Betty Varian

“ Mr Varian looked reminiscent.
“About an hour old, I think,” he replied; “maybe a little less.”
“Well, from that moment until this, you have persistently taken the opposite side in any discussion we have had.”
“But if I hadn’t, Betty, there would have been no discussion! And, usually there hasn’t been. You’re a spoiled baby,—you always have been and always will be. Your will is strong and as it has almost never been thwarted or even curbed, you have grown up a headstrong, wilful, perverse young woman, and I’m sure I don’t know what to do with you!” ”

“ Here is word from Betty herself—oh, my darling!” and she fell to kissing the yellow paper, as if it were the face of her child.
“But, Mrs Varian,” Granniss hesitated to correct her but felt he must, “that may not be from Betty, you know. Anybody could send a telegram signed with Betty’s name.”
“Rodney!” Minna’s eyes blazed with anger, “why do you try every way to make me miserable? Why dash every cup of joy from my lips? You seem to hope that we never find Betty! I can’t understand your attitude, but unless you are more helpful,—yes, and more hopeful,—I don’t think we can get along together.” ”

“ Betty sang, saucily.
“It isn’t love, Betty. It’s a miserable childish infatuation that will pass at once, if you lose sight of the chap for a short time.”
“Nothing of the sort! It’s the love of my life!”
Varian laughed. “That’s a fine-sounding phrase, but it doesn’t mean anything. Now, child, be reasonable. Give up Granniss. Be friends with all the young people up here, boys and girls both, but don’t let me hear any foolishness about being engaged to anybody.” ”

“ Down in the little village of Headland Harbor, Pennington Wise went first to see Claire Blackwood.
She seemed to know more about Lawrence North than any one else did, yet even she knew next to nothing.
“No,” she told the detective, “the police haven’t found out anything definite about him yet. Why don’t you take up the search for him, Mr Wise?”
“I’ve all I can do searching for Betty Varian,” he returned with a rueful smile. “I’m not employed to hunt up North, and I am to find Miss Varian. But surely the police can get on the track of him,—a man like that can’t drop out of existence.” ”

“ And, maybe a woman not averse to taking the few dollars those people pay to actors who just make up a crowd. Well, say that happened, and then Betty, not daring to speak aloud, made her lips form the words ‘I am Betty Varian,’ in the hope that among a few thousands of lip readers in the country one might strike twelve! ”

“ I say Betty shall not marry, and I shall see to it that she does not!”
[32]
“Oh, my heavens!” and Mrs Varian wrung her hands, with a wail of nervous pettishness, “sometimes, Fred, I think you’re crazy! At any rate, you’ll set me crazy, if you talk like that! Do stop this quarrel anyhow. Kiss and make up, won’t you? To think of you two, the only human beings on earth that I care a rap for, acting like this! My husband and my child! The only things I live for! The apple of my eye, the core of my soul, both of you,—can’t you see how you distress me when you are at odds! ”

“ I daresay Miss Betty has lots of admirers as devoted as young Granniss. Can’t you ask me to the picnic?”
“Not this one. It’s very small. And there are to be some guests at the house, I believe. The family interests me. They are types, I think. Betty is more than an ordinary flutterbudget, like most of the very young girls around here. And the older Varians are really worth while. Mr Varian is a brooding, self-contained sort,—I feel sorry for him.”
“There, there, that will do, Claire! When you feel sorry for a man—I remember you began by being sorry for Lawrence North!” ”

“ Her husband spoils her,—he’s far too good to her,——”
[15]
“What a lot you gathered at one interview,” murmured Lawrence North.
“That’s what I went for,” Mrs Blackwood returned, coolly. “Well. Mother Varian is wrapped up in her blossom-child. Betty is a peach,—as I know you boys will agree,—but I never saw greater idolatry in any mother than Mrs Varian shows.”
“Betty worth it?” asked John Clark, idly.
“Rather!” Mrs Blackwood assured him. “She’s a dear thing. I don’t often enthuse over young girls, but Betty Varian is unusual.” ”

“ Yet once was enough, and Granniss said, “Look here, you people, clear up all the red tape, won’t you? Betty and I want to go home!”
“Run along,” said Wise, kindly. “There’s a train in an hour. Skip,—and God bless you!”
Their arrival at Headland House, heralded by a telegram to Zizi, had no unduly exciting effects on Minna Varian.
Doctor Varian watched her, but as he saw the radiant joy with which she clasped Betty in her arms, he had no fear of the shock of joy proving too much for her. ”

“ If you feel that the mere chance of getting Betty by such means is sufficient to justify your equal chance of losing all that money,—you must follow your own wishes.”
Minna Varian sat for several moments in deep thought. Then she said, quietly: “I’ve made up my mind. I shall not do this thing tonight. I am more influenced by Rodney’s remark about the telegram than anything else. As he says, if these people really had Betty, they would send a note in her writing and not a telegram.”
“That’s the way to look at it, Mrs Varian,” cried Granniss, much pleased at her logical decision. ”

“ And, there’s that strange matter of the Varian pearls. Those pearls, Mr Wise, are historic. They have never been bequeathed to any one save the oldest son or daughter of a Varian. Now, the fact that Betty and her father sometimes squabbled, is not enough to make my brother leave them to my daughter instead of to his own. Yet I can form no theory to explain the fact that he did do so. I’ve tried to think he was temporarily or hypochondriacally insane, but I can’t reconcile that belief with my knowledge of his physical health and well-being. ”

“ Zizi said and Wise stared at her.
“Mrs Varian!” he exclaimed. “I say, Ziz, go to your room, get your bag unpacked and your things put away as quick as you can, won’t you? And then let’s confab.”
Zizi darted away, she arranged to have a bedroom and sitting-room that she could call her own for a few days, and in less than half an hour, she was receiving Wise in her tiny but pleasant domain. “Now,” he said, “tell me your story.”
“It isn’t much of a story,” Zizi admitted,—“but I came here because this is where Betty Varian was born.”
“Up here? In Greenvale, Vermont?” ”

“ Hannah moaned, wiping her eyes on her apron. “I tell you it wasn’t as bad as Mrs Varian makes out.”
“Yes, it was,” said Kelly, slowly. “You’ve no way of knowing, Hannah, you’re always in the kitchen. But I’m about the house all the time, and I hear lots of talk. And it’s just as Mrs Varian said: Miss Betty and her father never agree. They scrap at the least hint of a chance; and though sometimes they’re terribly affectionate and loving, yet at other times, they quarrel like everything.” ”

“ These people kidnapped Betty,—abducted her, and now they’re holding her for ransom,—and they’ll get it,—and I’ll get Betty! They don’t want her, you see, but they do want the money. And they’ll get it!”
[119]
“I agree with Mrs Varian,” Claire said, quite convinced by Minna’s confidence in the good faith of the letter writer.
“But it’s too absurd!” insisted Rodney. “You know,—Mrs Varian, you must know, that I want to find Betty quite as much as you do,—no, I won’t qualify that statement. I love her as much as you can. But I don’t believe for one minute that that letter is genuine. ”

“ Her new household made up, she let her relatives go back to their own summer home, and devoted herself to her life work.
“Of course,” she said to Granniss, “we must go ahead on the supposition that Betty is alive.”
“And she is, Mrs Varian,” the young man said, earnestly. “For, North and I have been all over this place, and North is a sort of an architect, you know, and I’m sort of a detective, and we can’t find any place where any one could be concealed. Now, it doesn’t do any good, as some do, to say there must be a secret passage, or secret cupboard. If there were, we must have found it. ”

“ He went to the inn and inquired where he could get the best motor boat that could be hired.
A suitable one was found and its owner agreed to take Wise on an exploring expedition at the next low tide. This would not be until the following morning, so the detective went back to Headland House.
[262]
Then, he concentrated all his efforts and attention on the subject of the moving picture film that had been said to portray Betty Varian.
“Rod Granniss vows it was really Betty,” Zizi insisted.
“He ought to know,” said Wise. “A man in love with a girl doesn’t mistake her identity. ”

“ The two were closeted in the library, and Wise related his discoveries regarding the Vermont hospital.
“It is astounding! Incredible!” exclaimed Varian, “but if true, and it must be true, it explains a great many things. As a doctor, I can understand these things, and looking back, I see that Betty never had any traits of either parent. Not always are children like their parents but I’ve never seen a case where there was not some sign of heredity, some likeness to father or mother in looks or character. ”

“ Yes,—and no. I can’t explain it, Mr Wise, but in my medical practice, I’ve not infrequently found a definite antipathy between a father and a daughter. For no apparent reason, I mean. Well, that condition existed between Frederick Varian and his child. They almost never agreed in their tastes or opinions, and while they were affectionate at times, yet there was friction at other times. Now, Minna and Betty were always congenial, thought alike on all subjects and never had any little squabbles. ”

“ Don’t you bother, Betty, anyway. Father and mother will settle this little argument by ourselves.”
“I’d rather settle it with Dad,” Betty declared spiritedly. “It’s too ridiculous for him to take the stand that I shall never marry! I’m willing to promise not to become engaged without asking you both first; I’m willing to say I won’t marry a man you can convince me is unworthy; I’m willing to promise anything in reason,—but a blind promise never to marry is too much to ask of any girl!”
“Of course, it is!” agreed Mrs Varian. “Why do you talk to her like that, Fred?” ”

“ I am the next Varian to Fred, and my daughter is the rightful heir,—after Betty.”
“That’s true,” said Minna. “But let that matter rest for the present. If Betty is never found, Eleanor ought to have the pearls. If Betty is found, I shall be so happy, I don’t care what becomes of them!”
“You’re right, Minna,” Doctor Varian said, “in thinking I ought to get back to the city. But Janet or Nell or both will stay here with you as long as you need or want them.”
“Only till I can get somebody else. I’ve about concluded to take Rodney Granniss as secretary and have him settle up Fred’s estate. ”

“ Rodney Granniss burst forth, his strong young face alight with zeal; “I’m going up there at once. Mr Varian didn’t like me, but Mrs Varian does, and maybe I can help her.”
“She can’t see you,” Dunn told him. “She’s under the influence of opiates all the time. Doctor Varian keeps her that way.”
“She’ll have to come to her senses some time,” said Rod. “I’m going up there any way.”
“I’m going with you,” declared Eleanor Varian. “I don’t want to stay here,—forgive me, Mrs Blackwood, you’re kindness itself,—but I want to be where father and mother are. I want to help find Betty, too. ”

“ The girl has no real society here, no advantages, no scope. She’ll become a savage——”
“Not Betty,” Minna Varian laughed. “She’s outdoor-loving and all that, but she has nothing of the barbarian in her. I think she’d like to go to a far gayer resort. But her father——”
“Where is her father?” asked Doctor Varian, impatiently. “It will be dark before we get to our picnic. Why don’t they come?” ”

“ Minna said. “Wherever Betty is, she isn’t in a moving picture company!”
“But wait a minute,” cried Granniss, “when they take pictures of crowds, you know,—in a field or meadow, they pick up any passer-by or any one they can get to fill in.”
“Even so,” Zizi said, “I can’t see it. I think somebody was talking about Betty and the girl read the lips wrong. She’s only a beginner, she says. I’ve heard it’s a most difficult thing to learn.” ”

“ Eleanor Varian looked thoughtful.
“I will tell the truth,” she said, “because I can see it’s better to do so. Betty and her mother are much more in sympathy with one another than Betty and her father. I don’t know what makes the difference, but Aunt Minna always seems to want everything the way Betty wants it, while Uncle Fred always wants just the opposite.” ”

“ No,—no! it can’t be——”
“Yes, he is,—I’m almost certain,—I don’t think I’d better touch him,—or, should I? It can do no harm to feel for his heart,—no, it is not beating,—what does it mean? Where’s Miss Varian?”
“Think quickly, Mr Landon, what we ought to do.” Claire Blackwood spoke earnestly, and tried to pull herself together. “We must be careful to do the right thing. I should say, before we even think of Miss Betty we should call Doctor Varian up here——”
“The very thing! Will you call him, or shall I?” ”

“ I’m sure Mrs Varian would collapse utterly if the hope of Betty’s return were taken away from her. You know she would! So, don’t you dare say a word that will disturb her confidence!” Doctor Varian agreed with Zizi’s ideas, regarding Minna, though he said frankly, he had grave doubts of ever seeing Betty again.
“To my mind,” he said, as he and Zizi had a little confidential chat, “nothing has been accomplished. Nearly a month has passed since Betty disappeared. There is no theory compatible with a hope that she has been kept safely and comfortably all that time. ”

“ He gave a loud view-halloo, but only the echoes from the rocky heights answered him.
“I knew it!” and Minna Varian began to wring her hands. “He and Betty are quarreling,—I am sure of it!”
“What do you mean, Min? What’s this quarreling business about?”
“They’ve always done it,—it’s nothing new. They adore each other, but they’re eternally disagreeing and fighting it out. They’re quite capable of forgetting all about us, and arguing out some foolish subject while we sit here waiting for them!”
“I’ll go and stir them up,” the doctor said, starting in the direction of the house.
“Oh, no, Herbert. ”