Most of Gadsby's old Organization of Youth was still in town, though,
as you know, grown up. So, on a Spring day, all of its forty boys and
as many girls got most mystifying cards, saying:--
"Kindly go to Lilac Hill on May sixth, at four o'clock. IMPORTANT!
IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!!" That was all. Not a word to show its origin. No
handwriting. Just a small, plain card in ordinary printing.
Not only that old Organization, but His Honor, Lady Gadsby, Old Tom
Young, Tom Donaldson, Nina Adams, Lady Standish and Old Lady Flanagan
got that odd card.
"Arrah! Phwat's this, anny way?" sang out that good old lady. "Is it
court summons, a picnic, or a land auction? By gorry, it looks phony!"
Old Tom Young, in his rocking chair, said:
"A card to go to Lilac Hill. It says 'important.' Ah! This Youth of
today! I'll put up a dollar that I can sniff a rat in this. But _my_
girl is all right, so I'll go."
And so it was, all around town. Nobody could fathom it.
Lilac Hill was as charming a spot as any that our big City Park
could boast. Though known as a hill, it was but a slight knoll with
surroundings of lilac shrubs, which, in May would always show a riot
of bloom; this knoll sloping down to a pond, with islands, boats and
aquatic plants. Lilac Hill had known many a picnic and similar outings;
for Branton Hills folks, living for six days amidst bricks and asphalt,
just _had_ to go out on Sundays to this dainty knoll, living for an
hour or so amongst its birds, blossoms and calm surroundings. City
traffic was far away, only a faint rumbling coming to this natural
sanctuary; and many a mind, and many a worn body had found a balm in
its charms.
But that mystifying card! From whom was it? What was it? _Why_ was
it? "Oh, hum! Why rack brains by digging into it?" was Branton
Hills' popular thought. "But,--go and find out!" That, also, was our
Organization's thought as May sixth was approaching.
"My gracious!" said Nancy. "It sounds actually spooky!"