Dandy and the Dognappers by M. Louisa Locke

Author:M. Louisa Locke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: M. Louisa Locke

CHAPTER 9

Saturday evening, September 23, 1882

Lost—A “Dandy Dinmont” Terrier Dog, from 924 Greenwich street. $10 reward will be paid for its recovery or any information that will lead to the same. Stewart Menzies, 512 and 514 Battery street.—San Francisco Chronicle, November, 1882

Georgie’s news of a young man with a purple vest and cravat caused an outpouring of questions from everyone. Before Georgie could respond, there was a knock on the door, followed quickly by the entrance of the parlor maid Nancy and the butler Frobisher.

Emmaline shot everyone a warning look to keep silent, and while Nancy started to gather the dishes, Frobisher announced, “Master Jamie, your mother asked me to tell you that she is ready to leave and will meet you all in the downstairs hallway.”

As soon as the servants left, Emmaline turned to Georgie and said, “Your mother did say that you and Belle can come with us to the park, didn’t she?”

“Oh, yes, she did, and Aunt Minna is coming with us, so you can ask her about the man in the purple cravat and why she didn’t like him.”

Jefferson Square was only four blocks and a fifteen minute walk away from the Meyer’s house on Post, and as Jamie helped Georgie snap the leash on Belle’s collar, then did the same with Dandy, Emmaline quietly asked Ian when and where they were to meet Kathleen and Patrick McGee.

“Northeastern corner of the square, at Eddy and Gough,” Ian replied. “I made her promise not to get there before six, to give us as much time at the park as possible before the sun has set.”

Looking at the clock on the room’s fireplace mantle, Emmaline saw that it was already nearly five, and she had noticed this week that the sun began to slip behind the sand dunes to the west as early as five. If they had any chance of finding anyone still at the park, including the man with the purple cravat, they had better get going.

Emmaline remembered that Mrs. Stein said that Georgie’s mother fussed over his delicate health, and the last thing they needed was for his mother to change her mind about letting him come or even delay their departure by sending him back up to his room to change. So she turned to Georgie and asked him if he needed to get a sweater to wear under his jacket or perhaps a scarf.

When he agreed that a sweater was a good idea, she said, “Here, let me take Belle’s leash.”

She added, “Go get what you need, quick as you can, then you can meet us downstairs.”

As Belle started to object when Georgie disappeared into the next room, she urged Jamie to start down the stairs with Dandy. “I bet Belle will follow. We need to hurry if we want any time at the park before Kathleen and Patrick get there.”

As they clattered down the last flight of stairs to the front hall, she saw with relief that Jamie’s mother already had on her light coat, and Minna Stein was pulling on a coat as well.

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