LANGFORD CHECKS UP.
The twelve girls in the boat landed and proceeded with Katherine and
Hazel up the steps to the top of the Point, where a conference was held.
The two advance scouts reported developments in detail, much to the
interest and delight of the other girls. The progress made thus far was
so encouraging that everybody showed a disposition of impatience at the
first sign of inactivity.
“We must go right back and get permission from Mr. Ferris to locate our
camp somewhere near the Graham home,” said Katherine. “We ought to get
our tents pitched just as soon as possible, and we mustn’t run any risk
of not being able to find Mr. Ferris today.”
“Don’t you think it would help to allay their suspicions if we all
remained here a while and looked around as if interested in the scenery
just as tourists?” Azalia Atwood suggested
“No, I don’t,” Katherine replied quickly. “Either that man Langford
suspects us or he doesn’t. If he suspects us, he has grounds for his
suspicion, and any such attempt to throw him off the track would result
in failure. I think we had better assume that he knows what we are up to
and act accordingly, without appearing to admit it.”
“But won’t they try to cover up the evidence that we are after?”
Julietta Hyde reasoned.
“Of course they will,” Katherine answered.
“That will be one of the most interesting features of this adventure,”
said Helen Nash, who already had a reputation wider than the Camp Fire
circle for natural shrewdness. “When they begin to do that, we’ll have
some great fun.”
“Can’t you point out from the lake the place or places where you think
it would be well for us to locate our camp?” Miss Ladd inquired,
addressing Hazel and Katherine.
“You can get a pretty good view of it right from here,” Hazel replied.
“It’s right up the shore between those two cottages which are about the
same distance up from the water and have similar paths and flights of
steps running down to their boat landings. Between those two places is a
stretch of timber-land that doesn’t seem to be used by anybody in
particular. We didn’t explore it because we didn’t have time, but it
surely must contain some good camping places. We saw several small open
spots near the road that could be used if nothing better is found. We
must make a thorough inspection, of course, before we select a site, but
that won’t take long and can be done when we bring our outfit up here.”
“We ought to take a run in the boat along the shore and see if we can’t
find a good landing place,” Katherine suggested. “Wouldn’t it be
delightful if we could find a suitable place on the side of that hill
and overlooking the lake? Let’s take enough time for that.”
“It’s a good idea,” said Miss Ladd warmly. “Let’s do that at once and
then run back to Twin Lakes. But remember, girls, don’t say anything
about our mission on the boat. The boatman would be sure to start some
gossip that probably would reach the ears of the very persons we want to
keep in the dark as much as possible.”
They were soon back in the large canopied motorboat, and Miss Ladd gave
instructions to the pilot. The latter cranked his engine, took his place
at the wheel, and backed the vessel away from the landing. A few moments
later the “Big Twin,” as the owner facetiously named the boat to
distinguish it from a smaller one which he called the “Little Twin,” was
dashing along the wooded hill-shore which extended nearly a mile to the
north from Stony Point. They obtained a good view of the section of the
shore just north of the Graham cottage and picked out several spots
which appeared from the distance viewed to be very good camping sites.
Then the prow of the boat was turned to the south and they cut along at
full speed toward Twin Lakes.
The run was quickly made, and Katherine and Hazel hastened at once to
the Ferris real estate office and presented their petition to Mr. Ferris
in person. The latter was much interested when he learned that a Fire of
Camp Fire Girls desired permission to pitch their tents on land of which
he was the local agent, and still more interested when informed that
they were students at Hiawatha Institute whose reputation was well known
to him. He gave them a pen-and-ink drawing of the vicinity, indicating
the approximate lines of the lands owned or leased by cottagers then in
possession, and granted them permission, free of charge, to locate their
camp at any place they desired so long as they did not encroach on the
rights of others.
An hour later the squint-eyed man whose activities have already created
much of interest in this narrative entered the office of Mr. Ferris and
inquired:
“Are you agent for that land along the lake just north of Stony Point?”
“I am,” the real estate man replied.
“Do you allow campers to pitch their tents on the land for a week or two
at a time?”
“I don’t object if they are all right. I always require some sort of
credentials. I wouldn’t allow strangers to squat there without giving me
some kind of notice. I granted permission to a bunch of Camp Fire Girls
today to pitch their tents there.”
“Is that so? Where are they going to locate?”
“Just beyond the Graham cottage, if you know where that is.”
“That is where some friends of mine would like to camp,” said Langford
in an affected tone of disappointment.
“I don’t think I’d care to grant any more permits in that vicinity,” Mr.
Ferris announced rather meditatively. “I feel rather a personal interest
in the girls and don’t want any strangers to pitch a camp too near them.
Your friends might, perhaps, locate half a mile farther up the shore.”
“I’ll tell them what you say,” Langford said as he left the office.
Five minutes later he was in a telephone booth calling for No. 123-M. A
woman answered the ring.
“Is this Mrs. Graham?” he inquired.
“Yes,” was the reply.
“This is Langford. I just called to inform you that the parties we were
talking about have obtained permission to camp near your cottage. You’ll
probably see something of them tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
“And I’ll be at your place tomorrow afternoon between 3 and 4 o’clock.”
“I’ll expect you.”
That ended the conversation.
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