Bright Arrows Read Online Free Page A

errand?"
    " Errand! " sneered the would-be guest. "I've come to stay. The family must have known I was coming. Stand aside and let me come in. I think it was most unfeeling of them not to have met my plane at the airport, they with their chauffeurs and butlers and other servants!" She fairly snorted out the last words, but Tabor stood immovable.
    "Madam, I'm sorry, but I was told not to let anyone in until further word, and we are not disturbing the lady of the house at this hour. She has been through a heavy strain and needs the rest."
    "Lady of the house!" snorted the irate Lavira. "Who's that? You don't mean that conceited Janet with her weird Scotch lingo, do you? Because if you do, I'll have you know that no person like that can keep me out. I belong to the family!"
    "Yes, madam, that may be so, but you see I have my orders, and I am not to go beyond them."
    "Why, you unspeakable outrageous fool! The very idea of your daring to keep me out of this house! I insist that you take my name up to Eden or whoever she has put in charge of the house. If you don't do so, I'll push by you and go right upstairs to her room myself. I simply won't be treated this way, when I've only come to be of service here, and I'm practically being turned out of the door. You go at once!"
    "No, madam. I have been told not to disturb Miss Eden on any account. Perhaps you do not know, madam, that there has been a death in the household, which has made it very hard for everybody, and we are doing all we can to give Miss Eden a chance to rest. In fact, her father, Mr. Thurston, asked me a few hours before he died to especially guard her from all intruders these first few days after he was gone, for he knew they would be more than hard for her."
    "But this is ridiculous!" sputtered the woman. "I shall appeal to the authorities!"
    Then suddenly Mike stepped into the picture.
    "Just what is it you wanted to appeal to the authorities for, madam? I belong to the police force, and I have been asked to look after the comfort of this house. Suppose you come with me and we can talk it over."
    Mike was enveloped in a brusque politeness, and his sudden authoritative appearance so startled the woman that she fairly gasped.
    "Oh! A policeman!" she exclaimed. "Why, what has happened? Are things in such a bad shape here that they have to be guarded by a policeman?" she questioned, yielding to the firm pressure on her arm and authority of the law, as she backed down the steps and was propelled down the front walk and out to the street.
    "Why, yes, madam," Mike said in a well-guarded whisper. "Last night after they had all retired and the house was carefully locked, somebody broke into the library and went through the late Mr. Thurston's desk and all his private papers!"
    The announcement was made solemnly and filled the woman with awe.
    " How--how perfectly terrible! " she exclaimed. "Of course, I didn't know about that. No wonder they were all so upset. But, you see, I'm one of the family and came here to help. I ought to go right up and comfort Eden."
    But the hand of the law was still firmly upon her arm, and she did not go back. In fact, the alarm that this big Mike had suddenly raised within her was on the increase. She felt she should learn more about this supposed robbery that the man had been looking into. She must find out if her son had been caught in any such mistaken escapade. It would not be beyond his powers to try something like that, she knew. And it was all right, of course, if he found such measures necessary to carry out his plans. He and she had hoped to be able to work quietly from inside the house as members of the family. But anything was all right if he could get away with it, and so far he had always got away with it. Still it was rather frightening to think that there was a possibility that this time he might not get away with it.
    She looked up pleadingly to Mike's stern face, with slippery unmotherly eyes.
    "I really ought to go right away