Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch Part 10

"Mees Jane? You ask for Mees Jane?"

"Yes. Tell me, quick, do you know where she is?"

"Mees Jane mus' be at house," said Miguel, pa.s.sing a hand over his eyes as if bewildered.

"She is not," said Rudolph. "She is gone, and both her nurses are gone."

"Inez gone?" repeated the old man, stupidly. "Ah; then she have carried away Mees Jane! I was 'fraid of that."

"Carried her away! Why should she do that?" asked Arthur impatiently.

"She jealous of New York girl-Mees Travers. Inez say she kill Mees Travers; but I tell her no. I say better not. But Inez hate thees girl for taking Mees Jane away from her. Inez love baby, Meest Weld; too much to be safe nurse."

While Arthur tried to comprehend this strange information Rudolph said to Miguel:

"Then you haven't seen the baby? You don't know where she is?"

The old Mexican gave him a keen look.

"No, Meest Hahn."

"You don't know where Inez has gone?"

"No, Meest Hahn."

"Nor the other nurse-the American girl?"

"No, Meest Hahn."

They hurried back to the house, leaving the old Mexican standing motionless beside the path.

CHAPTER VIII-VERY MYSTERIOUS

Arthur found Louise developing hysteria, while Beth, Patsy and Helen Hahn were working over her and striving to comfort her. Uncle John, the major and big Runyon stood gazing helplessly at the dolorous scene.

"Well? Well?" cried Mr. Merrick, as Weldon and young Hahn entered. "Any news?"

Arthur shook his head and went to his wife, bending over to kiss her forehead.

"Be brave, dear!" he whispered.

It needed but this tender admonition to send the young mother into new paroxysms.

"See here; we're wasting time," protested Runyon, his voice reaching high C in his excitement. "Something must be done!"

"Of course," cried Patsy, turning from Louise. "We're a lot of ninnies.

Let us think what is best to do and map out a logical program."

The others looked at her appealingly, glad to have some one a.s.sume command but feeling themselves personally unequal to the task of thinking logically.

"First," said the girl, firmly, "let us face the facts. Baby Jane has mysteriously disappeared, and with her the two nurses."

"Not necessarily with her," objected Rudolph. "Let us say the two nurses have also disappeared. Now, the question is, why?"

A shriek from Louise emphasised the query.

"Don't let's bother with the 'why?'" retorted Patsy. "We don't care why.

The vital question is 'where?' All we want, just now, is to find baby and get her back home again to her loving friends. She can't have been gone more than four hours-or five, at the most. Therefore she isn't so far away that an automobile can't overtake her."

"But she can't walk, you know," squeaked Runyon. "Baby didn't go alone; some one took her."

"True enough," observed Uncle John. "You're wrong, Patsy. We must try to decide who took baby, and why. Then we might undertake the search with a chance of success."

"Whoever took baby went on foot," persisted Miss Doyle. "The only four automobiles in the neighborhood are now standing in our driveway and in the garage. This is a country of great distances, and no matter in what direction the baby has been taken an auto is sure to overhaul her, if we don't waste valuable time in getting started."

"That's right!" cried Arthur, turning from Louise. "The theory agrees with old Miguel's suspicion about Inez, and-"

"What suspicion?" cried half a dozen.

"Never mind that," said Rudolph, with a hasty glance toward Louise; "let's be off, and talk afterward."

"We men must decide on our routes and all take the road at once,"

proposed Rudolph.

"It's pitch dark," said Runyon.

"Would you like to wait until morning?" demanded Rudolph, sarcastically.

"No; I want to rescue that baby," said the big fellow.

"Then take the north road, as far as Tungar's ranch. Stop at every house to inquire. When you get to Tungar's, come back by the McMillan road.

That's a sixty mile jaunt, and it will cover the north and northwest.

Take Mr. Merrick with you. Now, then, off you go!"

Runyon nodded and left the room, followed gladly by Uncle John, who longed to be doing something that would count. The others soon heard the roar of the motor car as it started away on its quest.

Then it was arranged for Arthur to drive back to Escondido to make inquiries and to watch the departure of the evening train, the only one to pa.s.s the station since baby had been missing. He was to carry Major Doyle with him and return by another route. Hahn promised to cover with his own car the only other two roads that remained to be searched, and he figured that they would all return to the house within two or three hours, when-if still there was no news-they might plan a further pursuit of the fugitive baby.

Helen Hahn had promised not to leave Louise until baby was found, and before starting Arthur a.s.sisted his wife to her room, where he left her weeping dismally one moment and screaming for little Jane the next.

Sing Fing had sent a maid to announce dinner, but no one paid any attention to the summons.

After the three automobiles had departed, Patsy and Beth remained in the nursery and left Helen and a maid with Louise. Once alone, Miss Doyle said to her cousin:

"Having started them upon the search, Beth, you and I must take up that pertinent suggestion made by Mr. Hahn and face the important question: 'Why?'"