The Drums of Jeopardy - Page 154/202

"But are you strong enough to venture on the streets?"

"Rot! Dash it all, I'm no mollycoddle! All nonsense to keep me pinned in

like this. Will you go with me--be my guide?"

"Yes!" She shot out the word and crossed the Rubicon before reason

could begin to lecture. Besides, wasn't reason treating her shabbily in

withholding the key to the riddle? "Johnny Two-Hawks, I will go as far

as Harlem if you want me to."

"Johnny Two-Hawks!" He laughed joyously, then kissed her hands. But he

had to pay for this bending--a stab that filled his eyes with flying

sparks. He must remember, once out of doors, not to stoop quickly. "I

say, you're the jolliest girl I ever met! Just the two of us, what?"

"The way you speak English is wonderful!"

"Simple enough to explain. Had an English nurse from the beginning.

Spoke English and Italian before I spoke Russian."

He seized the wooden mallet and beat the Burmese gong--a flat piece of

brass cut in the shape of a bell. The clear, whirring vibrations filled

the room. Long before these spent themselves Kuroki appeared on the

threshold. He bobbed.

"Kuroki, Miss Conover is dining here with me to-night. Seven o'clock

sharp. The best you have in the larder."

"Yes, sair. You are going out, sair?"

"For a bit of fresh air."

"And I am going with him, Kuroki," said Kitty. Kuroki bobbed again.

"Dinner at seven, sair." Another bob, and he returned to the kitchen,

smiling. The girl was free to come and go, of course, but the ancient

enemy of Nippon would not pass the elevator door. Let him find that out

for himself.

When the elevator arrived the boy did not open the door. He noted the

derby on Hawksley's head.

"I can take you down, Miss Conover, but I cannot take Mr. Hawksley. When

the boss gives me an order I obey it--if I possibly can. On the day the

boss tells me you can go strolling, I'll give you the key to the city.

Until then, nix! No use arguing, Mr. Hawksley."

"I shan't argue," replied Hawksley, meekly. "I am really a prisoner,

then?"

"For your own good, sir. Do you wish to go down, Miss Conover?"

"No."

The boy swung the lever, and the car dropped from sight.

"I'm sorry," said Kitty.

Hawksley smiled and laid a finger on his lips. "I wanted to know," he

whispered. "There's another way down from this Matterhorn. Come with

me. Off the living room is a storeroom. I found the key in the lock the

other day and investigated. I still have the key. Now, then, there's

a door that gives to the main loft. At the other end is the stairhead.

There is a door at the foot of the first flight down. We can jolly well

leave this way, but we shall have to return by the lift. That bally

young ruffian can't refuse to carry us up, y' know!"