CHAPTER XVI DETECTIVE THORNTON

xplainedBen,muchaggrievedbyhavinghissurprisespoiled. "Itwasverykindofyou,andI'mgladtohavethisnicekitty.Wewillshutherupinmyroomtocatchthemicethatplagueme,"saidMissCelia,pickingupthelittlecat,andwonderinghowshewouldgethertwoangryboyssafelydownstairs. "Thedressing-room,shemeansyouknowtheway,andyoudon'tneedkeystogetin,"addedThorny,withsuchsarcasticemphasisthatBenfeltsomeinsultwasintended,andpromptlyresentedit. "Youwon'tgetmetoclimbanymoretreesafteryourballs,andmycatwon'tcatchanyofyourmice,soyouneedn'taskme." "Catsdon'tcatchthieves,andtheyarewhatI'mafter!" "Whatdoyoumeanbythat?"fiercelydemandedBen. "Celiahaslostsomemoneyoutofherdrawer,andyouwon'tletmeseewhat'sinyoursSoIthought,perhaps,you'dgotit!"blurtedoutThorny,findingithardtosaythewords,angryashewas,forthefaceoppositedidnotlooklikeaguiltyone. Foraminute,Bendidnotseemtounderstandhim,plainlyashespokethenheturnedanangryscarlet,and,withareproachfulglanceathismistress,openedthelittledrawersothatbothcouldseeallthatitcontained. "Theyain'tanythingbutI'mfondof'emtheyareallI'vegot—Iwasafraidhe'dlaughatmethattime,soIwouldn'tlethimlook—itwasfather'sbirthday,andIfeltbadabouthimandSanch—"Ben'sindignantvoicegotmoreandmoreindistinctashestumbledon,andbrokedownoverthelastwords.Hedidnotcry,however,butthrewbackhislittletreasuresasifhalftheirsacrednesswasgoneand,makingastrongeffortatself-control,facedaround,askingofMissCelia,withagrievedlook, "DidyouthinkI'dstealanythingofyours?" "Itriednotto,Ben,butwhatcouldIdo?Itwasgone,andyoutheonlystrangerabouttheplace." "Wasn'tthereanyonetothinkbadofbutme?hesaid,sosorrowfullythatMissCeliamadeuphermindonthespotthathewasasinnocentofthetheftasthekittennowbitingherbuttons,nootherrefreshmentbeingoffered. "Nobody,forIknowmygirlswell.Yet,elevendollarsaregone,andIcannotimaginewhereorhowforbothdraweranddoorarealwayslocked,becausemypapersandvaluablesareinthatroom." "Whatalot!ButhowcouldIgetitifitwaslockedup?"andBenlookedasifthatquestionwasunanswerable. "Folksthatcanclimbinatwindowsforaball,cangothesamewayformoney,andgetiteasyenoughwhenthey'veonlytopryopenanoldlock!" Thorny'slookandtoneseemedtomakeplaintoBenallthattheyhadbeensuspecting,and,beinginnocent,hewastooperplexedandunhappytodefendhimself.Hiseyewentfromonetotheother,and,seeingdoubtinbothfaces,hisboyishheartsunkwithinhimforhecouldprovenothing,andhisfirstimpulsewastogoawayatonce. "Ican'tsayanything,onlythatIdidn'ttakethemoney.Youwon'tbelieveit,soI'dbettergobackwhereIcomefrom.Theyweren'tsokind,buttheytrustedme,andknewIwouldn'tstealacent.Youmaykeepmymoney,andthekitty,tooIdon'twant'em,"and,snatchinguphishat,Benwouldgonestraightaway,ifThornyhadnotbarredhispassage. "Come,now,don'tbemad.Let'stalkitover,andifI'mwrongI'lltakeitallbackandaskyourpardon,"hesaid,inafriendlytone,ratherscaredattheconsequencesofhisfirstattempt,thoughassureaseverthathewasright. "Itwouldbreakmyhearttohaveyougointhatway,Ben.Stayatleasttillyourinnocenceisproved,thennoonecandoubtwhatyousaynow." "Don'tseehowitcanbeproved,"answeredBen,appeasedbyherevidentdesiretotrusthim. "We'lltryaswellasweknowhow,andthefirstthingwewilldoistogivethatoldsecretaryagoodrummagefromtoptobottom.I'vedoneitonce,butitisjustpossiblethatthebillsmayhaveslippedoutofsight.Come,now,Ican'tresttillI'vedoneallIcantocomfortyouandconvinceThorny."MissCeliaroseasshespoke,andledthewaytothedressing-room,whichhadnooutletexceptthroughherchamber.Stillholdinghishat,Benfollowedwithatroubledface,andThornybroughtuptherear,doggedlydeterminedtokeephiseyeon"thelittlescamp"tillthematterwassatisfactorilyclearedup.MissCeliahadmadeherproposalmoretosoothethefeelingsofoneboyandtoemploythesuperfluousenergiesoftheother,thanintheexpectationofthrowinganylightuponthemysteryforshewassadlypuzzledbyBen'smanner,andmuchregrettedthatshehadletherbrothermeddleinthematter. "There,"shesaid,unlockingthedoorwiththekeyThornyreluctantlygaveuptoher,"thi