CHAPTER XXII--EXPLANATIONS
The major and his nephews were shocked at the appearance of theirguests, who were hardly recognizable. Jimmie Butler retired behind acurtain and give vent to one little chuckle. He would not, for anything,have let them know how funny they looked.
"I shall never forgive myself for leaving you," groaned Major Ten Eyck."Why did you not take the car and leave the old place to burn? How canthe boys and I ever thank you?" he continued, with emotion.
Before Stephen would give an account of the search for Jose he made Ruthrepeat the history of the afternoon from beginning to end. The major andthe boys were filled with admiration and wonder for these four brave"Automobile Girls" and Miss Stuart.
"There is nothing we can do," exclaimed Jimmie, "to show what we feel,except to lie down and let you walk over us."
"And now for Jose," prompted Ruth, when she had finished her story.
"Well," replied Stephen, "we got news of Jose almost as soon as we hadpassed the Gypsy camp. A man on the road told us he had seen a boy whoanswered the description exactly, walking on the edge of the forest. Wetraced him back into the country to a farm house, where according to thefarmer, he had stopped for a drink of water and turned back again towardthe forest. It was necessary to come back by a roundabout way because ofthe cliffs on the outer edge, and not until we reached the hermit'shouse did we realize there was a fire that must have been started bythose tramps, for it was at its worst about where they were yesterday.We were frantic when we saw that it was blowing in the direction of thehall, but we couldn't get through and had to go the whole way around.Our only comfort, when we saw the glow of the burning stable, was thatyou had taken the automobile and gone back to Tarrytown."
The faithful old butler appeared with lights, and informed the majorthat the other servants had returned very repentant, and if agreeable,dinner would be served in half an hour.
"But I think the ladies will be much too tired to come down again,"protested the major.
"Oh, no, we won't," answered Ruth. "If there's enough water left to washin I would rather dress and come downstairs for food."
"So would we all," chorused the others, except Miss Sallie, who took toher bed immediately, and dropped off to sleep as soon as her headtouched the pillow.
"Stephen," asked Ruth at dinner, "do you believe poor Jose was caught inthe fire?"
"It's rather a horrible idea," said Stephen, "yet I don't know what elseto think. He must have caught wind, somehow, that we had found him outand concluded to hide in the woods."
"Old Jennie wishes to speak to you, sir," announced John.
"Bring her in here," ordered the major, and Jennie was ushered into thedining-room. "How are you, Jennie? I am glad to see you," said themajor, leading her to a chair. "I hope you were not injured by thefire?"
"Be there anyone here but friends?" whispered Jennie.
"No one, Jennie. What is it?"
"When the storm came up I went straight to the forest," said the oldwoman. "Adam went with me and we took his horse and wagon. The fire hadnot touched the road and the ground was wet where we walked. As wepassed by the place----" here she put her finger to her lips and gazedwildly about, "you remember, young ladies? I went over to see if all waswell. The door was open and on the floor lay the young man. He is notdead, but he is very ill here," old Jennie pressed her hand to herchest. "He has swallowed the smoke. We put him in the wagon and he isoutside."
"Jose here? Outside?" they all cried at once, rushing to the front door.
In the pouring rain, Zerlina and her grandmother were leaning over ayoung man stretched out prone in Adam's wagon. He wore the greenvelveteen suit now so familiar to "The Automobile Girls," and throughhis belt gleamed the dagger he had used to slash the tires with. When hewas lifted out, they caught a glimpse of his face. Jose it was, but Josegrown thin and haggard in a day and a night. The boys carried himtenderly upstairs and laid him on his own bed. Zerlina and hergrandmother followed close at their heels.
"Do you know him, then?" asked Stephen of the Gypsy girl.
"Yes," she replied defiantly. "He is my brother. Antonio is his name."
"Whew-w-w," whistled Stephen under his breath. "So Jose was an impostorafter all. I must say I hoped till the last."
"Well, well," answered the major, "we won't hit a man when he is down,my son, and this boy is pretty sick. The girl is his sister, you say?She and her grandmother had better nurse him, then. Send the old womanto me. I want to speak with her in the library."
After being closeted with Granny Ann for half an hour the major flungwide the library door and called to the others to come in. Hisgood-natured, handsome face was wrinkled into an expression of utterbewilderment, but relief gleamed through his troubled eyes.
"Children," he cried, "come here, every one of you. Jose is vindicated.Thank heavens for that. The boy upstairs is not our Jose at all, but hishalf-brother, Antonio. Now, where do you suppose Jose has hiddenhimself? I trust, I earnestly hope, not in the woods."
"It seems," continued the major, "Jose's father was married twice. Anice chap, Jose. I trust he is safe to-night, for his poor father's sakeas well as for his own."
"And his second wife, uncle?" interrupted Stephen.
"Yes, yes, my boy," continued the major, patting his nephewaffectionately on the shoulder, "and the second wife was a beautifulGypsy singer, who had two children, Zerlina and Antonio, the unfortunateyoung man now occupying Jose's room. A Gypsy rarely marries outside herown people and this one longed to return to her tribe. One day she ranaway taking her children with her, and Martinez never saw his wifeagain, for she died soon after. He has tried, in every way, to recoverthe children, but until now the Gypsies have always managed to hide themeffectually. Since they were children Antonio has hated his half brotherJose and from time to time has threatened his life. Once, in Gibraltar,the brother almost succeeded in killing him." (The girls remembered howmuch Jose had disliked the mention of Gibraltar.) "Antonio was a badboy, utterly undisciplined. He ran about Europe and this country, seeingwhat harm he could do, but neither his father nor his brother could everlocate him. Jose finally heard that the children were in America andcame over to try to reason with the Gypsies to let Zerlina, at least, goto school. I do not suppose he reckoned on finding them so near, and,when Antonio tried to rob and murder, Jose was divided in his mind as towhether to give his brother up or let him go. He must have suffered agood deal, poor fellow. I wish Jose had confided his troubles to me.Now, maybe, it's too late to help him."
"And the knife?" asked Bab.
"There were two knives which belonged to the Martinez family. The Gypsytook one away with her when she left her husband."
"Will Antonio stay here to-night, Major?" said Mollie, timidly,remembering the masked robber and his murderous weapon.
"He is too ill, now, to do any harm, little one," replied the major,taking her hand. "Besides, his grandmother and sister will watch overhim I feel certain, and who knows but the boy may have some good in himafter all?" he added, always trying to see the best in everybody.
"Nevertheless, we'll lock our doors," exclaimed Ruth. "It's not so easyto forget that our highwayman is sleeping across the hall."