? Stick to your policeman."
Mary dropped her hand weakly. She put on her hat and street-coat, hardly knowing what she was doing.
"Oh, Lorna, child, you are so mistaken, so weak," she began.
"I"m not weak, nor foolish. A girl can"t live decently on the money they pay in this place. I"m going to show how strong I am by earning a real salary. I can get a hundred a week on the stage with my looks, and my voice, and my ... figure...."
In spite of her bravado she hesitated at the last word. It was a little daring, even to her, and she was forcing a bold front to maintain her own determination, for the girl had hesitated at the man"s pleadings until her sister"s interference had piqued her into obstinacy.
"It won"t hurt to find out how much I can get, even if I don"t take the offer at all," Lorna thought. "I simply will not submit to Mary"s dictation all the time."
Lorna hurried to the street, closely followed by her sister.
"Don"t go, dear," pleaded Mary.
But there by the curb panted a big limousine, such as Lorna had always pictured waiting for her at a stage door; the big man smiled as he held open the door. Lorna hesitated an instant. Then she espied, coming around the corner toward them, Bobbie Burke, on his way to meet Mary.
That settled it. She ran with a laugh toward the door of the automobile and flounced inside, while the big man followed her, slamming the portal as the car moved on.
"Oh, Bob," sobbed Mary, as the young officer reached her side. "Follow them."
"What"s the matter?"
"Look, that black automobile!"
"Yes, yes!"
"Lorna has gone into it with a theatrical manager. She is going on the stage!" and Mary caught his hand tensely as she dashed after the car.
It was a hopeless pursuit, for another machine had already come between them. It was impossible for Burke to see the number of the car, and then it turned around the next corner and was lost in the heavy traffic.
"Oh, what are we to do?" exclaimed Mary in despair.
"Well, we can go to all the theatrical offices, and make inquiries. I have my badge under my coat, and they will answer, all right."
They went to every big office in the whole theatrical district. But there, too, the search was vain. Mary was too nervous and wretched to enjoy the possibility of a dinner, and so Burke took her home. Her father asked for Lorna, to which Mary made some weak excuse which temporarily quieted the old gentleman.
Promising to keep up his search in restaurants and offices, Burke hurried on downtown again. It was useless. Throughout the night he sought, but no trace of the girl had been found. When he finally went up to the Barton home to learn if the young girl had returned, he found the old man frantic with fear and worriment.
"Burke, some ill has befallen the child," he exclaimed. "Mary has finally told me the truth, and my heart is breaking."
"There, sir, you must be patient. We will try our best. I can start an investigation through police channels that will help along."
"But father became so worried that we called up your station. The officer at the other end of the telephone took the name, and said he would send out a notice to all the stations to start a search."
"Great Scott! That means publicity, Miss Mary. The papers will have the story sure, now. There have been so many cases of girls disappearing lately that they are just eager for another to write up."
Mary wrung her hands, and the old man chattered on excitedly.