The Amazing Inheritance Page 10

  X

  Tessie really did not think much about Ka-kee-ta and his excitedexclamations. She had too much to do to guess conundrums. Never wasthere a busier queen. The publicity the newspapers gave her brought newduties every day.

  "You can't refuse," Norah Lee told her firmly. Norah had been loaned tothe Sunshine Islands by the Evergreen and was taking her new work veryseriously. "You want to advertise your kingdom, don't you? Make peopleknow about it? I dare say there are thousands in Waloo this minute whohave never heard of it, in spite of the corking stories the newspapersare giving you. Every one doesn't read every paper, and if you aren't inall the papers some people will miss knowing about you. It's your dutyas a queen to make the Sunshine Islands the most talked about place inthe world."

  Put that way Tessie could not refuse, and she graciously permittedherself to be photographed and interviewed until every daily newspapermade a story of Queen Teresa and her islands as much a part of its dailyroutine as the sport page or the stock reports. "Our Queen," the_Gazette_ proudly called her, because she had made her first appearancein the _Gazette_.

  She kept her promise to Mr. Kingley, and with Ka-kee-ta--his ax polishedto silver brightness--stood in the basement of the Evergreen behind thefamiliar counter stocked high with aluminum. She might be the samelittle Tessie at heart, but outwardly there was a vast difference. Shelooked like a princess playing at being a salesgirl for her gown was ofblack silk crepe instead of cheap sateen, her hair was done in thesimple fashion approved by Miss Morley, and at Mr. Kingley's requestaround her neck hung the Tear of God in its fiber lace. No one scoldedher if she made a mistake. Indeed, Mr. Kingley had craftily minimizedher chance to make a mistake by decreeing that she should only take theorder and hand the parcel to the purchaser, the other girls could makeout the sales-slips. And the basement was mobbed with purchasers.

  "She's doing it for the shoe fund of her new kingdom," was a whisperfrequently heard among them. "And no wonder!" would be the sympatheticrejoinder when Ka-kee-ta's bare feet were seen.

  "I'll keep this all my life!" exclaimed a well-cushioned, warm-heartedwoman. "I'll hand it down to my grandchildren," she promised tearfully."To think a real queen sold it to me!"

  "You're such a beautiful queen!" wept another emotional creature. "Iread every word about you!"

  Norah Lee watched the crowd from a sheltered corner, where Joe Caryfound her.

  "Hello!" he said. "Can't keep away from the old home, can you? May I saywe miss you like the dickens up on the fifth." And he grinned as if hehad missed her.

  "I'm glad," Norah said simply, although she flushed a bit. "One likes tobe missed. You are getting mighty good publicity these days. TheEvergreen is all over all the papers."

  "Don't blame me," begged Joe. "I don't believe in exploiting a littlegirl even if she is unfortunate enough to be the queen of a cannibalisland, and even if it does put the Evergreen all over all the papers. Ihave a conscience tucked away somewhere about me!" he told her proudly,as if a conscience was a rare and valuable treasure. "How do you likeyour new job?" he asked curiously.

  She laughed. She was a tall slim girl with jolly brown eyes and a jollylaugh. She and Joe had been in the same office for a year and Joeadmired her immensely, but Norah thought her work was the most importantthing in the world. She had not been pleased when she was loaned to theQueen of the Sunshine Islands, but the first basketful of mail hadinterested her, and she was still interested in the strange letterswhich came to Queen Teresa. So she laughed when Joe asked her about hernew job.

  "It is amusing," she said. "And surprising. I never knew there were somany people who want something for nothing. Miss Gilfooly is a dearlittle thing, isn't she? She accepts all the attention and admirationshe is receiving without a question. She hasn't an analytical mind, hasshe? She never questions, she just accepts. I can't understand that! Iwould be just one huge interrogation point. The whole thing is sostrange that sometimes I wonder--" She hesitated and looked oddly atJoe.

  Joe looked oddly at her. "Sometimes I wonder, too," he said. "I don'tunderstand it at all, but I'll tell you this, Miss Lee, if any one triesto play tricks on Tessie Gilfooly, he will have to answer to me!"

  She nodded. "You're in love with her, aren't you?" As soon as the wordsslipped over her lips she turned crimson and stammered. "I beg yourpardon! Don't tell me, please! It isn't any of my business!"

  "Pooh!" exclaimed straightforward Joe. "I would just as soon tell theworld. Of course I'm in love with her and with Granny and Johnny, thebest of Boy Scouts. And that's why I say if any one gets gay withTessie, I'll have something to say."

  "Would you dare?" She seemed pleased to hear that he was in love withGranny and Johnny as well as with Tessie. But she looked not at Joe, butat the owner of the Evergreen, who had come down to the basement towatch a queen sell his aluminum.

  "Pooh!" exclaimed Joe again. "You bet I'd dare! I'm not going to stayhere all my life anyway. I've got a chance to go in with the World WideAgency, and I guess that will push me ahead faster than the Evergreen.I'm just waiting until this queen business is over, and then I'llleave."

  "Oh!" Norah Lee stared at him with big covetous eyes. "The World Wide!"She was frankly and honestly envious. "But if Miss Gilfooly goes to theSunshine Islands?"

  He laughed strangely. "Sometimes I wonder if there are any SunshineIslands," he said scornfully, although he had read several of Tessie'slibrary books and knew very well that there were Sunshine Islands, sixof them.

  "Why--why--" she stammered. "What do you mean?" She was so eager to hearwhat he meant that she drew closer, and Mr. Kingley found them withtheir heads together in business hours.

  "Come, come, Cary!" he said sharply. "Have you finished that sketch?"For he had sent Joe to the basement to sketch the queen, not to talk tothe queen's secretary.

  Mr. Kingley was proud of his business acumen as he looked around thecrowded basement. It was not every man who would have secured so muchpublicity in the discovery of a queen in a store basement. And how thestore would benefit by his broad vision! There would not be enoughaluminum in the Evergreen or in the city even, if the demand keptincreasing as it had increased since the sale began. Tessie would haveto shift to granite wear, and the excited women, who pressed so close toher, would never know the difference, although he would have the changeannounced in Mr. Walker's loudly penetrating voice. Mr. Kingleyespecially approved of Ka-kee-ta and his ax. They seemed to give anatmosphere of reality to the royalty in the Evergreen basement. Yes, thestore would profit immensely by this sale. And Tessie would do well,too. She would have some more of that wonderful free publicity. He wouldguarantee that it would be nation-wide. And her per cent of the sales,small as he had been able to make it, would give her a good sum for theshoe fund for the orphans of the Sunshine Islands.

  "Choose something for the kids," Norah Lee had advised when they hadtalked of the beneficiary. "Children appeal to every one, and you'llarouse more interest if you announce that you are selling aluminum tohelp the orphans of the islands than if you let it be whispered aboutthat you are doing it to advertise Mr. Kingley."

  So Tessie smiled and handed out parcel after parcel until one o'clock,when Mr. Bill appeared, as the hour struck, to take her home. He grinnedat the crowd and diffidently suggested that Tessie would lunch with him.Tessie drew a deep breath and tried to keep the rapid beating of herheart out of her voice.

  "Oh!" she exclaimed softly. "Could we have it here?" For never, in themany months she had been at the Evergreen, had she been able to eat asmuch as a bowl of chicken soup in the blue-and-gold tea-room on thefifth floor. Prices were too high and Tessie's finances were too low.She could obtain more for her fifteen or twenty cents at the cafeteriain the next block, but that fact only made her more eager to lunch atthe Evergreen. Her little face turned quite pink as she spoke of it.

  "Sure we can!" declared Mr. Bill, proud to have the Evergreen chosen,and proud of Tessie for choosing it. "I wish," he added frankly, "thatwe could dispense w
ith the bodyguard!" He looked scornfully atKa-kee-ta, although Ka-kee-ta had attracted almost as much attention ashis royal mistress. "Isn't the store detective enough?" he grinned.

  "I should hope so," sighed Tessie, and she frowned and turned her backto her bodyguard. "It does seem as if I didn't need to be protected whenI'm with friends. I hate it!"

  "Of course you do. But wait a minute! I have an idea!" He scowled as hedeveloped his idea, and then began to issue orders. "Miss Lee," he saidcrisply, "you take Ka-kee-ta home. I'll bring Miss Gilfooly later." Heturned to Ka-kee-ta and spoke as a general in command of an army. "Gowith Miss Lee. Your queen orders it. I will guard her. Come on," he toldTessie. "Let's get a move on before he realizes he is going to be leftbehind."

  She snatched her gloves and bag from the arrogant cashgirl, who hadstood beside her to hold them, and ran away with him, the proudest,happiest queen in the world, while Norah Lee, sympathetic andresourceful, diverted Ka-kee-ta's attention by leading him to a rackwhere there was a splendid array of axes of all kinds. Ka-kee-ta hadnever seen so many. His eyes glistened, and he never noticed that hisqueen had slipped away.

  Tessie's eyes glistened, too. To think that she was to lunch with Mr.Bill in the Evergreen tea-room. She could scarcely believe it, even whenshe was seated at a round table in a corner of the room with Mr. Billsmiling triumphantly at her.

  "Well!" he exclaimed proudly. "I managed that all right!"

  Tessie smiled at him. "You're wonderful!" she said slowly, as if thewords were sweet to her quivering lips.

  They were sweet to Mr. Bill's ears, also, and he blushed awkwardly. "Nothalf as wonderful as you are," he stammered. "You--you're adorable, youknow!" And he gazed deep into her big blue eyes.

  "Have you given your order?" asked a waitress crisply, for patrons werepatrons, and orders were that no one was to be allowed to linger duringthe rush hour, every one was to be hurried through.

  "All right," mumbled Mr. Bill, when he was reminded that he was in thetea-room instead of in Paradise. "What will you have?" he asked Tessie,and the worshiping note in his voice made the waitress turn a bright andvivid green with envy.

  "You choose," begged Tessie in a shaking voice. She was afraid of a menucard, and she would far rather listen to Mr. Bill order anything thanbrave its dangers.

  "I'll give you what my sister likes," suggested Mr. Bill after afruitless effort to find food suitable for royalty. "I suppose all girlslike the same things." He gave the order to the waitress, and finishedit with a snap which meant, "Now, for heaven's sake, go away and leaveus alone."

  Every one in the big blue-and-gold room knew that the pretty young girlat the corner table with the son of the owner of the Evergreen, was theQueen of the Sunshine Islands, and many admiring and more enviousglances were cast toward her. There was not a girl there who would haverefused to give her dearest possessions, all of her possessions, to stepinto Tessie's shoes, the high-heeled, narrow-toed shoes Tessie wore indefiance of Miss Morley's earnest advice. Think of being a queen and oflunching with young Bill Kingley! Surely the gods crammed the measurefull to overflowing for some people. And although the room was decoratedentirely in blue and gold it seemed all green, and far more anarchistswent out of it that day than had come into it.

  Before Tessie and Mr. Bill had reached the nut ice cream with hotchocolate sauce which was the beloved of Mr. Bill's sister, there was astir and a bustle and Ka-kee-ta shot into the room, breathing hard andglaring defiance at the head waitress, who had vainly tried to persuadehim to check his ax at the door. With a snort of satisfaction, heslipped behind Tessie's chair.

  "Oh, dear!" Tessie was almost in tears. "Here he is again!"

  "We had a few minutes alone," reminded Mr. Bill, trying to believe thathalf a loaf of bread is considerably better than no bread. "Why did youcome back, Ka-kee-ta?" he asked the bodyguard sternly. "Didn't I tellyou I would look after the queen?"

  "The Tear of God," rumbled Ka-kee-ta, as if the Tear of God was allthat counted and queens were less than nothing. "The Tear of God!"

  Tessie's hand went involuntarily to her neck. The Tear of God was there.What did Ka-kee-ta mean?

  "The shark!" muttered Ka-kee-ta, and he shook his head and flourishedhis ax, and muttered words in a strange tongue.

  It was just as well for "the shark," whoever or whatever he was, that hewas not in the Evergreen tea-room at that moment, for Ka-kee-ta wouldhave made short work of him. He growled and rumbled fiercely.

  "I wish I knew what he meant!" murmured Tessie, for she felt that sheshould know what her bodyguard meant.

  But Mr. Bill, wonderful as he was, could not tell her. He could onlylook at her and say again that she was adorable. Tessie movedimpatiently. Joe Cary would have told her what Ka-kee-ta meant. Joealways had an answer when she questioned him. Could it be possible thatMr. Bill was not as clever as Joe Cary? But of course he was! Mr. Billwas quite the most wonderful man in the world. She smiled at him shyly.