MOONLIGHT ON THE SECRET TRAIL
It was a seven passenger car, but eight could and did ride in it that
afternoon, on the trip to Las Olas beach. Maurice was gone and Eleanor
had promised to go back to Miami early in the afternoon. That left Dick
and Lois Bell, Fred Hall, Louise Duncan, Ronald Bentley, Suzanne Tyson,
Ann Sterling and Jack Hudson. They drove first to the Seminole camp,
just west of town. Ronald had mentioned it and both Suzanne and Ann
felt anxious to see it. They had noticed the gayly dressed Indians on
the streets and Ann was delighted to see one poling his way across the
New River in one of the cypress trunk canoes.
Fred, who drove his father’s car, had a great time finding the road,
but finally got started in the right direction, a matter of a short
time to reach the camp once the right road was found. They were nearly
stuck in the sand once or twice, but they lightened the load by jumping
out and pulled out safely.
“What an Indian camp!” thought Ann. Here were no tepees, nor
moccasin-wearing Indians. Little that she had learned in the West
about Indians would apply here, so far as what she had expected to
see was concerned, with the exception of bad housekeeping! The camp
site was littered with a nondescript collection of tin cans, chicken
feathers, bones and old utensils.
As ever, Ann felt hesitant about disturbing the native dwellers; but
Ronald walked boldly up to several children who were standing about and
asked to take their pictures, offering a silver piece at the same time.
The children drew back, casting looks at their visitors, and behind
them at the queer thatched lodges which were their dwellings. On the
floor of one near by, a floor raised several feet from the ground so
that it looked more like a low shelf than a floor, there sat a stolid
old woman, who glanced at visitors and children with keen black eyes.
As Ann and Ronald came nearer, they saw that she was stringing beads of
bright colors.
By signs, pointing at the camera, they tried to indicate what they
wanted. At last the old woman, whose neck was wound with countless
strands of beads, descended to earth and spoke briefly to the children,
who then posed for a picture. Several cameras clicked, as the sun
shone more brightly for a time and the positions of the Indians were
favorable.
“They say,” said Dick, as the party went back to the car, leaving
pleasant reminders, in the form of loose change, in the hand of the
old woman, “that the more beads they wear, the higher their station
among the Indians,--social position, you know.”
“This woman is the mother of a chief,” said Ronald. “How about it,
folks? Is it ‘Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll’? Ready now
for a swim?”
“It is,” declared Suzanne. “We are. Don’t you think, Ann, that these
bright costumes are prettier than those of the Western Indians?”
“They are more picturesque in some ways,” said Ann, “those full, long
dresses of different colors, the stripes running around, are surely
startling; but it seems funny that the children wear them. They are all
barefooted, aren’t they? Don’t they need moccasins down here?”
“I should think that they would, with the snakes,” remarked Louise.
“Anyhow,” said Ann, “I think that our Indians wear more sensible
clothes.”
“You will be loyal at any cost, won’t you, Miss Ann?” queried Jack
Hudson. “But remember that down here the climate makes light clothing
necessary.”
The sea was just rough enough to be exciting. The bathers did not go
out far, but plunged and dived or floated to their hearts’ content.
Through all the afternoon’s pleasure, and Ann was interested in all of
it, she was thinking of Maurice, wondering if he had yet learned the
truth and what that truth was. She could scarcely wait to see him, her
gallant young cousin! What a way he had of carrying off a situation
with the best of humor, as in working with that engine!
Ronald paid Ann rather especial attention that afternoon. She was,
to be sure, his guest and his mother’s; but he made one remark which
indicated that Ann was not without interest to him. “I’m almost glad
that old Maury was called away for a while,” said he. “Some of the rest
of us can get within three feet of you now, and have you alone for five
minutes or so.”
Ann looked up laughing, somewhat surprised. “Maurice is not trying to
keep any one away from his cousin, I’m sure.”
“Oh, is that _so_?” queried Ronald in sarcasm.
* * * * *
It was nearly seven o’clock when Maurice returned, having come in on
one of the ’buses, for his father had gone on back to Palm Beach from
Delray, where they were last. Maurice seemed to be in good spirits,
joking with the rest as usual, but he gave no special sign to Ann, and
seemed rather to avoid any betrayal of what had passed between his
father and himself. “Perhaps he could not come to the point, after
all,” thought Ann.
Maurice had had his dinner before he came to the yacht. The yacht party
was just finishing that meal, when Mr. Bentley suggested that they
take a moonlight ride out to the sound and beyond. “It was a little
rough early this afternoon,” said he, “but the wind has died down and I
think that we shall find it calm and delightful riding. Have you ever
been out on the ocean, Ann?”
“Not yet, Mr. Bentley.”
The boys carried the instruments of the “orchestra” to the deck, and
arranged enough seats for all the party; for they were taking Dick and
Lois Bell, as well as Louise Duncan, on this evening “cruise”.
What a full day it had been! Among the alligators in the morning, now
going out to the sharks tonight! It all depended on how you looked at
it, however, whether you saw sharks and alligators, or beautiful waters
and blue sky!
Music started early. Louise brought her guitar and Dick added his
ukulele to the orchestral supply. Ann enjoyed the singing and joined
her voice to those of the rest; but she sat near the railing, not to
miss seeing the waters and sky, and to know when first they reached the
real sea. Stars were out, shining and clear. An occasional cloud that
drifted across the moon only made its setting more beautiful.
“Come over here, Ann,” called Maurice after a little, when the singing
had stopped. They were a little tired, those active young people. A
whole day of going had made this soothing motion upon the waves the
most restful entertainment that Mr. Bentley could have provided.
Maurice stepped around one or two of his friends, to hold a hand to Ann
and lead her to the seat which, he said, he had “just reserved”. “You
have seen alligators and Indians, Ann, you tell me,--now come and show
me the constellations.”
“‘Constellations’,” repeated Jack to Suzanne. “Did it ever strike you
that Maurice is pretty well interested in his cousin?”
“Yes. He is crazy about her, and has been ever since she first came to
our house.”
“What do you think of it?”
“Mother seems to think it all right. First cousins do marry, you know.
Of course, Maury never said anything to me about it. But I can’t help
noticing lately, and Mother made a little remark that surprised me the
other day. One would have thought that she _hoped_ Maury would fall in
love with Ann.”
“Doesn’t she like Ann?”
Suzanne was not quite ready to tell Jack her mother’s attitude toward
Ann, so she managed an evasive reply to this question.
* * * * *
Meanwhile Maurice and Ann occupied a wicker seat made for two. “I’m not
sure that I remember much about the winter sky,” Ann began.
“And I could not think of constellations to save my neck,” replied
Maurice. “That was just an excuse to get you here, Ann. It deceived no
one, either, if you are anxious to have me truthful. Jack gave me a
look that I understood. I want to tell you about my talk with Father.
It was certainly surprising.”
“Oh,” said Ann, “I have been so anxious all afternoon!”
“Have you, dear? Excuse me, Ann,--but whether you ever learn to care
for me or not, you are the dearest, sweetest, most wonderful girl that
ever gave her sympathy to a good-for-nothing college boy, who has
wasted half of his opportunities!”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Maury,” said Ann, as soon as she could
get breath to speak, after hearing the first part of Maurice’s remark.
“There is a good deal to that same college boy.”
“I’m glad to hear you say so, but I’m pretty well discouraged tonight.
It was hard to keep going with the fun, but I don’t want to appear
different.”
“It was,--it was true, then?”
“It was,--and more. I am simply dazed, Ann. The only happy thing about
it is that I am not your cousin at all. I am holding on to that. I
feel like throwing up the whole thing, college and all. How can I ever
finish the year?”
“O Maury, please! You will always regret it if you give up when you are
so nearly through. _Please_,--for me, if you like me a little!”
“A little! Hard luck, isn’t it?--to fall desperately in love just when
the very foundations slip from under your feet, like the sand on the
shore!”
“But surely it isn’t so bad as all that, Maury. Uncle Tyson cares
about you and will help you start out just the same, won’t he? I don’t
understand. You did not have any trouble, did you?”
“No, indeed. And I am asked not to talk about it openly in the family
yet. I can’t refuse, under the circumstances. But promise me, Ann, if
anything comes up, any reason why Grandmother ought to be told, you
will tell her from me. I don’t want her to go on thinking,--well, I’d
better tell you the whole story first. But let me tell you one thing,
Ann. There will never be any deceiving of any one to _my_ record, if I
keep my mind!”
Maurice then began with the history of the drive and related how, after
the business for Madam LeRoy had been explained, and they had driven
for some little time, Maurice introduced the subject by saying that
there was something which he wanted to talk over with his father. He
then referred to the gossip that he had heard and asked if Mr. Tyson
had any explanation. Whatever was the truth, Maurice wanted to know it
and felt that he had a right to ask, though he had no desire to trouble
his father.
Mr. Tyson seemed surprised. They drove along in silence for a few
minutes, Mr. Tyson very sober, Maurice more and more certain that there
was some story back of it. Then Mr. Tyson acknowledged that there was
truth in the gossip, though he could not see how it was started.
“So it began, Ann,” said Maurice. “Then Father exploded the bomb-shell!
You could never guess it. For a long time father thought that I was
his son, but he discovered a few years ago that I am not even that!
Curiously enough, my name is Huntington, like your grandmother’s, and
my parents were American, for which I am thankful!”
Ann drew a long breath. “_Your_ grandmother’s,” Maurice had said! Poor
Maury! No real share in the family relationships! No wonder he was
upset!
Maurice proceeded with the story which Mr. Tyson had given him. It
seemed that Mr. Tyson, traveling around the world with plenty of money,
had met two American girls, orphans, without any family connections
so far as he ever knew. One was about to marry a man named Maurice
Huntington, whom she had known in America, and with the other one, a
beautiful girl, Mr. Tyson had fallen desperately in love. They had met
in Japan, and from that time saw more or less of each other till they
arrived in Greece, where there was a double wedding. Both young men
were interested in archaeology and in art. Happy, and with plenty of
means, they decided to take a house in one of the Grecian cities, to
remain there as long as it pleased them. There a boy was born to each
of the sisters, Mrs. Tyson’s about three months the elder, and they
had the same English nurse to take care of both babies.
When the Tyson baby was about five months old, its mother died
suddenly, and Mr. Tyson, leaving the boy in charge of the nurse and his
sister-in-law, went to France to get away from his trouble. In Paris,
attracted at first by a fancied resemblance to his wife, Mr. Tyson fell
in love again and after a very short courtship married Ann’s aunt.
To Maurice, Mr. Tyson explained that he did not tell Mrs. Tyson of his
first marriage for two reasons: first, a remark that she made during
the courtship about second marriages; second, the short time which had
elapsed between the death of his first wife and the second marriage.
He thought that he could explain after their marriage, but found that
she was very unhappy about it. (Ann thought that she could imagine the
time Uncle Tyson had had over the matter, no excuses of having been so
desperately in love with Aunt Sue serving to placate her.)
It was her proposition that they ignore the matter so far as their
friends were concerned. Why explain? It would be several years very
likely, before they returned to America. They were going to explore
out-of-the-way places. They would be in Greece some time. Let the child
be considered hers. It was so young that it would be better for it to
regard her as its mother.
Mr. Tyson was only too glad to have the matter amicably settled and
left it in his wife’s hands to manage. No harm could be done, he
thought. It was no one’s affair, he reasoned.
When at last they returned to Greece, they found no one in the house
which the Huntington’s and the Tysons had taken but the English woman
and one of the babies. Several weeks before, she told them, the
Huntingtons and their baby had been drowned while they were on a little
excursion by themselves. She was thankful to see them, for funds were
lacking. She had written and did not understand why she did not hear.
Mr. Huntington had naturally handled the funds. She had only her own
savings to use. Mrs. Tyson was upset and wanted to leave the next day.
Accordingly she and the nurse, with the baby, packed and left at once,
leaving him to settle matters and sell the house. He did not think of
making any special inquiries into the story of the nurse, though one
of the friends whom he consulted in regard to the sale of the house
had remarked that he thought the baby had died before, and another
expressed himself as very sorry that he had lost the baby as well as
his wife. But Mr. Tyson was hurried and had made no intimate friends
there. He and Mr. Huntington had been concerned with their explorations
and study. Only one thing he remembered as seeming strange to him. The
baby had not been named when his wife died, and the nurse now told him
that the Huntingtons called it Maurice. That seemed strange, for he
had been under the impression that his sister-in-law had been about to
name her baby for its father. But his memory was hazy. The babies had
not seemed of much importance then.
But Mr. Tyson understood the whole matter when, several years before,
he had received a letter from the English nurse, who informed him that
the baby was the child of the Huntingtons and that she was sorry for
the deception. “I did not know what your wife would do about it, and I
wanted the Huntington baby to have a home. I will tell no one else.”
“So,” said Maurice, as he quoted the nurse’s words, “the Huntington
baby has had a home! I suppose that I should be very grateful! Indeed,
I am grateful. You should have seen poor old Dad when he was telling
me. He asked me to keep on calling him father and added that he
thought a great deal of his worthless son. I wondered that when he
was dealing with me for my extravagance at college he did not tell me
this. He didn’t have the heart, he said, and it was too late for him to
feel that I was not his own son. That was pretty nice of Dad! And he
wouldn’t give it away to Mother, either.
“I shall have to keep calling her that, of course. I haven’t so many
compunctions in regard to her. Yet she has been good to me. I have had
as much mothering as my kid brother. Say,--it’s going to be hard to
realize that he isn’t my brother!
“When it comes to Grandmother,--she must not leave me any money because
she thinks I am her grandson. I don’t know what to do about that. Dad
made me promise not to do anything right now. Promise me, Ann, that you
will tell her privately any time you think she ought to know.”
“I couldn’t do that, Maury. It will occur to you what should be done
about all this. In the whole story, Maurice, there isn’t one thing for
you to be ashamed of! It was just the peculiar set of circumstances.
And I’m sure I’m glad that English nurse did what she did. Well, I
suppose I ought not to say that, for doing what isn’t square is never
right. But she repented anyhow. And suppose that we’d never had you in
the family!”
Ann almost regretted her impulsive words when she saw the effect they
had. But was not it her duty to do what she could to cheer him up in
his whirl of discouragement?
“That is dear of you to say, little one,” said Maurice, taking Ann’s
hand in his cold one. It had cost Maurice something to go over this.
“I’ll never forget your sympathy, Ann, and when I make good, I’m going
to ask you to be another Ann Huntington.”
“Maury,” called Suzanne, “got enough of constellations yet? I want you
to come and start for the boys that crazy college song you sang last
night.”
Ann and Maurice walked the short distance to the central group, where
Maurice accepted the guitar that Louise handed him and led off. Ann,
watching him, came to the conclusion that however much he might be
upset, Maurice was now more or less relieved, knowing the truth, and
having told Ann.
When the song, a wild ditty in dialect, was over, the girls gave hearty
applause. “You’d think that Maurice was the real thing from the way he
reels off that foreign dialect,” said Dick Bell. “Say, Maury, where
were you born anyhow?”
Suzanne, laughing, answered for Maurice, “In Greece,” she said. “That’s
where he gets his Grecian nose!”
It was late when the young people separated. Long since the yacht had
left the sea and found its way to the dock in New River. Dick and his
sister accompanied Louise Duncan to her own yacht. The river was very
still, a cool wind blowing from the ocean, when Ann, creeping into her
berth, heard the boys on deck begin to serenade them again in the soft
old college tunes used by generations. Suzanne sat up in her berth to
listen. But sleepy Ann lay back on her pillow with a pleased smile.
“Maurice is showing me that he can ‘carry on’,” she thought, and her
mind began to go over what he had told her. “‘Ann Huntington’! Wouldn’t
it be odd if----?”
THE END.
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The strange gift of Old Never-Run, an Indian whom she has
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Ann makes many new, worthwhile friends during her first year at
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ANN AND THE JOLLY SIX
At the close of their Freshman year Ann and the Jolly Six enjoy a
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ANN CROSSES A SECRET TRAIL
The Sterling family, with a group of friends, spend a thrilling
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ANN’S SEARCH REWARDED
In solving the disappearance of her father, Ann finds exciting
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ANN’S AMBITIONS
The end of her Senior year at Forest Hill brings a whirl of new
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Ann returns home, after completing a busy year of musical study
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Transcriber’s Note:
Page 5
said to Ann privately, Mrs. Tyson _changed to_
said to Ann privately, as Mrs. Tyson
Page 6
have taken worse risks that that _changed to_
have taken worse risks than that
Page 205
they evidently possesssed _changed to_
they evidently possessed
Page 206
loked sober for some time _changed to_
looked sober for some time
Page 215
shone betwen two masses of growth _changed to_
shone between two masses of growth
Page 225
to miss seing the waters and sky _changed to_
to miss seeing the waters and sky
Page 232
Mr. Tyson undersood the whole matter _changed to_
Mr. Tyson understood the whole matter
End of Project Gutenberg's Ann Crosses a Secret Trail, by Harriet Pyne Grove