Chapter XXII: Excitement Galore

When Agnes Kenway reached the tenement where Maria Maroni resided and found that brisk young person helping in the delicatessen store as she did almost every day during the busy hours and when there was no school, the Corner House girl was surprised; but she was not suspicious.

That is, she was not suspicious of any plot really aimed at the happiness of the Corner House family. She merely believed that the strange boy had deliberately fooled her for an idle purpose.

"Maria Maroni! What do you think?" Agnes burst out. "Who could that boy be? Oh, I'd like to catch him! I'd make him sorry he told me such a story."

"It is too bad you were troubled so, Agnes," said Maria, when she understood all about it. "I can't imagine who that boy could be. But I am glad you came over to see us, never mind what the reason is that brings you."

"A sight you are for sore eyes yet," declared the ponderous Mrs. Kranz, who had kissed Agnes warmly when she first appeared. "Come the back room in and sit down. Let Ikey tend to the customers yet, Maria. We will visit with Agnes, and have some tea and sweet crackers."

"And you must tell me of somebody in the row, Mrs. Kranz, who needs these delicacies. Somebody who is ill," said Agnes. "I must not take them home again. And Maria looks altogether too healthy for jelly and chicken broth."

Mrs. Kranz laughed at that. But she added with seriousness: "There is always somebody sick here in the tenements, Miss Agnes. They will not take care themselfs of--no! I tell them warm flannels and good food is better than doctors yet. But they will not mind me." She sighed.

"Who is ill now?" asked Agnes, at once interested. She loved to play "Lady Bountiful"; and, really, the Kenway sisters had done a great deal of good among their poor tenants and others in the row.

"Mrs. Leary. You know, her new baby died and the poor woman," said Maria quickly, "is sick of grief, I do believe."

"Ach, yes!" cried Mrs. Kranz. "She needs the cheerful word. You see her, Miss Agnes. Then she be better--sure!"

"Thank you!" cried Agnes, dimpling and blushing. "Do you really think I can help her?"

"And there is little Susie Marowsky," urged the delicatessen shopkeeper. "That child is fading away like a sick rose. She iss doing just that! If she could have country eggs and country milk--Ach! If we were all rich!" and she sighed ponderously again.

"I'll tell our Ruth about her," said Agnes eagerly. "And I'll see her, too, before I go home. I'll give her the broth, yes? And Mrs. Leary the jelly, bread, and fruit?"

"No!" cried Mrs. Kranz. "The fruit to Dominic Nevin, the scissors grinder. He craves fruit. You know, he cut his hand and got blood poisoning, and it was so long yet that he could not work. You see him, too, Miss Agnes."

So altogether, what with the tea and cakes and the visits to the sick, Agnes was away from the Corner House quite three hours. When she was on her way home she was delayed by an unforeseen incident too.

At the corner of Willow Street not far from the brick-yard a figure suddenly darted into Agnes' path. She was naturally startled by the sudden appearance of this figure, and doubly so when she saw it was the Costello that she knew as the junkman, and whose first name she now believed to be Miguel.

"What do you want? Go away!" cried the girl faintly, backing away from the vehement little man.

"Oh, do not be afraid! You are the honest Kenway I am sure. You have Queen Alma's bracelet," urged the little man. "You will give her to me--yes?"

"I--I haven't it," cried Agnes, looking all about for help and seeing nobody near.

"Ha!" ejaculated the man. "You have not give it to Beeg Jeem?"

"We have given it to nobody. And we will not let you or anybody have it until Mr. Howbridge tells us what to do. Go away!" begged Agnes.

"I go to that man. He no have the Queen Alma bracelet. _You_ have it--"

"Just as sure as I get home," cried the frightened Agnes, "I will send that bracelet down to the lawyer's office and they must keep it. It shall be in the house no longer! Don't you dare come there for it!"

She got past him then and ran as hard as she could along Willow Street. When she finally looked back she discovered that the man had not followed her, but had disappeared.

"Oh, dear me! I don't care what the children say. That bracelet goes into Mr. Howbridge's safe this very afternoon. Neale must take it there for me," Agnes Kenway decided.

She reached the side door of the Corner House just as Mrs. McCall entered the front door, having got off the car at the corner. The housekeeper came through the hall and into the rear premises a good deal like a whirlwind. She was so excited that Agnes forgot her own fright and stared at the housekeeper breathlessly.

"Is it you home again, Agnes Kenway?" cried Mrs. McCall. "Well, thanks be for _that_. Then you are all right."

"Why, of course! Though he did scare me. But what is the matter with you, Mrs. McCall?"

"What is the matter wi' me? A plenty. A plenty, I tellit ye. If I had that jackanapes of a boy I'd shake him well, so I would!"

"What has Neale been doing now?" cried the girl.

"Not Neale."

"Then is it Sammy?"

"Nor Sammy Pinkney. 'Tis that other lad that came here wi' a lying note tae get me clear across town for naething!"

"Why, Mrs. McCall! what can you mean? Did a boy fool you, too?"

"Hech!" The woman started and stared at the girl. "Who brought you news of that little girl being sick?"

"But she wasn't sick!" cried Agnes. "That boy was an awful little story-teller."

"Ye was fooled then? That Maria Maroni--"

"Was not ill at all."

"And," cried Mrs. McCall, "that boy who brought a note to me from Hedden never came from Mr. Howbridge's house at all. It nearly scar't me tae death! It said Mr. Howbridge was ill. He isn't even at home yet, and when Mr. Hedden heard from his master this morning he was all right--the gude mon!"

"Oh, Mrs. McCall!" gasped Agnes, gazing at the housekeeper with terrified visage. "What can it mean?"

"Somebody has foolit us weel," ejaculated the enraged housekeeper.

"But why?"

The woman turned swiftly. She had grown suddenly pale. She called up the back stairs for Linda. A sleepy voice replied:

"Here I be, mum!"

"Where are the children? Where are Tess and Dot?" demanded Mrs. McCall, her voice husky.

"They was in the yard, mum, the last I see of them."

"That girl!" ejaculated the housekeeper angrily. "She neglects everything. If there's harm happened to those bairns--"

She rushed to the porch. Uncle Rufus was coming slowly up from the garden, hoe and rake over his shoulder. It was evident that the old colored man had been working steadily, and for some time, among the vegetables.

"Oh, Uncle Rufus!" cried the excited woman.

"Ya-as'm! Ya-as'm! I's a-comin'," said the old man rather querulously.

"Step here a minute," said Mrs. McCall.

"I's a-steppin', Ma'am," grumbled the other. "Does seem as though dey wants me for fust one t'ing an' den anudder. I don't no more'n git t'roo one chore den sumpin' else hops right out at me. Lawsy me!" and he mopped his bald brown brow with a big bandanna.

"I only want to ask you something," said the housekeeper, less raspingly. "Are the little ones down there? Have you seen them?"

"Them chillun? No'm. I ain't seen 'em fo' some time. They was playin' up this-a-way den."

"How long ago?"

"I done reckon it was nigh two hours ago."

"Hunt for them, Agnes!" gasped the housekeeper. "I fear me something bad has happened. You, Linda," for the Finnish girl now appeared, "run to the neighbors--all of them! See if you can find those bairns."

"Tess and Dottie, mum?" cried the Finnish girl, already in tears. "Oh! they ain't losted are they?"

"For all _you_ know they are!" declared Mrs. McCall. "Look around the house for them, Uncle Rufus. I will look inside--"

"They may be upstairs with Aunt Sarah," cried Agnes, getting her breath at last.

"I'll know that in a moment!" declared Mrs. McCall, and darted within.

Agnes ran in the other direction. She felt such a lump in her throat that she could scarcely speak or breathe. The possibility of something having happened to the little girls--and with Ruth away!--cost the second Corner House girl every last bit of her self-control.

"Oh, Neale! Neale!" she murmured over and over again, as she ran to the lower end of the premises.

She fairly threw herself at the fence and scrambled to her usual perch. There he was cleaning Mr. Con Murphy's yard.

"Neale!" she gasped. At first he did not hear her, but she drubbed upon the fence with the toes of her shoes. "Neale!"

"Why, hullo, Aggie!" exclaimed the boy, turning around and seeing her.

"Oh, Neale! Come here!"

He was already coming closer. He saw that again she was much overwrought.

"What has happened now?"

"Have you seen Tess and Dot?"

"Not to-day."

"I--I mean within a little while? Two hours?"

"I tell you I have not seen them at all to-day. I have been busy right here for Con."

"Then they are gone! The Gypsies have got them!"

For Agnes, without much logic of thought, had immediately jumped to this conclusion. Neale stared.

"What sort of talk is that, Agnes?" he demanded. "You know that can't be so."

"I tell you it is so! It must be so! They got Mrs. McCall and me out of the house--"

"Who did?" interrupted Neale, getting hastily over the fence and taking the girl's hand. "Now, tell me all about it--everything!"

As well as she could for her excitement and fear, the girl told the story of the boy who had brought her the false message about Maria Maroni, and then about the message Mrs. McCall had received calling her across town.

"It must be that they have kidnapped the children!" moaned Agnes.

"Not likely," declared the boy. "The kids have just gone visiting without asking leave. In fact, there was nobody to ask. But I see that there is a game on just the same."

He started hastily for the Corner House and Agnes trotted beside him.

"But where _are_ Tess and Dot?" she demanded.

"How do I know?" he returned. "I want to find out if there is something else missing."

"What do you mean?"

"That bracelet."

"Goodness, Neale! Is it that bracelet that has brought us trouble again?"

"It looks like a plot all right to me. A plot to get you and Mrs. McCall out of the house so that somebody could slip in and steal the bracelet. Didn't that ever occur to you?"

"Goodness me, Neale!" cried Agnes again, but with sudden relief in her voice. "If that is all it is I'll be glad if the old bracelet is stolen. Then it cannot make us any more trouble, that is one sure thing!"