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Mystery of the Fires

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<h2 id="c17">CHAPTER XVII Release</h2> While her parents and her friends at Shady Nook were imagining all sorts of horrors for Mary Louise, the day actually passed peacefully for her. It was a terrible shock to waken up in that bare little bedroom with the iron bars at the window, but after the first realization of it was over, she found comfort in work. For, unlike the previous night, she was not allowed to be idle. Miss Stone came in at seven o’clock with a tray of breakfast in her hands. “And how do you feel today, dear?” she inquired cheerfully. Mary Louise opened sleepy eyes and looked about her, trying to remember where she was. For one ghastly moment she felt as if she would scream as the horror of the whole thing came back to her. But, realizing that such an act would only help to confirm her nurse’s belief in her insanity, she managed to control herself. The sun was shining, Miss Stone was kind—surely Mary Louise would find a way out. So she smiled back at the woman. <div class="pb" id="Page_219">[219]</div> “I’m fine, Miss Stone,” she said. “Am I supposed to get dressed?” “Eat your breakfast first,” was the reply. “After today you’ll probably eat with the other patients. But the doctor is coming in to make an examination this morning.” Mary Louise nodded. “And then what do I do?” “You tidy up your own room and then take some part in the household duties. You may have your choice of cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, or sewing. Then you’ll eat lunch in the dining room and spend an hour outdoors in the garden. After that there is a rest period, when you may read or sew, if you like. We have a small library, and there is a class in knitting too, if you prefer. Then supper—and vespers.” “It sounds fine—so much better than doing nothing,” replied Mary Louise. “I think for my particular work I’ll choose cooking. I’m pretty good at cakes and pies.” “That’s nice, dear,” concluded Miss Stone, turning towards the door. “Be ready to see the doctor in about an hour.” <div class="pb" id="Page_220">[220]</div> “May I have a shower?” “Yes. I’ll come back in fifteen minutes to take you.” “But I’m not a baby!” protested Mary Louise. “I’m quite used to giving myself baths.” “I know, dear, but it’s a rule. Sometimes patients drown themselves if we don’t watch them. Maybe—later on——” She did not finish the sentence, but left the room, locking the door behind her. It was very like a nightmare, Mary Louise thought, as she picked up her tray—a dream in which you found yourself locked up somewhere without any means of escape. But she meant to get away just the same, if she had to climb that ten-foot wall to accomplish it! She decided immediately that she would be an exemplary patient, that she would work hard and do everything she was told to do. Gradually, perhaps, her liberty would be increased as the attendants learned that she could be trusted. In spite of her blue calico uniform, Mary Louise looked exceedingly pretty that morning when the doctor came in to see her. Her cheeks were glowing with perfect health, and her dark eyes were smiling. The room, as well as her person, was meticulously neat. <div class="pb" id="Page_221">[221]</div> She identified the doctor immediately as the man who had received her the day before at the door of the institution. “Good-morning, Miss Adams,” he said, regarding her with admiration. “You’re looking well today.” “I’m fine,” replied Mary Louise. “Only my name doesn’t happen to be Miss Adams,” she couldn’t help adding. The physician smiled, and she detected a shade of pity in his expression. Something like that in Miss Stone’s face when she had humored that patient by calling her “Joan of Arc.” But he made no reply and went ahead with the examination. When Miss Stone returned he told her that Miss Adams was in perfect physical condition. “It’s only the brain,” thought Mary Louise in secret amusement. How often she and her young friends had made that remark to each other! She resolved never to speak jokingly of insanity again. <div class="pb" id="Page_222">[222]</div> After the doctor’s visit her day proceeded in the orderly manner which Miss Stone had outlined. She cooked and washed dishes and ate lunch with the patients. Then she went out in the garden, where she was assigned a flower bed of her own. But Mary Louise was not interested in flower beds at the moment. She pretended to work, all the while looking about her at the grounds around the asylum, at the high stone wall below and into the valley beyond. Across this valley, on a level with the institution, she could see a white road that ran like a ribbon along the hill in the distance. This road, she decided, must be a main highway, or at least a drive frequented by automobiles—otherwise it would not be so smooth and white.... Staring at this road in silence, an inspiration came to Mary Louise. An idea that might bring about her longed-for release! She waited eagerly for the nurse to come over to where she was working, but she was careful to keep her tone matter-of-fact when she did make her request. Miss Stone must not guess her hidden purpose! “May I break off two sticks from some bush?” she asked indifferently. “I’d like to practice my semaphore.” “What’s that, dear?” inquired Miss Stone skeptically. “Is it anything dangerous?” Mary Louise smiled. <div class="pb" id="Page_223">[223]</div> “Oh, no. It’s just part of a Girl Scout’s training. You’ve heard of Girl Scouts, haven’t you?” “Yes, I believe I have. Anyway, I’ve heard of Boy Scouts, so I suppose the Girl Scouts is an organization like theirs—for girls.” “That’s right,” agreed Mary Louise. “And I have always been very much interested in it. I don’t want to forget all that I have learned. So if I had a couple of sticks and a needle and thread, I could make a pair of flags and—and—practice every day.” She uttered the last sentence haltingly, fearful lest Miss Stone might guess her reason for wanting them and refuse. But as the nurse had no idea that semaphore meant signaling messages, she was entirely unsuspicious. And it had always been her policy to humor her patients in pursuit of any harmless amusements. So that afternoon she brought Mary Louise needles and cotton and scissors and sat with her while she cut up her red-and-white sports dress for the flags. It seemed a pity, Miss Stone thought, to destroy such a pretty dress, but it was not likely that Mary Louise would ever need it again. It was a sad fact that few of their patients ever returned to the outside world! <div class="pb" id="Page_224">[224]</div> Mary Louise finished her flags just before supper and laid them carefully away behind the washstand. Tomorrow—oh, happy thought!—she would try her luck. Hope is indeed a great tonic. Mary Louise went right to sleep that night and slept soundly until morning. She performed her duties so quickly and with such intelligence that even Miss Stone began to wonder whether there had not been some mistake in confining the girl to the institution. But as they did not take a daily paper at the asylum, and as they were entirely cut off from the outside world, she had no way of knowing about the desperate search that was going on all over the country for Mary Louise Gay. “Now that I have finished my work, may I go out into the garden and practice my semaphore for an hour before lunch?” the girl asked her nurse. “Yes, certainly,” agreed Miss Stone. “I’ll go with you, because I want to spray the rose bushes.” Mary Louise was not so pleased to be accompanied, but after all, Miss Stone’s presence would mean freedom from other attendants. Nobody would molest her while her own nurse was with her. <div class="pb" id="Page_225">[225]</div> She selected a spot high up on the terrace, from whence she could plainly see the ribbon of white road across the valley. Then she began to signal her message: <blockquote> “I AM MARY LOUISE GAY. HELP!” </blockquote> Over and over again she repeated the same letters, hope coming into her heart each time a car swung into view, despair taking possession of her when it failed to stop. Perhaps, she thought, she was too far away to be seen. She glanced behind her, at the green bushes, and moved along where she might have the gray wall of the institution for her background. Red and white should show up brilliantly in contrast to somber gray. Half an hour passed, during which perhaps a dozen cars went by without stopping, and Mary Louise’s arms became weary. But she did not give up. Sometimes, she was certain, one of her own friends’ cars would come over that hill—and stop. <div class="pb" id="Page_226">[226]</div> Miss Stone, watching the girl out of the corner of her eye, nodded sadly to herself. She must be crazy after all, she decided, to go through that silly routine over and over again. Intelligent on most subjects as she had discovered Mary Louise to be, she must be unbalanced on this particular obsession. Still Mary Louise went on trying. <blockquote> “I AM MARY LOUISE GAY. HELP!” </blockquote> she signaled again, for the twenty-fourth time, as a small, bright car appeared on the road. The car was proceeding very slowly; it looked as if it could scarcely climb the hill. Then, to the girl’s intense joy, she watched it stop. Perhaps it was only because of a faulty engine or a puncture—but—oh—it was stopping! Her heart beat so fast and her hands trembled so that she could hardly repeat the message. But she forced herself to go through it again. This might be her one chance—her vital hope of escape! She knew now what it must feel like to be abandoned at sea and all at once to glimpse a sail on the empty waters, bringing hope, and rescue, and life—if it stopped. But, oh, the utter despair if it continued on its course unheeding! <div class="pb" id="Page_227">[227]</div> Two figures which looked like little dwarfs in the distance jumped out of the car and stood still, evidently watching Mary Louise’s motions. Frantic with excitement, she spelled the message again, this time very slowly, forming the letters carefully and pausing a long second between each word: <blockquote> “I AM MARY LOUISE GAY. HELP HELP HELP!” </blockquote> The two tiny figures waited until she had finished and then waved their arms frantically. She watched them in feverish anguish as they returned to the car and took something from the back of it. For five long minutes they busied themselves in some way which she could not understand, while she waited, tense with emotion. Miss Stone strolled over and spoke to her, startling her so that she almost dropped her flags. “Tired, dear?” inquired the nurse sympathetically. “No! No!” protested Mary Louise. “Let me stay fifteen minutes more. Please!” <div class="pb" id="Page_228">[228]</div> Her eyes were still fixed upon the car across the valley. One of the men was stepping away from it now, holding up both arms, which waved two dark flags. Made from clothing, perhaps, on the spur of the moment. And then he began to signal. Breathlessly Mary Louise watched the letters as they came, spelling out words that brought floods of joy to her heart. Overwhelming her with happiness such as she had never known before. For the message which she read was this: <blockquote> “WE ARE COMING MARY LOU. MAX AND NORMAN.” </blockquote> Great tears of bliss rushed to her eyes and rolled down her cheeks; her hands trembled, and her arms grew limp. In the exhaustion of her relief she dropped down weakly to the ground. Miss Stone came and bent over her anxiously, fearing that some curious spell had come over Mary Louise. A fit, perhaps, which would explain why her brother had wished to confine this girl in the asylum. “I’ll help you up, dear,” the nurse said, “and we’ll go into the house. You had better lie down for a while.” <div class="pb" id="Page_229">[229]</div> “But I’m all right!” exclaimed Mary Louise, jumping happily to her feet. “My friends are coming for me, Miss Stone!” She threw her arms around the woman and hugged her. “Two boys from my home town—in Riverside.” “Yes, yes, dear,” agreed Miss Stone, sure now that Mary Louise was raving. “But come inside now and rest.” “No, I don’t want to rest,” objected the girl. “You said I could stay out till lunch, and there’s still ten minutes left. I want to wait for Max and Norman.” “All right, dear, if you’ll promise to calm yourself. Sit down there on the step while I finish these rose bushes.” Mary Louise did as she was told, keeping her eyes fixed on the gate, wondering how long it would take for the boys to get across that valley, hoping that they wouldn’t get lost. She picked up her home-made flags and touched them lovingly. “Suppose I had never joined the Girl Scouts—and suppose I had never become an expert signaler!” she thought. She shivered at the very idea. <div class="pb" id="Page_230">[230]</div> She did not have to wait long, however. In less than ten minutes she saw the gardener unlock the big iron gate and a dear, familiar green roadster speed up the hill and stop at the door of the asylum. In an instant both boys were out of the car. Max was the first to reach Mary Louise. Without any question of permission, he took her into his arms and kissed her again and again. Then Norman kissed her too, not quite so ardently as Max. Finally she freed herself laughingly from their embraces and introduced them to Miss Stone. The boys looked questioningly at the woman. If she had been responsible for the kidnaping of Mary Louise, why was the girl so polite to her? Max took a revolver from his pocket, just to be prepared in case of violence. Mary Louise laughed merrily. “You don’t need that, Max,” she said. “Miss Stone won’t do anything desperate. She is a nurse.” “A nurse? Is this a hospital?” Alarm crept into Max’s voice. “Oh, Mary Lou, you’re not hurt, are you?” “No, not a bit. Don’t you know what kind of place this is, Max? It’s an asylum for the insane! I’m supposed to be crazy.” Horrified, Max sprang forward and seized Miss Stone by the arm. <div class="pb" id="Page_231">[231]</div> “What kind of diabolical plot is this?” he demanded. “Whose accomplice are you?” He pulled a newspaper out of his pocket and shook it in the nurse’s face. “The whole country’s frantic over the disappearance of Mary Louise Gay!” Miss Stone gazed at the picture in the paper with increasing fear. Had she—and the rest of the staff at the asylum—been accomplices to a hideous crime? But Mary Louise replied for her reassuringly. “Miss Stone’s innocent, Max,” she explained. “Please let her go. So are the others here. They’re just obeying orders. Tom Adams put me in here, calling me his feeble-minded sister Rebecca. He really does happen to have one, you may have heard, and I understand her papers for confinement were filed once before. Mr. Frazier signed my commitment too, pretending to be a cousin. Those two men are the only guilty ones.” “Tom Adams!” repeated Max and Norman at the same time, and Norman added: “Yes, that’s what Freckles said. They’re looking for Tom Adams. He ran away from Shady Nook—or wherever it is he lives. The police are after him.” <div class="pb" id="Page_232">[232]</div> “How about Frazier?” demanded Mary Louise. “Is he guilty?” asked Max. “More so than Tom,” replied the girl. “Oh, I must get back to tell the police before Frazier sneaks away!” She turned to the nurse. “May I go with the boys now?” “I’ll have to ask the doctor,” replied Miss Stone, hurrying inside to the office. It took no persuasion at all, however, to obtain the doctor’s consent. As soon as he read the account in the newspaper and saw that Tom Adams was a fugitive from the law, he gladly agreed to let Mary Louise go free. In fact, he was anxious that she should, lest he be blamed for participation in the crime. So Mary Louise jumped into the car between the two boys, and in less than an hour she saw the dear familiar trees of Shady Nook in the distance. As the car approached her own bungalow, she could distinguish her mother—yes, and her father—sitting on the porch in an attitude of hopeless despair. Oh, what fun it was going to be to surprise them so joyfully! <div class="pb" id="Page_233">[233]</div> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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