A STARTLING DISCOVERY
All was confusion at the strawberry patch. The two orphan girls, Rose
and Nellie Catron, had disappeared the night before, it was said, and
not until shortly before the arrival of our friends in the
automobiles, was another loss discovered--that of a pair of very
valuable diamond earrings, the property of Miss Hanna Schenk,
otherwise known among the pickers as "Mrs. Blazes."
So it was that the Chelton young folks, as Jack said, "struck a
hornet's nest," for Mrs. Ramsy, somehow, seemed to be of the opinion
that Cora could tell, if she would, something about the runaways.
"What could give you that idea, Mrs. Ramsy?" demanded Cora
indignantly. "I only saw your nieces while I was here the other day,
and I am sure I would have advised them to stay where they were, had
they ever mentioned to me their intentions of leaving."
"That's all very well, young lady," growled the woman, "but I noticed
how them girls edged up to you, and your friends, and I warn you, if I
find that you have helped them off I'll have the law on _you_."
At this the young men came up to the shed where the unpleasant
conversation was in progress. Jack, of course, was indignant, and, not
only did he oblige Cora to leave the place at once, but, while doing
so, he expressed his opinion directly to Mrs. Ramsy as to his personal
measure of her character.
The whole affair was rather awkward, and the Robinson girls were
obliged to leave the patch once more without their crate of berries.
Just outside the wire fence, and when the girls were about to step
into the cars, they were hailed by Andy--the small boy whom Cora had so
favored by buying the damaged crate of berries.
"Wait a minute, miss," he called. "I've got something fer you," and,
so saying, he stepped up to the _Whirlwind_ and, very cautiously,
handed Cora a slip of paper. She took it and read these scrawled
lines:
"Miss: We are going away, but we think we will see you again some
day. You will find your crate of berries under the tree where Andy
will show you. They belonged to us and we paid for them.
Rose Catron and Nellie Catron."
Cora looked down at Andy for a further explanation.
"They had to go away, miss," he said; "they couldn't stand it another
minute. I will show you where the berries are."
"But how did the girls get the berries? They had no money," argued
Cora.
"No, but their Aunt Delia took from them a ring that belonged to their
own mother, and they took the crate to get even," declared Andy, his
voice and manner showing his high regard for the "getting even" part.
Cora told the girls and boys about the matter, and they decided to go
after the berries. Consequently Cora insisted that Andy ride in her
car to the old willow tree, somewhat down the road, and as each tenth
of a mile was marked in red on the speedometer dial the little
fellow's face threatened more and more to catch fire from the auburn
curls that fell in joyous affright about his temples.
Jack thought he had never known what it was to really enjoy a ride
before, and he whispered to Cora that he very much wished he might
take Andy home "for a paper weight, or a watch charm."
"Right over there," directed Andy, after about a mile's ride, "under
the big willow."
Turning the car in that direction, Jack drove across a shallow ditch,
and was soon under the tree, while the other machines waited on the
safer roadway.
Andy scrambled out, and Jack, leaving the wheel, went after him,
followed by Cora.
"Here," said the boy, pulling aside a thick clump of berry vines.
"Here's the crate."
Sure enough, there was the new crate, filled with berries, safe and
untouched.
"Well, I declare!" exclaimed Cora. "I really did not expect to find
them."
"Very thoughtful of my Rose-bud," declared Jack, lifting the lid of
the box. "What's this?" he went on, picking up a small object.
"Something else for Cora, I wonder?"
At that moment, fortunately, Andy was occupied with a particularly
attractive branch of red raspberries, and he did not see Jack lift out
the article. Cora, so quick to apprehend any possible danger for
others, was beside Jack instantly.
"Hush!" she whispered. "Don't tell the rest! It is an empty jewel
box--earrings have been in it!"
"You don't mean to say that the--girls have gone off with the old
lady's earrings!" exclaimed Jack. "And left the empty box in this
crate to get you into trouble!"
"Indeed I do not mean to say anything of the kind," hastily answered
Cora. "I have always found that the most suspicious circumstance may
turn out to be the most innocent matter, and, in this case, I have not
the slightest doubt that we will find my rule to work true. In the
meantime," she continued, slipping the little case within her blouse,
"I will take care of the--evidence."
It was not without a rather nervous fluttering of her usually reliable
nerves, that Cora finally did secrete the jewel box, and in spite of
her firm declaration to Jack, she could not just convince herself that
it was altogether right for whoever had put the empty earring case in
the crate, to have done so without making some sort of explanation.
For a moment she thought of asking little Andy if he could tell her
anything of the strange affair, then she quickly concluded to await
developments.
"Jack," she said, "we will take the crate of berries in our car. We
have more room than the others, and perhaps Andy would like a ride in
town with us. He can take a trolley car back."
This pleased the youngster immensely, and so, when the famous crate of
berries was at last loaded on the _Whirlwind_, and the word had been
given to the others, the party started off on a merry run towards
Chelton. On the way Cora had a chance to find out from the boy that
the girls, Rose and Nellie, had walked away from their aunt's place
after nightfall. Also that he, and some other boys, had helped them
carry their things, which, as far as the willow tree, included the
crate of berries. Cora also learned that the girls had started out "to
see the world," and this last piece of information did not add to her
peace of mind concerning the two orphans, who knew so little of this
world, and its consequent dangers.
Jack was greatly taken with Andy, and promised to pick him up for a
ride every time the _Whirlwind_ came out Squaton way.
"Maybe you could get me a job," said the little fellow, glancing up
with unstinted admiration at Cora's handsome brother.
"Believe I could," replied Jack. "Let me see, what is your
specialty--what can you do?"
"I am a caddy," replied Andy proudly. "They say I'm just as quick as
any of them to trace a ball."
"Well now, that's fine!" declared Jack. "We play golf out Chelton way.
Suppose you just take a trolley ride in next Saturday, and we will see
what we can do. Here is your car-fare. Be sure not to lose it, for
trolley fellows are no respecters of persons."
Meanwhile Bess and Belle were racing with Walter and Ed, and the
afternoon was to them a time of that sort of enjoyment that comes
unbidden, unplanned, and therefor proof against disappointment. Of
course Cora was not by any means miserable, for no companion was to
her more her chum than was Jack; then little Andy lent his novel
personality to her surroundings, but still the thought that two young
girls, Rose and Nellie, had deliberately run away, that they were
practically accused of having taken a pair of diamond earrings valued
at two hundred and fifty dollars, and that the case in which these
stones seemed to have formerly reposed was actually found by Cora in
the berry crate--was it any wonder that she did not laugh as lightly as
did Bess Robinson? Or that she refused Ed Foster's pressing invitation
to go into Snow's for an ice cream drink?
At the drug store Jack stopped the _Whirlwind_ to allow little Andy to
board a trolley car back to Squaton, but, as he left, Cora warned him
to be very careful what he said about the runaways.
"Oh, don't you never fear, miss," he answered, crowding his negatives
to make one good big "no." "Rose and Nellie are my friends, and I know
how to stick by 'em."