Kerry (34 page)
Authors: Grace Livingston Hill
Kerry leaned over and read:
N
OTED
C
ROOK
C
AUGHT AT
L
AST
!
A literary and scientific crook Henry Dawson, PhD, as he signs himself, for whom the secret service has been quietly combing the country for the past three years, has been neatly rounded up and brought to justice by a fifteen-year-old boy from the Bronx, Ted Gallagher by name, employed in the publishing house of Holbrook, Harris, and Company
,
publishers of technical books
.
Henry Dawson, PhD, will be remembered as the so-called scientist who sold synthetic bones of a prehistoric beast to the
Museum several years ago, for a fabulous sum, professing to have dug them up himself. The bones were afterward found on investigation to be handmade, and the account of his finding them manufactured out of whole cloth. In fact, there was no such spot as the place he described. Later Dawson stole the manuscript of a book of poems and published them under his own name, and the next year got possession of a book on
Electricity by one of the professors in the State University and attempted to do the same thing, but was discovered before the book was actually in print. He succeeded, however, in getting away with the advance royalty, forging a check incidentally
.
Later, he forged a check for a hundred thousand dollars in the name of J. D. T. Wilkinson of California, since which time
Dawson has been wanted for any one of these misdemeanors
.
His latest enterprise has been an attempt to marry the daughter of the late Dr. Shannon Kavanaugh, perhaps the greatest investigator of the Einstein theory and various other subjects. A few days ago Mr. Dawson, without the knowledge or consent of Miss Kavanaugh, announced his engagement to her in our papers, together with a statement that he had helped to prepare for publication Dr. Kavanaugh’s new book, which is to be released for sale this week
.
Dawson attempted to kidnap Miss Kavanaugh in a hired taxicab as she came out from the publishing house in the early evening. Young Gallagher heard her scream, as she was about to leave the place on his motorcycle, and followed her; succeeded in tripping Dawson as he got out of the cab, called a policeman and captured the kidnapper, then rescued the lady on his motorcycle
.
Dawson’s case was rushed through without preliminaries
,
and he will be under strict confinement for at least twenty-one years for forgeries, to say nothing of his minor offenses
.
Kerry lifted startled eyes to her husband’s face.
“And I’ve been worrying a lot lest I ought not to have let that policeman know about my room being ransacked!” she said. “Oh, God has been good to me! He’s worked it all out for us.”
“Indeed He has! Been good to us both!” said McNair. “And He always does work things out if we let Him have His way. But to think I went off and left you in the same house with that snake! Oh! I should never have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you! What was business beside your safety?”
Kerry went demurely to her desk at the office that morning, with only the big blue diamond on her finger to call attention to the modest band of platinum it guarded.
Everybody in the office was so excited over the account in the paper that at first nobody noticed the rings. It was Ted who saw them first, as Kerry put up an unthinking hand to push back a wave of the red-gold hair that would persist in falling over her forehead.
His eyes got large and his jaw dropped, as he looked, until the others followed his gaze and stared, too.
“Oh, gee!” he said. “Look what! She’s pulled a wedding after all. I don’t call that fair. You might have rung us all in on that!”
“Well, it rather took me by surprise myself,” Kerry said, smiling. “You see Mr. McNair came on sooner than I expected, and when he heard what happened he thought he’d put me in bonds so I couldn’t get strayed or stolen again. By the way, he’s coming around this afternoon at quitting time, Ted, especially on purpose to thank you for rescuing me! And he wants to meet you all!” she added, smiling about upon her fellow workers!
“You’re not going to leave us?” they asked anxiously, for everybody in the office loved Kerry.
“Not right away,” she assured them happily.
Mysterious whisperings floated around among the office people during the day, and there was much exchanging of money. Even the heads of the firm had a part in the conspiracy, but Kerry noticed none of it. She was too busy and too happy. Her father’s book was coming out that day, and she almost felt as if too many beautiful things were happening at once for her to fully enjoy them all.
Late in the afternoon McNair called for Kerry in a shiny new car, which he explained to her later he was using on trial.
The entire office force gathered around to be introduced, and while they were all there, Holbrook himself with them, Ted stepped forward and blurted out an invitation.
“Miss Kav—I mean Mrs. McNair—excuse me—why—we’re pulling a party tonight at the Ritz and in the name of the office I invite you and Mr. McNair to be among those present. At least if you aren’t, there won’t be any party!” he finished bravely, amid the shouts and laughter of the entire group.
So Kerry went to the party looking her loveliest in her white wedding silk with a string of real pearls around her neck. They had belonged to McNair’s mother, but he had not had time to get them out of the bank before the ceremony Saturday evening.
It was a real party indeed, flowers and sumptuous foods, but no liquors. Strange to say young Harrington Holbrook had been the one to taboo that.
“She doesn’t like it,” he said emphatically in his father’s office where the committee was arranging things, “won’t even drink a cocktail!”
“I should say not!” seconded Ted, who by right of his recent rescue was on the committee by common consent.
Everybody was there, even Mrs. Holbrook and Natalie, who now that Kerry had become a heroine of kidnapping and married a stunning new man without anybody’s social assistance, were quite disposed to be chummy and affect a former friendship. Kerry even overheard Mrs. Holbrook telling the head proofreader that Harrington was brokenhearted that he hadn’t found her before McNair came on the scene.
They had a beautiful time with merry speeches, and when it came time, Ted made the speech of the evening in his own characteristic boy language, presenting in the name of the office a handsome sterling silver tea service, rare in workmanship and exquisite in simplicity of design.
Kerry made a shy little speech and Graham McNair spoke a few witty and grateful words, and then Ripley Holbrook stood. A waiter brought in a white satin cushion, and on it lay a copy of Shannon Kavanaugh’s new book, bound in leather, hand tooled, and with a hand-illuminated inscription from the house of Holbrook for Shannon Kavanaugh’s daughter, in token of the great service she had rendered in the preparation and publishing of the book.
Late that evening when they were back at Martha Scott’s where they were to stay until they should find a house, McNair brought out a package wrapped in brown paper and handed it to Kerry.
“Kerry,” he said tenderly, “this is your real wedding present. I forgot all about it yesterday, but I’ve been keeping it for you a long time.”
Kerry opened the package, and found books, books in rare old bindings with a strangely familiar look. She picked up one and exclaimed in wonder and joy! It bore Shannon Kavanaugh’s signature on the fly leaf.
“Where did you find them?” she asked, her eyes shining with pleasure. “My dear, dear books! Oh, how I hated to sell them! But how did you know—! Why! You were in the bookshop the day I sold them to old Mr. Peddington, Father’s friend! And you bought them! You dear! You’re wonderful! They will be doubly precious to me now. But how did you—why did you—happen—?”
“I didn’t happen,” said McNair with a dreamy tenderness in his eyes. “I knew perfectly well what I was doing. For you see, I fell in love with you that day, my darling!”
G
RACE
L
IVINGSTON
H
ILL
(1865–1947) is known as the pioneer of Christian romance. Grace wrote over one hundred faith-inspired books during her lifetime. When her first husband died, leaving her with two daughters to raise, writing became a way to make a living, but she always recognized storytelling as a way to share her faith in God. She has touched countless lives through the years and continues to touch lives today. Her books feature moving stories, delightful characters, and love in its purest form.
Grace Livingston Hill Classics
Available in 2013
The White Flower
Duskin
Matched Pearls
April Gold
Amorelle
Rainbow Cottage
Ladybird
The Gold Shoe
The Substitute Guest
Kerry
Crimson Mountain
Beauty for Ashes