DAVID'S MYSTERIOUS ERRAND
Poor David Brewster was facing a more difficult problem than he ever had
had to conquer in his life. He must manage to get over to the old coal
mine, bring back the Preston silver and as much of Miss Betsey's money
as he could force the thief to leave behind him, without being noticed
or suspected of any unusual design. The jewels that David had already
returned to Miss Betsey had been in charge of the old gypsy woman; David
had found them on his first visit to her. But to carry back a quantity
of old family silver, some of it in fairly large pieces, was not so
simple a task. Yet David had one thing in his favor: Harry Sears and
Jack Bolling had both left the Preston farm. After Harry's encounter
with David, and the latter's frank account of his own part in the fight,
Harry had not cared to linger at the farm. He knew that some day Madge
and Phyllis Alden would find out why David had been tempted to fight.
Harry Sears had no desire to recount his own unsuccessful attempt to act
the part of "Paul Pry," so Harry and Jack had gone on to join Tom Curtis
and George Robinson, and the four boys were to come on to the houseboat
party in a few days.
David Brewster knew that whatever he had to do must be done quickly. So
he borrowed a horse and cart from Mr. Preston a day or so after Miss
Betsey's midnight talk with Madge and Phyllis. He did not explain what
he wished with the horse. However, his host asked no questions, for Mr.
Preston had entire faith in the boy.
Madge happened to be in the yard as David drove out from the stable. She
waved her hand to David in a friendly fashion, feeling secretly ashamed
of having even discussed the question of his possible guilt.
David was too worried and unhappy to respond to Madge's greeting
pleasantly, but he acknowledged her salutation with a curt nod of his
head. He had lately been more silent and reserved than ever in his
manner, because, in his heart, he longed so deeply to know some one in
whom he could confide. Yet he was afraid to trust even Madge.
"Going driving all alone, David?" questioned Madge.
"Yes," answered David harshly. Yet he was thinking at the same moment
that if he only could confide in her, Madge was just the kind of a girl
to help a fellow out of a scrape and to stand shoulder to shoulder with
him if he got into a difficulty.
Madge hesitated. She wanted so much to be friendly with David. She
thought that perhaps if he talked with her alone, he might explain a
number of things about himself that she wanted to understand, not from
curiosity but in a real spirit of friendliness. Yet she could not make
up her mind to make this request of David. If he had been like Tom, or
any one of the other motor launch boys, she would not have hesitated for
an instant.
"Stop a minute, please, David," she said, looking earnestly at the boy,
"I have a favor to ask of you." She knew that David had some mysterious
occupation that took him away from the farm every afternoon, and that he
would brook no interference. "If you are going to drive alone and I
won't be in the way, won't you take me with you?"
David Brewster colored to the roots of his dark hair. Never in his whole
life had a nice girl approached him in the friendly way that Madge had
just done. Yet he knew he must refuse her request, though David would
have dearly loved to have Madge drive with him. He simply must return
the stolen goods to Mr. Preston's house to-day, or else run the risk of
never restoring them to their rightful owners. He would not dare to ask
Mr. Preston to lend him a horse again soon, and Tom might return any day
with his launch.
Madge realized before David answered her that he meant to refuse to take
her with him. She felt furiously angry, more with herself than with the
boy.
"I am sorry," muttered David, when he at last found his voice. "I've got
to attend to some business this afternoon and I've got to attend to it
alone, or I would like very much to have you come along with me."
"Oh, never mind, then," answered Madge coldly, turning away from David,
who took a step toward her retreating figure, then, with a muttered
exclamation, sprang into the cart and drove off.
As for Madge, she decided never to speak to David again; he was
insufferable.
About five o'clock on the same afternoon Madge, Phyllis, Lillian and
Miss Betsey were out on the lawn eating watermelon. Eleanor stood at her
front window gazing down wistfully at her friends. Miss Jenny Ann was
reading to amuse her, but it was really more fun to look down at the
girls. Nellie was getting dreadfully tired of being confined to one
room, and yet she did not feel well enough to go downstairs.
David Brewster drove back into the yard. Inside his cart Madge noticed
a square, wooden box, which she had not seen when David left the farm.
Without saying a word to any one, the boy lifted the box and carried it
into the house. A little later he came out on the lawn to where Miss
Betsey and the girls were sitting and approached Madge rather
diffidently.
"Miss Morton," David's voice was unusually gentle, "don't you think I
might carry your cousin, Miss Butler, downstairs? I saw her at the
window as I drove into the yard. She looks lonely. Perhaps she would
like to be down here."
Madge blew a kiss up to Eleanor. She, too, had caught her cousin's
wistful expression. The little captain's heart melted toward David. "I
don't know," she answered doubtfully. "I'll go upstairs and ask Miss
Jenny Ann what she thinks."
"I'd be awfully careful," urged David. "I know I could carry Miss Butler
without hurting her shoulder. We could bring a steamer chair out here on
the lawn for her when I get her down."
Madge hurried away. A few seconds later David saw her at the open window
waving her hand and nodding her head energetically. "Yes; do come up,"
she called. "Eleanor is _so_ anxious to have you carry her down into the
yard, and Miss Jenny Ann is willing that you should try."
The girls busied themselves with arranging Nellie's chair in the
shadiest spot on the lawn, under a great horse-chestnut tree, and piling
the chair with sofa cushions and a pale pink shawl, and in cutting the
"heart" out of the choicest watermelon to bestow on the invalid and her
cavalier.
David bore Nellie as comfortably as though she were a baby. She had her
well arm about his neck and the other, the bandaged one, rested
comfortably in her lap. David's face had completely lost its sullen
look. He was actually smiling at Eleanor as she apologized for being "so
heavy."
Then he sat down on the ground in the midst of the bevy of laughing
girls. Lillian passed him his piece of watermelon in her prettiest
fashion. David accepted it as gracefully as Tom Curtis might have done.
When the watermelon feast was over David helped the three girls to clear
away the dishes. When he came back he dropped down at Miss Betsey's side
and began to wind her ball of yarn.
"I wish you would knit me some gloves this winter, Cousin Betsey," he
begged boyishly.
The old lady patted him affectionately. When, before, had the boy ever
called her "Cousin Betsey"? He had seemed always to try to ignore their
relationship. "The lad isn't so bad-looking after all," Miss Taylor
thought to herself. "He is handsome when he is happy." David had on a
soft, faded, blue shirt, with a turned-down collar that showed the fine,
muscular lines of his throat. He had a strong, clear-cut face, and his
brown eyes were large and expressive. When he laughed his whole face
changed. He looked actually happy.
Then Miss Betsey realized all of a sudden how seldom she had ever seen
the boy even smile before. Perhaps, after all, Dr. Alden's prescription
for Miss Betsey Taylor was precisely what she needed. Sunshine and the
company of young people had really given her something to think about
besides her own nerves.
"Mr. Brewster," Eleanor's voice was still a little weak from her
illness, "where were you the night I was lost? Madge said you did not
join the searching party until early next morning. I believe if you had
been with the others, you might have found me sooner, you were so clever
about finding Madge."
David's face changed suddenly. The old, sullen look crept over it. Then,
as he glanced straight into Eleanor's clear eyes, his expression
softened.
"I was sorry I wasn't along with the others," he answered kindly. "But
I forgot to tell you something. I had an experience of my own that
night. I went for a long walk. On my way back I decided to take a nap on
the porch of the 'ha'nted house.' What do you think happened?" David
lowered his voice to a whisper.
"You saw the ghosts?" shivered Lillian.
David nodded his head solemnly. "I suppose you'll think I am quite mad,"
he insisted. "I think I am myself when I recall the story in broad
daylight. But, as sure as I am sitting here, I saw two ghosts walk up
the path and pass into the empty house. They were those of an old man
and a young girl. They flitted along like shadows."
"You were dreaming, boy," insisted Miss Betsey.
David shook his head. "I don't think so," he argued. "I was as wide
awake as I am now. I got up and made a blind rush for home as soon as
the spooks went by me."
"Girls! Miss Betsey!" called Mrs. Preston from the veranda, "it is time
to come into the house to get ready for tea."
As the watermelon party scrambled to their feet Madge waved one hand
dramatically. "Pause, kind friends," she commanded. "Who among us has
the courage to find out whether David Brewster's 'spooks' are real? I
have always longed to spend a night in a haunted house. Now, here's our
chance!"
"I'm with you," answered David. "I'll go."
"So will I," announced Phil.
Miss Jenny Ann, who was in for most larks, hesitated. "Of course, I
don't believe in ghosts, children; there are no such things," she
declared. "Still, I shouldn't like to meet them at night."
Before the laughter at Miss Jenny Ann had ceased reinforcement for
Madge's ghost party arrived from an unexpected quarter. Miss Betsey
Taylor offered her services as chaperon, and suggested that the "spook
investigation" take place the very next night.