Tish, The Chronicle of Her Escapades and Excursions

M >> Mary Roberts Rinehart >> Tish, The Chronicle of Her Escapades and Excursions


"I'll take them now," he said. "Well, George, how are you?"

This was to the leader, who merely muttered in reply.

"I'd like to leave them here for a short time," Tish stated. "They
should be taught a severe lesson and nothing stings like ridicule. After
that you can turn them free, but I think they ought to be discharged."

"Turn them free!" he said in a tone of amazement. "Discharged! My dear
madam, they will get fifteen years' hard labor, I hope. And that's too
good for them."

Then suddenly the crowd began to cheer. It was some time before Tish
realized that they were cheering us. And even then, I shall have to
confess, we did not understand until the young man explained to me.

"You see," he said, "I didn't like to say anything sooner, for fear of
making you nervous. You'd done it all so well that I wanted you to
finish it. You're been in the right church all along, but the wrong
pew. Those fellows aren't movie actors, except Oliver, who will be
freed now, and come after me with a gun, as like as not! They're real
dyed-in-the-wool desperadoes and there's a reward of five thousand
dollars for capturing them."

Tish went rather white, but said nothing. Aggie, however, went into a
paroxysm of sneezing, and did not revive until given aromatic ammonia
to inhale.

"I was fooled at first too," the young man said. "We'd been expecting a
holdup and when it came we thought it was the faked one. But the
person"--he paused and looked round--"the person who had the real jolt
was Helen. She followed them, since they didn't take her for ransom, as
had been agreed in the plot.

"Then, when she found her mistake, they took her along, for fear she'd
ride off and raise the alarm. All in all," he said reflectively, "it has
been worth about a million dollars to me."

We went into the hotel, with the crowd following us, and the first thing
we saw was Mrs. Ostermaier, sitting dejectedly by the fire. When she saw
us, she sprang to her feet and came to meet us.

"Oh, Miss Tish, Miss Tish!" she said. "What I have been through!
Attacked on a lonely mountain-top and robbed of everything. My reason is
almost gone. And my earrings, my beautiful earrings!"

Tish said nothing, but, reaching into her reticule, which she had taken
from the horn of her saddle, she drew out a number of things.

"Here," she said. "Are your earrings. Here also is Mr. Ostermaier's
cigar-case, but empty. Here is some money too. I'll keep that, however,
until I know how much you lost."

"Tish!" screeched Mrs. Ostermaier. "You found them!"

"Yes," Tish said somewhat wearily, "we found them. We found a number of
things, Mrs. Ostermaier,--four bandits, and two lovers, or rather three,
but so no longer, and your things, and a reward of five thousand
dollars, and an engagement ring. I think," she said, "that I'd like a
hot bath and something to eat."

Mrs. Ostermaier was gloating over her earrings, but she looked up at
Tish's tired and grimy face, at the mud encrusted on me from my accident
the day before, at Aggie in her turban.

"Go and wash, all of you," she said kindly, "and I'll order some hot
tea."

But Tish shook her head. "Tea nothing!" she said firmly. "I want a
broiled sirloin steak and potatoes. And"--she looked Mrs. Ostermaier
full in the eye--"I am going to have a cocktail. I need it."

Late that evening Aggie came to Tish's room, where I was sitting with
her. Tish was feeling entirely well, and more talkative than I can
remember her in years. But the cocktail, which she felt, she said, in no
other way, had gone to her legs.

"It is not," she observed, "that I cannot walk. I can, perfectly well.
But I am obliged to keep my eyes on my feet, and it might be noticed."

"I just came in," Aggie said, "to say that Helen and her lover have made
it up. They are down by the lake now, and if you will look out you can
see them."

I gave Tish an arm to the window, and the three of us stood and looked
out. The moon was rising over the snow-capped peaks across the lake, and
against its silver pathway the young people stood outlined. As we looked
he stooped and kissed her. But it was a brief caress, as if he had just
remembered the strong hand and being a doormat long enough.

Tish drew a long breath.

"What," she said, "is more beautiful than young love? It will be a
comfort to remember that we brought them together. Let go of me now,
Lizzie. If I keep my eye on the bedpost I think I can get back."