CHAPTER XII
THE LOST TREASURE
"Diamonds," whispered Betty to Norma Guerin, who seemed depressed. "Shewears three diamond rings and one sapphire and a square-cut emerald. Andher wrist-watch is platinum set with diamonds."
Mrs. Eustice gazed at the soft little hand she held for a few moments,then released it. She said nothing.
"Ah, your mother wrote me of you," was the principal's greeting to theLittell girls. "You look like her, Louise. And Bobby is much like herfather as I remember him."
"This is Betty Gordon," said the loyal Bobby, indicating her chum."Mother wrote about her, too, didn't she?"
"Indeed she did," assented Mrs. Eustice warmly. "I must have a specialtalk with Betty soon, for she has an ambitious program before her. Andhere are Libbie and Frances from the state I remember so affectionatelyfrom girlhood visits there."
But it was Norma and Alice Guerin, sensitive Norma and shy Alice, whowere welcomed most cordially after all.
"So you are Elsie Guerin's daughters!" said the principal, putting anarm around Norma and holding her hand out to Alice. "My own dear mothertaught your mother when she was a little girl with braids like yours.And your dear grandmother used to give the most wonderful parties.People talk about them to this day. It was at her Rose Ball I first metmy husband. You must go up the north road some day and see the oldMacklin house."
Norma and Alice fairly glowed as they went back to their rooms with theother girls. Ada Nansen had heard, and she was regarding them withevident respect.
Norma and Alice might have been uneasy had they heard Ada's comment whenshe and Ruth were once more in their own rooms.
"They must have money," argued Ada, "though I never saw such ordinaryclothes. Giving balls and parties in the lavish Southern style costs,let me tell you. Probably they have some fine family jewels in thatshabby trunk."
"I'll tell you what I think," said Ruth Gladys wisely. "I think the moneyis all used up. Probably they're here as charity pupils for oldfriendship's sake."
This speculation was duly stored up in Ada Nansen's mind to be broughtout when needed.
After dinner Miss Anderson played for them to dance in the broad hall,but every one was tired from train journeys, and at nine o'clock theyvoluntarily sought their rooms.
"Get into a kimono and brush your hair in here," hospitably suggestedBetty, and Bobby seconded her by flinging the suitcases under the beds.All of the rooms were fitted with pretty day-beds so that a cover quicklytransformed them into couches and the bedrooms into sitting rooms.
Four gay-colored kimono-wrapped figures came pattering in presently andcurled up comfortably on the beds. Norma and Alice were the last toarrive, and when they did come they mystified their friends by prancingin silently and waltzing gaily about the room.
"Oh, girls!" they chortled when they had tired of this performance, "whatdo you think?"
"We couldn't help hearing," said Norma deprecatingly.
"Laura Bennett called us in," declared Alice.
"Don't sing a duet," commanded Bobby sternly. "What are you talkingabout? One at a time. You tell, Norma."
"Laura Bennett called us into her room," obediently recited Norma. "MissLacey was talking to Ada and Ruth. You could hear every word withoutlistening--that is without eavesdropping--you know what I mean. Mrs.Eustice must have spoken to Miss Lacey, because she told the girls theywould have to send all the trunks home except one apiece. Ada must putall her jewelry in the school safe and at the Christmas holidays she isto take it home and leave it there. Both of them have to wear their hairdown or in a knot--you know they have it waved now and done up just likemy mother's. And Miss Lacey is to go over their clothes to-morrow andtell 'em what they can keep!"
"I'm glad some one has some sense!" was Bobby's terse comment.
Something in Norma's face told Betty that she would like to speak to heralone, so half an hour later when the girls had dispersed for the night,she made a bent nail file an excuse to go to the Guerins' room.
"I was hoping you'd come, Betty," said Norma gratefully. "We have to putout the lights at ten, don't we? I'll try to talk fast. You see, Aliceand I want to tell you something."
A fleecy old-fashioned shawl lay across the bed and Norma flung thisabout Betty's shoulders.
"Alice's kimono is flannel and so is mine," she explained in answer tothe protest. "You never met Grandma Macklin, did you, Betty?"
"No-o, I'm sure I never did," responded Betty thoughtfully. "Does shelive with you?"
"Yes. But while you were at the Peabodys she was visiting her half-sisterin Georgia," explained Norma. "She is mother's mother, you know."
"What was it Mrs. Eustice said about her?" questioned Betty withinterest. "Did she live near here? Was that when your mother went tothis school?"
"It was a day school then, you know," put in the laconic Alice.
"Yes, and grandma lived in a perfectly wonderful big house," said Norma."It must be fully five miles from here. Uncle Goliath, an old coloredman, used to drive her over every day and call for her in the afternoon.Mother has always been determined Alice and I should graduate fromShadyside."
"Well then, it's lovely she is to have her wish," commented Bettybrightly.
"Oh, goodness, I don't see that we're ever going to have four years,"confessed Norma. "If you knew what they've given up at home to send usfor this term! And though we wouldn't say anything, mother and grandmaworked so hard to get us ready, Alice and I are positively ashamed of ourclothes. You see, Betty, I think when you're poor, you ought to go whereyou'll meet other poor girls. Alice and I ought to have entered theGlenside high school, I think. But when I said something like that to dadhe said it would break mother's heart. But if she knew how hard it was tobe poor and to have to rub elbows with girls who have everything--"
"I don't think you ought to feel that way," urged Betty. "You havesomething that no amount of money could buy for you, and no lack can takeaway--birth and breeding. And the training your mother wants you to haveis worth sacrificing other things for. Ever since I heard Mrs. Eusticetalk I feel that I know what makes her school really successful."
A soft tap fell on the door.
"Lights go off in ten minutes, girls," said Miss Lacey pleasantly.
"Do you know, Betty," confessed Norma hurriedly, "dad has lost quite alot of money lately. He's such a dear he never can bear to presspayment of a bill and half the county owes him. And a friend got him toinvest what he did have in some silly stock that never amounted to ahill of beans, as the farmers say. So it's no wonder the Macklinfortune worries mother whenever she thinks of it; a family like ourscould use money so easily."
"Most families are like that," said Betty, with a flash of Uncle Dick'shumor. "I didn't like to ask, Norma, but your grandmother must havebeen wealthy."
"She was," confirmed Norma. "Not fabulously so, of course. But even inthose days when lavish hospitality was common Grandma Macklin was famousfor the way she ran the estate. She was left a widow when a very youngwoman, and mother was her only child. Her husband didn't believe womenknew very much about money, and he left his fortune mostly in bonds andjewels--the most magnificent diamonds in three counties, grandma sayshers were. And she had a rope of emeralds and two strings of exquisitelymatched pearls. Besides, there were rose topazes and lovely cameos andoh, goodness, I couldn't repeat the list; Alice and I have been broughtup on the story.
"Well, about the time mother had finished school, Grandma Macklin came tothe end of her bank account. Several mortgages had been paid her in gold,and she kept this money with the jewelry and a lot of solid silver in alittle safe in her room. Foolish, of course, but she says others did itin those days, too. She meant to take the gold and some of the diamondsto her lawyer and get a check which would take her and mother around theworld on a luxurious cruise. And the day before she had the appointmentwith Mr. Davies--"
A soft blackness settled down over the girls like a blanket. Theelectric lights had gone out!
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p; "Move closer, and I'll finish," whispered Norma.
Betty snuggled up between the two, and shivered a little with excitement.
"The day before she was to drive to Edentown," repeated Norma, "a band ofIndians from the reservation in the next state came through on theirannual tramping trip and walked in on poor little grandma as she sat ather mahogany secretary turning over her jewels and counting her beautifulshining gold. Every darkey on the place fled in terror, and thoserascally Indians simply scooped up everything in sight and locked grandmaand mother in the room!"
"Couldn't any one stop them?" demanded Betty eagerly. "Surely a band ofIndians could have been easily traced. Didn't any one try?"
"Oh, they tried," admitted Norma. "That's the maddening part. Suppose Itold you, Betty, that I know where grandma's inheritance is this minute?"