MORE MYSTERIES
Long after Dories slept that night Nann lay awake thinking of the several
mysteries surrounding them. Who was leaving the notes in places where the
girls could not help finding them; who was carrying a lantern on the
rocky point at night; was it the same light that was seen in the old ruin
by people living in Siquaw Center, and why had the blind in the Burton
cottage opened ever so little and then closed again as though someone had
peered out at them for a brief moment? It was indeed puzzling. Could it
possibly have anything to do with the Phantom Yacht? Nann decided that
was impossible. At last she fell asleep. When she awakened it was nearly
dawn. The fog had drifted away, the stars shone out and the full moon
made it as light as day.
Nann, the fearless, decided to dress and go out on the sand and look at
the Burton cottage. She was nearly dressed before she realized that if
Dories woke and found her gone, she might scream out in her fright and
waken the old woman, and so she shook her gently, whispering her plan.
Dories’ eyes showed her terror at being left alone. She got up at once.
“I simply will not stay in this haunted loft,” she declared vehemently.
“I’m going with you.” As it was still dark they took the lighted lantern
with them, but when they reached the back porch, Nann whispered that they
would have to put out the light as they would be seen if, indeed, there
was anyone to see them. “We’ll take it, though. I have matches in my
pocket. We’ll light it if we need it.”
Dories clung to her friend’s hand as Nann led the way back of the row of
boarded-up cottages. When they reached the seventh, Dories suddenly drew
back and whispered, “Nann, why are we doing this? What are you expecting
to see? I’m simply scared to death.” Her companion realized that this was
true, since Dories’ teeth were chattering. Self-rebukingly, she said, “O,
I ought not have brought you. In fact, I probably shouldn’t have come
myself, but I am so eager to solve at least one of the mysteries that
surround us.” Then she told how she had been sure that she had seen a
blind open ever so slightly and close late the afternoon before as though
someone had been watching them. “I thought if someone goes every night to
the old ruin and returns to the Burton cottage to hide during the day, he
probably comes just about this hour, and that if we were watching, we
might at least see what the—the—well—whoever it is—looks like.” They had
crouched down in the shadow of the seventh cottage as Nann made this
explanation.
Slowly the darkness lightened, the stars and moon dimmed and the east
became gray; then rosy, but still there had been no sign of anyone
entering the Burton cabin. Nann had been sure that an entrance could not
be made in the front of the cottage as the lower windows and door on that
side were securely boarded up. The back door was not boarded, and so that
was where she was watching.
An hour dragged slowly by. The sun rose and was well on its apparent
upward way, and still no one appeared.
“Don’t you think that maybe you imagined it all?” Dories inquired at
length as she tried to change her position, having become stiffened from
crouching so long.
“Why, no, I am sure that I didn’t.” Then, fearless as usual, Nann
announced, “I’m going up to the back porch and try the door.”
This she did, and to her surprise it opened, creaking noisily as it swung
on rusty hinges.
Dories leaped to her side. “Gracious, Nann, are you going in?” she
whispered tragically. “If anyone is in there, he might lock us in or
something.”
Nann turned to reply, but instead she exclaimed: “Why, Dories Moore,
you’re whiter than any sheet I ever saw. If you’re that scared, we’d
better go right home.”
“I am!” Dories nodded miserably. “I wouldn’t any more dare go into this
cottage than—than——”
“Then we won’t.” Nann took her friend by the hand and together they went
down the back steps, and Dories said: “I’d rather go home by the front
beach if you don’t mind. It’s more open. There’s something so uncanny
about the swamps at the back.”
“Anything to please,” was the laughing reply. As they rounded the
cottage, Nann looked curiously at the upper windows, and was sure that
she saw the same blind open ever so little, then close again. She said
nothing of this, and tried to change the trend of her companion’s
thoughts by talking about Gibralter Strait and wondering if they would
see him during that day which had just dawned. Nann was deciding that she
would take Gib into her confidence. A boy as fearless as he was would not
mind entering the Burton cottage and finding out why that upper blind had
opened and closed as it seemed to do.
As they neared their home cabin, Dories became more like her natural self
and even skipped along the hard beach, laughing back at Nann as she
called, “Another glorious, sparkling day! I hope something interesting is
going to happen.”
“I believe something will,” Nann replied. They were nearing the front
steps when Dories stood still, pointing, “Look at that stone lying in the
middle of the top step. How do you suppose it ever got there?”
Nann shook her head and, leaping up the steps, she lifted the small rock,
then turned back, exclaiming: “Just what I thought! Here is today’s note
from your ghost. It’s much too clever for us.” Then she read: “In nine
days you shall know all.”
Not wishing to awaken Miss Moore at so early an hour, the girls tiptoed
down the steps and went around to the back of the cabin.
“Let’s look in the woodshed by daylight,” Nann suggested as she unbolted
the door. “Nothing within, just as I supposed,” she remarked. “Humm-ho.
We’re not very good detectives, I guess.”
They started walking toward the kitchen. “But why try to find out what
the mysteries are about if every day brings us one nearer to the time
when we are to know all?” Dories inquired.
Nann laughed. “O, I’d heaps rather ferret the thing out for myself than
be told.” Then she said more seriously: “Honestly, Dori, I don’t think
the notes refer to the mystery of the old ruin at all. I think, if that
is ever solved, we’ll have to find it out for ourselves.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I’d rather not tell quite yet.” They entered the kitchen. “Now,” Nann
said, “I’m going to make a fire and get breakfast. We’ve been up so long
that I’m ravenously hungry. I’m going to make flapjacks no less.”
“Good!” Dories replied. “I won’t refuse to eat them.” Although consumed
with curiosity concerning what her friend had said, Dories decided to
bide her time before asking Nann to explain.