Dorothy Dixon Solves the Conway Case. Wayne Dorothy

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ to remedy this, and she was passing back to the dining room when there came a terrific crash and reverberation from the floor above, followed by screams and curses from outside.

      She went out into the hall and another report from above shook the windows in their frames.

      Betty, wild-eyed with fright, rushed into the bright arc of Dorothy’s flash light.

      “What on earth is it?” she cried in very evident alarm.

      “Shotgun,” said Dorothy tersely. “If those yells meant anything, I guess we can take it that somebody’s been hit.”

      Then she noticed that Betty’s left hand held an open compact, while in her right she clutched a small rouge puff. Her ash-gold hair which she wore long had become unknotted and hung halfway down her back. Her petite figure drooped with weariness.

      “Gracious, Betty! How in the wide world did you ever get rouge on the end of your nose? You’re a sight!”

      “Well, you turned out the light – ” Miss Mayo’s tone was indignant, as she rubbed the end of her nose with a damp handkerchief. “I think I’ll run upstairs and spruce up a bit.”

      Dorothy looked at her and laughed.

      “Come on up with me,” suggested Betty. “You don’t look so hot yourself.”

      “No, you run along and pander to your vanity, my child. When you’ve finished, why don’t you go into the kitchen and make us a batch of fudge – that would be just the thing!”

      “Why so sarcastic?” Betty raised her delicate eyebrows.

      “Well – what do you think we’ve run into – a college houseparty or something?”

      “Oh, I think you’re mean,” Betty pouted.

      “But you do choose the queerest times to spiff up!”

      “Do you think those men will try to get in again!” Betty’s blue eyes widened.

      “If I didn’t know that your head was a fluffball – But what’s the use. Run along now. It sounds as if George were coming down. Hurry up – you might meet him on the stairs!”

      “Cat!” said Betty and flew.

      Dorothy went to the door and listened. If the two men were still outside, they gave no sign of their presence. Nothing came to her ears through the panels but the howl of the storm.

      Then she heard footsteps running down the stairs from the second story and switched her flashlight on George. He carried a double barreled shotgun in the hollow of his arm.

      “Howdy!” he greeted her enthusiastically. “You know, I can never thank you girls enough for all you’ve done. Gosh! You’re a couple of heroes, all right – I mean heroines. When I saw Betty – I mean, Miss Mayo,” he amended quickly with an embarrassed grin, “come sprinting into the library and begin to cut me loose, why I just couldn’t believe my eyes!”

      “Some wonderworker, isn’t she?” Dorothy contrived to look awestruck, but there was no malice in her amused tone.

      “You said it – she’s a whizbang! And she told me you two came in an airplane. I’ve never met a girl aviator before. I guess she’s a second Dorothy Dixon – you must have read what the newspapers said about that girl!” He shook his head admiringly. “Betty sure has nerve!”

      “She has, indeed!” Dorothy kept her face straight with an effort. “But tell me – what did you do to that crew outside?”

      “Plugged ’em – clean. Got a bead on them through a front window.”

      “What? You – killed them? Buckshot, at that distance?”

      George chuckled. “Not buckshot – rock salt. Use it for crows, you know. It stings like the dickens.”

      “I’ll bet it does!” Dorothy’s laugh was full-throated and hearty.

      “What’s become of them?” she asked when she could speak.

      “They beat it around the house to the garage. Do you know what happened to their car?”

      “Yes. It ran away – down the lots to the bottom of the valley. And between you and me and the hatrack, I don’t think it will ever run any more.”

      “Gee whiz!” chuckled George. “Who’d ever think a little thing like Betty would have the pluck to pull a stunt like that!”

      “Who would?” said Dorothy and joined in the laugh.

      “Well, as long as their car is out of the running, they’ll probably try to steal my flivver.” George tapped his gun significantly, “But I’ll put a crimp in that. They’ve got to pass the dining room windows to get out of here.”

      “You needn’t bother – the Ford won’t move.”

      “Sure it will.” George stopped short in the doorway and turned toward her. “That car of mine runs like a watch.”

      “But not without gas,” explained Dorothy. “I drained the tank into a couple of tins.”

      “You did?”

      “Sure thing. Parked the tins in your orchard. They’ll never find ’em.”

      “Say!” exclaimed George. “You must be almost as good as Betty that is, I mean – ”

      “Who’s taking my name in vain?” Miss Mayo was tripping blithely downstairs. “You two seem to be finding a lot to talk about.”

      George stared at her. “Say, you certainly look swell when you’re dolled up.”

      “Well, it’s the best I can do now,” deprecated Betty. “I borrowed a pair of your slippers though – woolly ones. That is, I s’pose they’re yours?”

      “Glad to have you wear ’em.” George’s eyes were still glued to Betty’s pretty face when Dorothy broke in.

      “Look here, we’ll have to get down to business. George – listen to me. Betty won’t melt, you know – ”

      “Oh, I think you’re terrible – ” interrupted Betty.

      Her friend paid no attention, but kept on talking to George. “Do you really think they’ve gone?”

      He nodded. “I’m pretty sure they have – that is, for the present. You can’t do a whole lot when your hide is full of salt. I’ll bet they’re kiting down the road right now. Maybe they’ll stop in at the Robinson’s or somewhere and get a lift to Stamford or Ridgefield or wherever they came from. They may have some pals about here, of course. I sort of gathered that they weren’t working on their own – that there was somebody in back of them.”

      “Well, at least we can count on a breather. Let’s go in the library and turn on the light. I’m tired of standing about in this hall and I want to dry out by the fire.”

      In the library, George pushed a couple of easy chairs before the comforting blaze. Dorothy cast aside her slicker and helmet and dropped into one of them. She kicked off her sodden shoes and СКАЧАТЬ