CHAPTER XVIII
LIBBIE'S SECRET
Gilbert Lane was the first to recover his voice.
"Well, what do you know about that!" he ejaculated. "The old bird washere all the time."
"Are--are--are there any more of them?" stammered Louise.
"No, that old fellow is the only Indian for miles around," said Gilbertcarelessly. "He was left behind, the fellows at school say, when thatband stole the Macklin treasure. They had a grudge against him, it seems,and they tripped him and left him with a broken leg. He worked around ondifferent farms for years and now does a day's work often enough to keephim in food. Queer old dick, I guess."
"What makes you girls look so funny?" demanded Sydney. "You're not afraidnow, are you? That Indian won't come back--he was more afraid of us thanwe were of him. I figure out he was asleep when we came in and the noisewoke him up. What are you smiling about?"
"My grandmother is Mrs. Marcia Macklin," explained Norma. "And you seeit was her gold and silver and jewels the Indians stole. I wonder what hewould have said if we had told him?"
"Gee, is that so?" asked Sydney, ignoring the latter half of Norma'ssentence. "And is all that stuff down in the chasm yet?"
"As far as we know, it is," said Norma. "And likely to remain there," sheadded, with a sigh.
Bob and the boys returned in less than half an hour, to announce thatthey had found the right road and were prepared to pilot the girlsexpeditiously homeward. Libbie's cheeks were unnaturally flushed and shelooked miserable, but she refused to let Bob and Tommy carry her byforming a "chair" with their hands.
"I'm all right," she insisted hoarsely. "I only want to get home."
Knowing the way positively saved much fumbling and time, and soon thefamiliar buildings of Shadyside loomed up before them. The boys had along tramp still before them, and if they were not to be late for supper,must walk briskly. They continued on their way, while the girls ran upthe steps of the dormitory building.
"There's no use talking, Libbie, you've got to see the infirmary nurse,"said Bobby resolutely. "I promised your mother to look after you, and ifyou're going to be sick you'll at least have the proper care. Wait tillwe get into some dry things, and I'll take you."
Libbie looked rebellious, but she made no verbal protest, and when theywere once more in dry clothes Bobby marched her cousin to the immaculateinfirmary. She returned alone, saying that the nurse had detained Libbiefor observation over night.
"She thinks she's getting a heavy cold, but it may be more serious,"Bobby reported. "Well, anyway, I've done my duty. But romantic people arealways forgetting to wear their rubbers."
Betty had just drowsed off to sleep that night, the girls having gone tobed immediately after the study hour, for the afternoon in the wind andrain had made them extraordinarily sleepy, when a soft knock on the doorstartled her.
She slipped out of bed and ran to the door, opening it carefully soas not to wake Bobby. Miss Morris, the school nurse, and Miss Laceystood there.
"Elizabeth isn't worse," said Miss Morris hastily, noting Betty's look ofalarm. "But she is very restless and wants to see you. Miss Lacey saysyou may come up. Get your dressing gown and slippers, dear."
Betty obeyed quickly. Libbie was probably lonely, she reflected.
The infirmary consisted of three connecting rooms, fitted with twosingle beds in each, and Libbie happened to be the only patient. She wassitting up in bed, well wrapped up, when Betty saw her, her eyesunnaturally bright, her cheeks very red.
"Now I'll leave you two girls together for exactly half an hour," saidthe nurse kindly. After that Elizabeth must go to sleep."
"Is the door shut--shut tight?" demanded Libbie feverishly, graspingBetty's hand with both her hot, dry ones.
"Yes, dear, yes," affirmed Betty soothingly. "What's the matter,Libbie--is your throat sore?"
"Oh, Betty, I'm in such terrible trouble!" gasped Libbie, her eyesoverflowing. "I'm so frightened!"
"Tell me about it, dear," soothed Betty. "I'll help you, you know I will.Has it anything to do with school?"
She was totally unprepared for Libbie's next words.
"I have to have some money--a lot of money, Betty. I've spent my lastallowance and I can't write home for more because they will ask me whyI want it. I've borrowed so much from Louise that I can't ask heragain! I ought to pay it back. But I've got to have twenty dollars byto-morrow night."
"What for? What's the matter?" asked Betty, in alarm.
"You'll promise not to tell Bobby?" demanded Libbie intensely. "Promiseme you won't tell Bobby? She'd scold so. And Mrs. Eustice would expel me.If you won't tell Bobby or Mrs. Eustice, Betty, I'll tell you."
Betty was now thoroughly aroused. She knew that impulsive novel-readingLibbie went about with her pretty head filled with all sorts of trashyideas, and she didn't know what lengths she might have gone to. If Mrs.Eustice would expel her, the affair must be serious indeed.
"I'll promise," said Betty rashly. "Tell me everything, Libbie, and if Ican I'll help you."
"Well, you remember when we went nutting?" said Libbie. "I carried abottle with me with--with my name and address written on a slip of paperinside. I read about that in a book. And I said to leave an answer in thesame bottle. I--I buried it just at the foot of the hill, before we beganto climb. Louise was with me, but she was hunting for specimens for herbotany book."
"So that's why you hung back, was it?" said Betty. "I wish to goodnessLouise was more interested in what is going on around her. She mighthave stopped you. Go on--what happened to your silly bottle?"
"I buried it," repeated Libbie, "and two days after I went out and dug itup. And there was an answer in it."
"What did it say?" demanded Betty practically.
"I've got it here--" Libbie reached under her pillow and pulled out aslip of paper.
"It says 'Leave ten dollars in this same place to-night, or Mrs. Eusticeshall hear of this.' And, of course," concluded Libbie, "I put tendollars in the bottle, because whoever found it had the slip with my nameon it to show Mrs. Eustice."
Betty studied the paper. The handwriting was a strong backhand, not atall an illiterate hand.
"Oh, dear, what shall I do?" wailed Libbie. "He keeps asking for more,and I won't have any money till the first of the month. I only meantto do like the girl in the book--have a thrilling unknowncorrespondent. I never knew he would ask for money! Suppose he is ahorrid, dirty tramp and he comes and tells Mrs. Eustice he found mynote? I should die of shame!"
"I'll have the money ready for you in the morning," said Betty firmly. "Ihave that much. But, of course, he'll keep demanding more. I do hope,Libbie, that if you ever get out of this mess, you'll be cured of some ofyour crazy notions!"
"Oh, I will," promised Libbie earnestly. "I will be good, Betty. Onlydon't tell Bobby."
She was manifestly relieved by her confession, and when Miss Morris camein to send Betty back to her own room, Libbie curled down contentedly fora restful night.
Not so poor Betty. She turned and tossed, wondering how she could getmore money for her chum without arousing suspicion.
"What ever made her do a thing like that!" she groaned. "Of all the wildideas! The twenty will take every cent I have. I must see Bob and borrowfrom him."
Libbie was much improved in the morning--so well, in fact, that afterbreakfast in bed she was permitted to dress and go to her room, thoughstrictly forbidden to attend classes or go out of doors. Betty broughther the twenty dollars and when school was in session, the benightedLibbie sped out to her buried bottle and put the money in it, regainingher room without detection.
Two days later there was another demand for money, and two days afterthat, another. Libbie visited the bottle regularly, afraid to let aday pass lest the blackmailer expose her to the principal. Betty hadseen Bob at a football game, and had borrowed fifteen dollars fromhim. She could not write her uncle, for communication with him wasuncertain and her generous allowance came to her regularly through
hisPhiladelphia lawyer.
"He wants twenty-five dollars by to-morrow night!" whispered Libbie,meeting Betty in the hall after her last visit to the buried bottle. "Oh,Betty, what _shall_ we do?"
Both girls had watched patiently and furtively in their spare time in aneffort to detect the person who dug up the bottle, but they had neverseen any one go near the spot.
As it happened, when Libbie whispered her news to Betty, they were bothon their way to recitation with Miss Jessup whose current events classboth girls nominally enjoyed. To-day Betty found it impossible to fixher mind on the brisk discussions, and half in a dream heard Libbieflunk dismally.
When next she was conscious of what was going on about her--she had beenturning Libbie's troubles over and over in her mind without result--MissJessup was speaking to her class about the "association of ideas."
"We won't go very deeply into it this morning," she was saying, "butyou'll find even the surface of the subject fascinating."
Then she began a rapid fire of questions to which Betty paid smallattention till the sound of Ada Nansen's name aroused her.
"Key, Ada?" asked Miss Jessup.
The answers were supposed to indicate definite ideas.
"Key hole," said Ada promptly.
"Purse?"
"Money."
"Bee?" asked Miss Jessup.
To her surprise and that of the listening class, nine-tenths of whom wereforming the word "honey" with their lips, Ada answered withouthesitation, "Bottle."
"You must have thought I meant the letter 'B,'" said the teacher lightly,passing on to the next pupil.
Betty heard the dismissal bell with real relief. She cornered Libbie inthe hall as the class streamed out and announced a decision.
"I'll have to go see Bob--I'll paddle one of the canoes," she saidhurriedly.
"If any one asks for me, say I'm out on the lake."
Betty was now an expert with the paddle, and the trip across the lake waseasy of accomplishment. She had the great good fortune to meet Bobreturning from a recitation, and though surprised to see her, he knew shemust have come by boat or canoe. The boys had gone the next day andbrought back the canoes from the woods where they had placed them duringthe storm.
"I'm ever so sorry, Bob," said Betty earnestly, "But--could you lend metwenty-five dollars?"
Bob whistled.
"I could," he admitted cautiously. "What's it for, Betsey?"
"That," said Betty, "is a secret."
Bob glanced at her sharply. His chin hardened.
"Come down here where we won't be interrupted," he said, leading the wayto the wharf. "You'll have to give me a good reason for wanting themoney, Betty."