AT WAYSIDE INN
The light still gleamed under the door of the alcove room. Jack was
not sorry that he would have company in his bundle investigation.
"But Walter and Ed will blame me for not giving them the tip," he told
himself. "We surely could have bagged that wild bird, if there only
had been some one on the other side of the hedge."
Ed opened the door before Jack had time to knock.
"Where in the world have you been?" demanded the young man, who stood
within the room, clothed in the splendor of a real athlete. "We had
just about given you up. Who is she?"
"Search me?" replied Jack, laughing at the fitness of the slang and at
the same time apologizing for its vulgarity. "If I only knew who she
was I'd feel better."
"If he only knew who she was," repeated Walter, between a howl and a
grunt.
"Oh, if he only knew," added Ed, dragging Jack into the room, and
closing the door after him.
Then they saw the package. Walter grabbed it from Jack's hands. "Did
she send it to us?" he asked, placing it comically on the washstand
and making queer "passes" in front of it.
"It's for me," insisted Ed. "She promised to send me just that very
bundle," and he yanked it from the stand and placed it on the mantel.
"Oh, for goodness sake, open it," interrupted Jack, glad of a good
chance to get some one other than himself to attempt that uncertain
proceeding.
"It's light," commented Ed, giving the ends of the package an undoing
twist.
Walter and Jack leaned over very close. Ed stretched out his arms to
keep them off.
Then the paper spread open and the contents were in full sight.
A mass of light-brown hair!
"Oh, you--murderer!" exclaimed Ed, as loudly as the hour would politely
admit. "To scalp her!"
But Jack was more surprised than were his friends.
"A girl's hair!" he exclaimed.
"_Her_ hair!" corrected Ed. "Oh, if he only knew who _she_ was!" and
his voice mocked the words Jack had uttered when he entered the room.
"Jack Kimball!" ejaculated Walter. "This is the 'unkindest cut of
all.'"
"We denounce you!" added Ed. "This is outrageous!"
Jack looked closely at the severed locks. "A pretty color," he mused.
"Sort of burnished gold!"
This attempt at the poetical brought the unrestrained wrath of his
companions on his head, for both Walter and Ed simply "fell to," and
pounded Jack "good and proper."
He begged for mercy. Then they did let him go.
"Now, honest Injun," started Walter, "tell us about it."
But the strange race through the hedge was really too unusual to be
comprehended or believed at once. Still Jack insisted upon every
detail of the affair, and his friends finally did believe a part of
it, at least.
"And whose locks do you suppose they are?" asked Ed when the
opportunity for that question arrived.
"If I--only--knew!" reiterated Jack.
"Let me see!" murmured the prudent Walter. "What was the shade of hair
worn by the runaways of the strawberry patch? If I mistake not----"
"You win!" interrupted Jack. "They were strawberry blondes!"
"And it's as clear as the nose on your face that they had to cut the
locks off--that they are here in the hotel at this very moment----"
He was actually jumping into his outer clothes.
"Where are you going?" demanded Jack.
"To find Rose," insisted Ed. "My Rose--or was she your Rose--and is she
my Nellie?"
"For goodness sake, man!" wailed Jack, "don't make any further fuss
around here to-night. The ladies and the girls will be scared to death
if you start chasing my--shadow. We have got to-morrow to investigate.
If the runaways are here to-night they will be here to-morrow."
"That sounds like good advice," assented Walter. "And if I don't get a
little rest there will be great ugly dark rings under my eyes, and my
complexion will simply be ruined."
"And his hair won't stay up," added Ed, taking up the girlish tone
Walter had assumed. "Well, if you beauties must sleep suppose you go
at it. I could snore looking at the floor," and Ed suited his actions
to the words, for very shortly, neither Walter nor Jack could compel
him to answer a single question with so much as an intelligent grunt.
It seemed scarcely possible that daylight had come, when a tapping at
the door awoke Jack.
"Jack," called Cora, "I must speak with you. Come out as soon as you
can."
"Now what's up?" asked Ed with a yawn.
"We've got to get up," replied Walter, "and since you managed to get
to sleep first, we will give you first whack at the wash basin."
"Thanks, but help yourself, Wallie," said Ed, turning over on his
single bed, three of which sort were stretched out across the long
old-fashioned room. "This is a fine day for sleeping."
But in spite of the young man's determination to "prolong," he was
compelled, by his companions, to join them in a quick washing and
dressing act, and then take breakfast with the motor party on the
broad side-porch.
Mrs. Robinson was ill--that was the important piece of information that
Cora wished to disclose to Jack.
"We must stay here to-day," insisted Belle, "for mamma could never
bear to travel with one of her bad headaches. Of course she could not
avoid one after the awful experience of last night."
"Well, this place isn't half bad," declared Jack, showing his positive
regard for the breakfast before him. "We might all do worse than spend
a day at the Wayside."
He was thinking of the advantage that the stay would give him in
making a search for the girl who had lost her package of newly-cut
hair. He had not as yet had an opportunity to consult with Cora; in
fact, there seemed plenty to do at the Wayside, and it would all
require time.
Mrs. Robinson insisted that the young folks enjoy themselves, and go
wherever they wished, as she declared, she would be better and quieter
with her friend Miss Steel. Miss Steel herself felt none too good
after the experience and wetting of the past night, so the two ladies
were not annoyed by unnecessary fussing, and unneeded attention.
"Isn't this a wonderful old place, though?" commented Walter, as he,
with the others had finished the meal, and all were about to go out
exploring. "Did you see the fireplace in the dining room?"
Thereupon all hands repaired again to the great big old-fashioned
dining room, where a few rather delicate-looking persons were still
lingering over their coffee.
A waitress, in cap and apron, flitted about the apartment. A second
girl brought some extra fruit to a little man, who sat against the
wall in the corner, and as the two girls met at the buffet Jack heard
the remark:
"Wasn't it mean for them to leave without notice? It will give _us_ a
good day's work."
"Yes," replied the second girl, "and napkin day, too. Weren't they in
a hurry to get away, though? You'd think some one was after them!"
A titter from the older girl was interpreted to mean that no one could
possibly be after those spoken of. Then both girls picked up some odds
and ends from different tables, and left the room.
Jack's heart sank--if a boy's heart ever does anything like that. At
least, his hope of finding the runaway girls was, for the time,
shattered. He was instantly convinced that the persons to whom the
waitresses referred, could be none other than those who were so
ardently sought by the motor girls. He was also just as thoroughly
convinced that the runaways had already started on a new trail, and
were beyond his reach.
Cora, Bess and Belle were in ecstacies over the antique settings of
the big room, while Ed and Walter were doing what they could to
emphasize the glories of a "side walk," as they termed the broad
stones, in front of the fireplace.
"Fine for fire crackers on a wet Fourth," said Walter foolishly.
"Splendid for walnuts on a cold night," put in Ed with something like
common sense.
Jack slipped out unnoticed. He went directly to the inn office.
"If only the girls had not yet left the place," he was hoping. "And to
think that I should have let them slip through my fingers like that!
Cora will begin to lose faith in me," he reflected. "When she finds
out that I have not seen the detectives, and when she really
identifies the hair as that of----"
At the office he was informed that all the servants of Wayside Inn
were in charge of the housekeeper, whose office he would find at the
rear, near the pergola.
Thither Jack betook himself. He found the office without any
difficulty, but the housekeeper was very busy, and could not see him
at once. The wait was vexatious, but Jack amused himself with noting
the peculiar furnishings of the room, that served for an office. It
looked more like a big clothes closet for white aprons and gingham
aprons, while all sorts of towels were hung around in abundance.
Maids came in and took white aprons, but the presence of a young man
evidently prevented them from arranging the swiss ties and sashes
there, so those who seemed in a hurry went out with freshly laundered
articles on their arms.
Several remarks that Jack overheard seemed to relate to the girls who
had left recently, and although he was on the alert to gather any
possible definite information, none was forthcoming.
Finally the little window back of a shelf was raised, and the head of
an elderly woman was framed therein.
Jack stepped up to the "ticket office." "Are there two girls named
Catron employed here?" he asked.
"I have never had any help of that name," the woman replied, promptly,
but politely.
"Perhaps they have used some other name," ventured the young man,
feeling decidedly ill at ease.
"Why?" asked the housekeeper who, Jack learned, was Miss Turner.
"Well, the girls I am searching for--ran away from their home," he
blurted out.
"Oh my!" exclaimed the woman. "I hope no such young ladies would
present themselves at the Wayside Inn."
"They might," ventured Jack. "You see, the girls were not altogether
to blame. They were orphans, and did not have a good home."
The woman looked puzzled. "I wonder if they could have been the two
girls who were here yesterday?" she said. "They left early this
morning, and I so much wanted them to stay to-day. Could you describe
them?"
"Well, I am afraid not," said Jack, "but my sister is a guest here,
and it is she who is interested in these poor girls." Jack felt
infinitely better now that he had, in a measure, cleared himself of a
personal interest in the runaways.
"If you will wait until I give a few dinner orders," said Miss Turner,
"I will go with you and talk with your sister. I am always willing,
and anxious, to assist needy young girls."
This offer was accepted with thanks, and presently Jack conducted the
matron to the private parlor, where he knew he would be able to
arrange a quiet talk between her and Cora.