Dorothy Dixon and the Double Cousin Read online

  Chapter VI

  WHO'S WHO?

  The December evening was cold and wet as Dorothy and Ashton Sanborncrossed the sidewalk and entered their taxi-cab. The day had been adreary one, and now a dense, drizzling fog lay low upon the great city.Dun-colored clouds drooped over a muddy Park Avenue as they were sweptup town. On the side streets the electrics were but misty splotches ofdiffused light which threw feeble circular glimmers upon the slimypavements. The yellow glare from shopwindows streamed out into thechill, vaporous air, and threw a murky, shifting radiance across thecrowded thoroughfare. To Dorothy there was something eerie and ghostlikein the endless procession of faces which flitted across these narrowbars of light. She was not in any respect a timid girl, but the dull,heavy evening, and the prospect of the strange venture in which theywere engaged, combined to make her feel nervous and depressed.

  At 59th street the taxi turned west and rolled steadily along theshining black asphalt, stopping now and then for the red lights. Theycrossed 5th Avenue and swung into Central Park. Dorothy caught glimpsesof the gaunt shapes of trees in silhouette against the cold fog. Sheclosed her eyes and resolutely turned her thoughts to the events of theafternoon.

  So engrossed had she become in the contemplation of her delightfulbuying orgy that she was surprised when their cab pulled up with a jerkand Ashton Sanborn opened the door.

  "Muffle up in your fur collar, Dorothy," he said. "The fewer people whosee your face, the better."

  Now that the ordeal had arrived, Dorothy's nervousness vanished. Sheburied the lower part of her face in the soft fur collar and walked atMr. Sanborn's side into the lobby of the apartment house.

  A darkey in brass buttoned uniform stood by the elevator. Two shiningrows of white teeth flashed in a smile of greeting for the detective.

  "All the way up, George." Mr. Sanborn gave the order as the car startedupward.

  "Yaas, suh, boss, I understand." George smiled again, and presently theelevator stopped.

  With Mr. Sanborn in the lead, Dorothy walked along a corridor and up anarrow flight of stairs. The detective opened a door at the top and thedamp cold of the night swept in upon them. A moment later they werecrossing the flat roof of the apartment house toward a small group whostood near the parapet at the roof's edge. As they drew nearer, she sawthat the group awaiting them was composed of Bill Bolton, Howard, and astranger. They were standing beside a small crane.

  The secret service man nodded a greeting and turned to Dorothy. "We aredirectly above Janet's window, which is three flights below," he saidquietly, and glanced at the luminous dial of his wrist-watch.

  "And you're going to let me down with the auto-crane?" she asked withjust a tremor of excitement in her voice.

  "That's the idea. It's perfectly safe. Bill tested it this afternoon."

  Dorothy gave a little laugh. "Oh, I'm not scared, Uncle Sanborn."

  "I know you aren't, my dear."

  "When do I take off?"

  "Whenever you're ready."

  "All set now, then, please."

  "Good. You'll go in a minute. Here are last instructions. You will seatyourself in that swinging seat that Bill is holding. The cable to whichit is attached runs through the pulley at the end of the crane's arm.This building is nine stories high. The Jordans' flat is on the seventhfloor, you remember, so Janet's window is the third one down." He movedto the low parapet and leaned over. "The window is dark, so everythingis O.K.," he said, coming back to her. "Pull your seat in with you whenyou enter, Dorothy, and pull down the shade, of course, when the lightis turned on. When Janet is ready, switch off the light again and haveher give a couple of pulls on this guide rope." He placed the rope inher hand. "Then we will hoist her up. Ready for your hop now?"

  "Yes, thanks."

  "Good luck, then. And remember that although you may not see us, I orsome of my men will be near you all the time."

  Dorothy shook hands with her three friends and stepped into her swingingseat. She sat down, steadying herself with a grip on the cable.

  "All serene?" asked Bill.

  "Shove off!" said Dorothy.

  Bill motioned to the stranger, there came the low whir of an electricmotor. Her feet left the roof and she felt herself swung upward. Thenthe ascent stopped, the arm of the crane swung outward and with it herpendant seat. Her feet cleared the parapet and she was over the narrowairshaft.

  Blurred lights from closed windows of the various apartments gave her aglimpse of many empty ashcans in the small courtyard far below. But thecrane was lowering her now close to the wall of the building. She wasfacing the wall, and looking upward she made out four heads leaning overthe parapet at the edge of the roof.

  The descent was slow, but at last she passed two windows and came torest beside the third, whose lower sash she saw was open. Then two armscaught her about the knees and she was pulled into the room.

  "Dorothy--oh, Dorothy!" sobbed an excited voice so like her own thatDorothy gave a start.

  "Well, here I am, Janet." It was a prosaic reply, but her own heart wasbeating quickly, nevertheless. "Gee, it's dark in here! Be a dear andshut down the window on this cable--and draw the shade, then turn on thelight. I'm busy getting out of this thing."

  She heard the window and shade come down with a rush. As she steppedfree of her conveyance, the lights flashed on, and the cousins flew intoeach other's arms.

  "Janet!"

  "Dorothy!"

  For a long moment the girls hugged each other and Janet, the moreover-wrought, sobbed on her cousin's shoulder.

  Dorothy was herself deeply touched, but managed to control her feelings."Come, dear," she said at last. "We'll just have to get going, I guess.They're waiting for you on the roof--and somebody is likely to come tothe door. We mustn't be caught together, you know."

  "I know it." Janet released her and again Dorothy gasped, for she heardher own voice speaking although the words came from Janet.

  "Look, Dorothy!" Janet pointed to a long mirror in the corner of theroom. "I knew that we were a lot alike, but I never could havebelieved--"

  "Well, talk about two peas in a pod!" In the glass Dorothy saw herselfstanding beside her cousin; and had it not been that she wore a coat andhat, while Janet was dressed in a wine-colored silk frock, she wouldhave had difficulty in knowing which was her own reflection. "Maybe I'mhalf an inch taller, or hardly that," she said after a bit. "Lucky weboth have had our hair shingled. You wear a bang, though--but that'seasily fixed."

  She whipped off her small hat and went over to the dressing table whereshe picked up a pair of nail scissors. Two minutes of snipping andJanet's bang was duplicated on her own forehead. The hair she had cutoff had been carefully placed on a magazine cover and opening the windowa trifle she dropped the ends into the night.

  "Now," she said, closing the window. "You and I had better changeclothes, Janet. And we'll have to make it snappy."

  "Yes--and oh dear--" Janet was slipping off her dress--"I've got so muchto talk about. You can't realize what a horrible time I've had--and thento find you, only to lose you again!" Janet was very near to tears.

  "But you won't lose me long," Dorothy flashed her a comforting smile asshe got out of her own dress. "Meanwhile, you'll have Howard. He'swaiting on the roof, now. And Ashton Sanborn says he can clear up thisbusiness in a few days."

  "You certainly are wonderfully brave to do this for me," sighed hercousin. "If Mr. Sanborn hadn't insisted that by changing places with youI'd be really helping the government, I couldn't allow you to do it. Asit is, I feel I'm cowardly to go through with it--"

  "Why, you're nothing of the sort," Dorothy protested. While Janet talkedand they both undressed, she watched her cousin's mannerisms, storingaway in her memory, for future use, every gesture, and inflection of thevoice so like her own.

  "Who's who?" she giggled, and now her tone was softer, an exactduplication of Janet's manner of speaking.

  Her cousin
smiled. "In our undies," she admitted, "even I am beginningto wonder if I'm not seeing double and talking to myself. How aboutshoes and stockings, Dorothy?"

  "Chuck 'em over, Janet, we'd better do it up right. I sp'ose most ofyour things are packed in that wardrobe trunk over there?"

  "Yes. I packed it this afternoon. You'll find some handkerchiefs andgloves in the top bureau drawer. I left the trunk open on purpose. WhenMr. Lawson comes, you might be putting them in--it would help to makethings natural."

  "Right you are--that's a good idea."

  "My arctics and my hat and coat are in the closet. Your coat is muchbetter looking than mine. It's a shame to take it from you."

  "What's a coat between cousins who love each other?" laughed Dorothy andput on Janet's dress.

  A few minutes later, the change of clothing had been made, and the girlsregarded each other in awed wonder.

  "I'll bet," Dorothy declared, "that when Howard sees you he'll thinkI've come back again."

  Janet blushed. "Well, he'll soon find out different. But it's a shame toleave you here, darling. If there were _only_ some other way!"

  "But there isn't. So cut along now, and just remember that this kind ofthing is my stuff--I love it."

  "Some day I'll make it up to you--if I ever can!"

  Dorothy hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "You can do it tonight, ifyou want to."

  "Why--what do you mean?"

  "Just follow any suggestions that Mr. Sanborn may make."

  "But, what does that--you're hiding something from me!"

  "Perhaps I am."

  "What is it?"

  "Never mind, now."

  "But, Dorothy--"

  "No time for that, Janet. Get into that swing arrangement with your backto the window."

  "All right, but kiss me goodbye, first."

  They held each other close for a second. Then as Janet took her place onthe seat attached to the steel cable, Dorothy switched off the light.

  "I'll--I'll do as you ask, I mean, about Mr. Sanborn," whispered Janet.

  "Thanks, darling, I--" began Dorothy, her hand on the window sash readyto raise it. Then suddenly she stopped.

  Somebody was unlocking the door into the hall.