earlderrbiggers.thehousewithoutakey-第21章

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of　its　better　days。　〃You　didn't　tell　me　we　might　meet　in　Honolulu；〃　the　boy　remarked。
　〃I　wasn't　sure　we　would。〃　She　glanced　at　the　shabby　old　hotel。　〃You　see；　I'm　not　exactly　a　social　favorite　out　here。〃　John　Quincy　could　think　of　no　reply；　and　they　mounted　the　crumbling　steps。　The　public　room　was　quite　deserted。　〃And　why　have　we　met？〃　the　girl　continued。　〃I'm　fearfully　puzzled。　What　was　dad's　business　with　those　men？　One　of　them　was　Captain　Hallet　…　a　policeman　…〃
　John　Quincy　frowned。　〃I'm　not　so　sure　your　father　wants　you　to　know。〃
　〃But　I've　got　to　know；　that's　obvious。　Please　tell　me。〃
　John　Quincy　relinquished　the　suit…case；　and　brought　forward　a　chair。　The　girl　sat　down。
　〃It's　this　way；〃　he　began。　〃My　Cousin　Dan　was　murdered　in　the　night。〃
　Her　eyes　were　tragic。　〃Oh　…　poor　Barbara！〃　she　cried。　That's　right；　he　mustn't　forget　Barbara。　〃But　dad　…　oh；　go　on　please　…〃
　〃Your　father　visited　Cousin　Dan　last　night　at　eleven；　and　he　refuses　to　say　why。　There　are　other　things　he　refuses　to　tell。〃
　She　looked　up　at　him；　her　eyes　filled　with　sudden　tears。　〃I　was　so　happy　on　the　boat；〃　she　said。　〃I　knew　it　couldn't　last。〃
　He　sat　down。　〃Nonsense。　Everything　will　e　out　all　right。　Your　father　is　probably　shielding　some　one　…〃
　She　nodded。　〃Of　course。　But　if　he's　made　up　his　mind　not　to　talk；　he　just　simply　won't　talk。　He's　odd　that　way。　They　may　keep　him　down　there；　and　I　shall　be　all　alone　…〃
　〃Not　quite　alone；〃　John　Quincy　told　her。
　〃No；　no；〃　she　said。　〃I've　warned　you。　We're　not　the　sort　the　best　people　care　to　know　…〃
　〃The　more　fools　they；〃　cut　in　the　boy。　〃I'm　John　Quincy　Winterslip；　of　Boston。　And　you　…〃
　〃Carlota　Maria　Egan；〃　she　answered。　〃You　see；　my　mother　was　half　Portuguese。　The　other　half　was　Scotch…Irish　…　my　father's　English。　This　is　the　melting　pot　out　here；　you　know。〃　She　was　silent　for　a　moment。　〃My　mother　was　very　beautiful；〃　she　added　wistfully。　〃So　they　tell　me　…　I　never　knew。〃
　John　Quincy　was　touched。　〃I　thought　how　beautiful　she　must　have　been；〃　he　said　gently。　〃That　day　I　met　you　on　the　ferry。〃
　The　girl　dabbed　at　her　eyes　with　an　absurd　little　handkerchief；　and　stood　up。　〃Well；〃　she　remarked；　〃this　is　just　another　thing　that　has　to　be　faced。　Another　call　for　courage　…　I　must　meet　it。〃　She　smiled。　〃The　lady　manager　of　the　Reef　and　Palm。　Can　I　show　you　a　room？〃
　〃I　say；　it'll　be　a　rather　stiff　job；　won't　it？〃　John　Quincy　rose　too。
　〃Oh；　I　shan't　mind。　I've　helped　dad　before。　Only　one　thing　troubles　me　…　bills　and　all　that。　I've　no　head　for　arithmetic。〃
　〃That's　all　right　…　I　have；〃　replied　John　Quincy。　He　stopped。　Wasn't　he　getting　in　a　little　deep？
　〃How　wonderful；〃　the　girl　said。
　〃Why；　not　at　all；〃　John　Quincy　protested。　〃It's　my　line；　at　home。〃　Home！　Yes；　he　had　a　home；　he　recalled。　〃Bonds　and　interest　and　all　that　sort　of　thing。　I'll　drop　in　later　in　the　day　to　see　how　you're　getting　on。〃　He　moved　away　in　a　mild　panic。　〃I'd　better　be　going　now；〃　he　added。
　〃Of　course。〃　She　followed　him　to　the　door。　〃You're　altogether　too　kind。　Shall　you　be　in　Honolulu　long？〃
　〃That　depends；〃　John　Quincy　said。　〃I've　made　up　my　mind　to　one　thing。　I　shan't　stir　from　here　until　this　mystery　about　Cousin　Dan　is　solved。　And　I'm　going　to　do　everything　in　my　power　to　help　in　solving　it。〃
　〃I'm　sure　you're　very　clever；　too；〃　she　told　him。
　He　shook　his　head。　〃I　wouldn't　say　that。　But　I　intend　to　make　the　effort　of　my　life。　I've　got　a　lot　of　incentives　for　seeing　this　affair　through。〃　Something　else　trembled　on　his　tongue。　Better　not　say　it。　Oh；　lord；　he　was　saying　it。　〃You're　one　of　them；〃　he　added；　and　clattered　down　the　stairs。
　〃Do　be　careful；〃　called　the　girl。　〃Those　steps　are　even　worse　than　they　were　when　I　left。　Just　another　thing　to　be　repaired　…　some　day　…　when　our　ship　es　in。〃
　He　left　her　smiling　wistfully　in　the　doorway　and　hurrying　through　the　garden；　stepped　out　on　Kalakaua　Avenue。　The　blazing　sun　beat　down　on　his　defenseless　head。　Gorgeous　trees　flaunted　scarlet　banners　along　his　path；　tall　cocoanut　palms　swayed　above　him　at　the　touch　of　the　friendly　trades；　not　far　away　rainbow…tinted　waters　lapped　a　snowy　beach。　A　sweet　land　…　all　of　that。
　Did　he　wish　that　Agatha　Parker　were　there　to　see　it　with　him？　Pursuing　the　truth　further；　as　Charlie　Chan　would　put　it；　he　did　not。
　
　CHAPTER　X　
　A　Newspaper　Ripped　In　Anger
　
　WHEN　John　Quincy　got　back　to　the　living…room　he　found　Miss　Minerva　pacing　up　and　down　with　the　light　of　battle　in　her　eyes。　He　selected　a　large；　fortable…looking　chair　and　sank　into　it。
　〃Anything　the　matter？〃　he　inquired。　〃You　seem　disturbed。〃
　〃I've　just　been　having　a　lot　of　pilikia；〃　she　announced。
　〃What's　that　…　another　native　drink？〃　he　said　with　interest。　〃Could　I　have　some　too？〃
　〃Pilikia　means　trouble；〃　she　translated。　〃Several　reporters　have　been　here；　and　you'd　hardly　credit　the　questions　they　asked。〃
　〃About　Cousin　Dan；　eh？〃　John　Quincy　nodded。　〃I　can　imagine。〃
　〃However；　they　got　nothing　out　of　me。　I　took　good　care　of　that。〃
　〃Go　easy；〃　advised　John　Quincy。　〃A　fellow　back　home　who　had　a　divorce　case　in　his　family　was　telling　me　that　if　you're　not　polite　to　the　newspaper　boys　they　just　plain　break　your　heart。〃
　〃Don't　worry；〃　said　Miss　Minerva。　〃I　was　diplomatic；　of　course。　I　think　I　handled　them　rather　well；　under　the　circumstances。　They　were　the　first　reporters　I'd　ever　met　…　though　I've　had　the　pleasure　of　talking　with　gentlemen　from　the　Transcript。　What　happened　at　the　Reef　and　Palm　Hotel？〃
　John　Quincy　told　her　…　in　part。
　〃Well；　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　if　Egan　turned　out　to　be　guilty；〃　she　mented。　〃I've　made　a　few　inquiries　about　him　this　morning；　and　he　doesn't　appear　to　amount　to　much。　A　sort　of　glorified　beachber。〃
　〃Nonsense；〃　objected　John　Quincy。　〃Egan's　a　gentleman。　Just　because　he　doesn't　happen　to　have　prospered　is　no　reason　for　condemning　him　without　a　hearing。〃
　〃He's　had　a　hearing；〃　snapped　Miss　Minerva。　〃And　it　seems　he's　been　mixed　up　in　something　he's　not　precisely　proud　of。　There；　I've　gone　and　ended　a　sentence　with　a　preposition。　Probably　all　this　has　upset　me　more　than　I　realize。〃
　John　Quincy　smiled。　〃Cousin　Dan；〃　he　reminded　her；　〃was　also　mixed　up　in　a　few　affairs　he　could　hardly　have　looked　back　on　with　pride。　No；　Aunt　Minerva；　I　feel　Hallet　is　on　the　wrong　trail　there。　It's　just　as　Egan's　daughter　said　…〃
　She　glanced　at　him　quickly。　〃Oh　…　so　Egan　has　a　daughter？〃
　〃Yes；　and　a　mighty　attractive　girl。　It's　a　confounded　shame　to　put　this　thing　on　her。〃
　〃Humph；〃　said　Miss　Minerva。
　John　Quincy　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃Good　lord　…　it's　only　ten　o'clock！〃　A　great　calm　had　settled　over　the　house；　there　was　no　sound　save　the　soft　lapping　of　waves　on　the　beach　outside。　〃What；　in　heaven's　name；　do　you　do　out　here？〃
　〃Oh；　you'll　bee　accustomed　to　it　shortly；〃　Miss　Minerva　answered。　〃At　first；　you　just　sit　and　think。　After　a　time；　you　just　sit。〃
　〃Sounds　fascinating；〃　said　John　Quincy　sarcastically。
　〃That's　the　odd　part　of　it；〃　his　aunt　replied；　〃it　is。　One　of　the　things　you　think　about；　at　first；　is　going　home。　When　you　stop　thinking；　that　naturally　slips　your　mind。〃
　〃We　gathered　that；〃　John　Quincy　told　her。
　〃You'll　meet　a　man　on　the　beach；〃　said　Miss　Minerva；　〃who　stopped　over　between　boats　to　have　his　laundry　done。　That　was　twenty　years　ago；　and　he's　still　here。〃
　〃Probably　they　haven't　finished　his　laundry；〃　suggested　John　Quincy；　yawning　openly。　〃Ho；　hum。　I'm　going　up　to　my　room　to　change；　and　after　that　I　believe　I'll　write　a　few　letters。〃　He　rose　with　an　effort　and　went　to　the　door。　〃How's　Barbara？〃　he　asked。
　Miss　Minerva　shook　her　head。　〃Dan　was　all　the　poor　child　had；〃　she　said。　〃She's　taken　it　rather　hard。　You　won't　see　her　for　some　time；　and　when　you　do　…　the　least　said　about　all　this；　the　better。〃
　〃Why；　naturally；〃　agreed　John　Quincy；　and　went　up…stairs。
　After　he　had　bathed　and　put　on　his　whitest；　thinnest　clothes；　he　explored　the　desk　that　stood　near　his　bed　and　found　it　well　supplied　with　note　paper。　Languidly　laying　out　a　sheet；　he　began　to　write。　
　〃DEAR　AGATHA：　Here　I　am　in　Honolulu　and　outside　my　window　I　can　hear　the　lazy　swish　of　waters　lapping　the　famous　beach　of　…〃　
　Lazy；　indeed。　John　Quincy　had　a　feeling　for　words。　He　stopped　an