THE WRECK OF MR. A. BUBBLE
"BURIED treasures are such ravishing mysteries," observed Mollie, while
Olive was mentally arranging her facts. "I never thought I should
actually be face to face with one."
"I am sure it must be a grand old place," volunteered Barbara.
"In reality, it is very big and bare," smiled Olive. "But I love every
foot of the old place where I have lived all my life except when I have
been away to school and where my ancestors have lived for oh, ever so
many years."
Olive's eyes filled with tears. Barbara stole a groping hand under the
robe and clasped one of Olive's. The latter pulled herself sharply
together. She gave Bab a grateful look. The sympathy in that gentle hand
clasp had meant more than words to her. Perhaps in that one brief moment
the two girls came to understand each other better than in all the days
that had passed since their first meeting at the opera.
"You know we fully expect to be obliged to give up the place at an early
day. Father's business affairs have been going from bad to worse, until
now there seems to be no hope of our keeping Treasureholme."
"Perhaps it may not be so bad as you imagine," suggested Bab softly.
"'Never give up until you have to.' That is my motto."
"You wouldn't be the Barbara I have heard so much about if it weren't.
But to come to the story. Treasureholme has been in our family, as I
have already said, for many generations. My ancestor who founded the old
place was one of the pioneers here. He was rich when he came here, but
he foresaw a great future for what is now Chicago, so he brought his
family and all his worldly goods here. He said confidently that a great
city was certain to spring up here some day. You see how true was his
prophecy. It was almost uncanny as I look at it now."
The girls nodded, but said nothing.
"Gracious! Did you see that?" called Ruth, with a trace of excitement in
her tone.
"No, no. What is it?" cried the girls.
"Oh, nothing, only I ran down a cow," answered the fair driver, trying
to speak carelessly.
"Ran down a cow!" exclaimed Bab, peering through the curtain windows.
"You needn't look for her. She is a mile or more back now. I didn't run
over her. She appeared so suddenly out of the snow cloud that I didn't
see her until the car was almost on top of her. I must have hit her only
a glancing blow, for I barely felt the jar. I hope I didn't hurt the
poor thing."
"So long as we keep on four wheels, please don't interrupt us," begged
Miss Presby severely, whereat there was a series of giggles from the
girls. "Where was I, girls?"
"Still at Chicago," replied Mollie. "You were speaking of your
ancestor's prophecy."
"Oh, yes. At the time they were living in the garrison, at the first
fort ever built on the Chicago River. You know the Indians were pretty
thick hereabouts at that period."
"Indians!" murmured Grace apprehensively.
"Yes. After a time our ancestors built Treasureholme. That is why it is
so old-fashioned now, though many changes necessarily have been made in
the house since then, but the main part is practically as it was built
by my pioneer ancestor. The boards that were used were laboriously sawed
out and the timbers hewn by hand. It must have taken years to build the
place. Outwardly it now has a more modern appearance, each succeeding
ancestor adding and improving. But for a long time after it was built
there were Indians and bad men hereabouts. This perhaps accounts for
the secret passages and numerous hiding places in the old house."
"Glorious," said Mollie, her eyes dancing.
"One day a message came that the Indians were no longer friendly. My
ancestor was warned to hide his valuables and hasten to the fort with
his family for the safety afforded there. It is believed that the
treasure was buried at that time."
"Money?" asked Barbara.
"Gold and plate and jewels that had been brought from the old country
when the family first came to the new world from England. But, alas, the
garrison was wiped out by the Indians, leaving not a living person who
knew the location of the treasure. Later on other members of the family
came here from the east and took possession. The Presbys have been
living on the estate ever since."
"Has no attempt been made to find the treasure?" questioned Barbara.
"So many attempts that I couldn't count them. Someone always is nosing
about the place for clues. Father has spent a great deal of money in
looking for it himself, but I think he has about given up hope of ever
finding it. It is my idea that some of the other early members of the
family found the hidden treasure, but said nothing about it."
Silence reigned in the automobile for some moments.
"Do you know," said Barbara, breaking the silence, "I think this is an
excellent opportunity for the 'Automobile Girls' to distinguish
themselves further?"
Olive shook her head smilingly.
"It would be effort wasted. Besides, we shall manage to keep your time
so fully occupied that you will have no opportunity to search for buried
treasure."
"What about those secret passages that you spoke of?" asked Grace.
"You shall see them and explore them to your hearts' content. Tom will
show them to you. What Tom doesn't know about the old place, no one else
does. And he knows a lot more about it than any of the rest of the
family. I suspect that he has been making investigations on his own
hook. He, like the boy he is, still has hopes of discovering the buried
treasure."
"Is the gate open?" called Ruth over her shoulder.
"Yes. It hasn't been closed this fall."
"Then I'll drive in in style and make one of my flying stops," answered
Ruth. "We'll make them think a train has left the C., B. & Q. track and
is going to smash the house down. I think they will be surprised. I'll
open up the exhaust just as we get to the house, make a flying stop and
the noise will wake up Olive's scalped ancestors."
"Be careful that you don't hit the house in reality," laughed Olive.
"Remember it is old. It might tumble down. I don't care so much about
the house, but I shouldn't like to see it tumble down on father and
mother."
"Oh, it will not be quite as bad as that. We shall simply be making a
big noise."
"I was only joking," replied Olive. "You don't think I thought for a
minute you would run into the house, do you?"
"That is exactly what I am going to do."
"Ruth Stuart!" exclaimed Bab sternly.
"After I have stopped the car," finished Ruth, with a merry laugh. "But
look here, young ladies, if you keep on talking to me and making me
laugh, I am likely to pile you all in the ditch right here."
"Can you see the road?"
"Yes. Between snow flurries. I can't miss the road. The turn into the
grounds is enclosed in stone fences, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I'll pick it up all right. You girls look out when I give the word. I
am going to make the turn wide and at full speed. Hold fast!" she cried,
giving the steering wheel a sharp turn. For one giddy moment Mr. A.
Bubble appeared to be uncertain whether to turn turtle or go on the way
he was headed. He decided upon the latter course, and settling down on
all four wheels shot straight ahead. The light was uncertain, but Ruth's
eyes were on the road, all her attention centred on her work. Suddenly
she uttered a sharp little cry. The emergency brake went on with a
shock. Then came a mighty crash. To the girls in the car in their brief
instant of consciousness, it seemed as if the universe were going to
pieces.