*CHAPTER XVI*
*THE DISAPPEARANCE*
"Juliet Temple has not returned, Sally. Mother feels uneasy and told meto ask if you knew anything of her plans. We feel especiallyresponsible now that Tante is away, as she made it a point that we wereto look after Juliet while she was gone and see that she was notlonely."
"Why, what has happened, Bettina?" Sally inquired serenely. "I am sureyou have been more than attentive for the past few days."
The long twilights were beginning and with dinner over, Sally and Danwere sitting in the hammock under the linden trees, one of Sally'sfavorite resorts.
The other members of the house party were in the garden, where already afew tiny spears were appearing from seeds planted but a brief time ago,so swift had been the arrival of the heat that of late there had beendays more like summer than spring.
"Well, perhaps Juliet was so bored with my society that she haspreferred to run away. She told mother this morning that she wished togo to the mainland on the early boat and would be away all day. Mothermade a point of making her promise to return in the afternoon. But nowthe last boat has come and gone and there is no chance of her reachingthe island until to-morrow, unless some friend brings her across, whichdoes not seem probable. We might go over in the motor launch and searchfor her, but discovering her would be another matter."
"Didn't Juliet intend to spend the night away from the island?" Sallyinquired. "Otherwise why did she take her suit case? I saw her startingoff with it."
"She wished to bring back her purchases and said she thought this wouldbe the simplest method of carrying them. I declare I don't know what weought to do. I would not for a great deal have Juliet in any difficulty;the very fact that Tante thinks we do not like her would make me moreuncomfortable if matters have gone wrong."
"Is there anything I can do to be useful?" Dan asked. "Tell Aunt Bettythat of course I am at her service."
There was in Dan's manner a constraint that puzzled Bettina, while Sallycontinued to rock idly to and fro, Dan having risen on Bettina'sarrival.
"You seem remarkably uninterested, Sally," she declared with unusualirritability, since ordinarily Bettina possessed a fine self-control.
"Sorry," Sally answered calmly, "but you see, my dear, I have aconviction that Juliet Temple is well able to take care of herself.Suppose we walk to the house, so that Dan may ask Aunt Betty if shewishes him to do anything in the matter.
"You and I might go up to Juliet's room and investigate. Endeavor todiscover if she has taken any of her belongings which might give one theidea that she planned to be away over night."
"Oh, very well, Sally, although it seems unnecessary. If Juliet wishedto remain away who would or could have objected, so what possible reasonfor secrecy? Being a determined person, however, perhaps I had best doas you say.
"Dan, you will find mother in the drawing-room. Ask her to take nosteps until Sally and I report any discovery we may make. Has it everoccurred to you that Sally is under the impression she has a gift fordetective work?"
Her speech was a perfectly idle one so Bettina was puzzled to observeSally blush uncomfortably and lower her eyes, while Dan said "No" in anannoyed tone.
Ten minutes after, the two girls were standing facing each other inJuliet Temple's room, which adjoined Mrs. Burton's larger one.
"Really, Sally dear, I do not like to peer into Juliet's private closetor bureau drawers. Would you mind looking first, since after all I amher hostess and you are not."
Sally smiled the demure smile with which she covered a number ofsituations.
"So, Bettina, you wish me to do something you have an aversion to doingyourself? Never mind, I don't particularly object and you do. Besides,the suggestion originated with me and if I am right or wrong, I shallsummon the courage to confess to Juliet, although I shall not enjoy it.I shall tell her that Aunt Betty was uneasy and we thought perhaps shehad arranged to spend the night with friends and used this method tofind out."
So saying, Sally drew forth the top drawer of the mahogany chest ofdrawers, then a second and a third drawer; each and every one wasentirely empty.
Without comment the two girls walked across the room and togetherunfastened the closet door; not a dress or garment of any kind hunginside.
"Sally, Juliet does not intend to return! _Why_, I don't understand, wehave done our best to be courteous and she might at least have saidgood-by. I presume she has gone to Tante's New York apartment. Do youthink we should telegraph and say she is no longer here."
Sally shook her head.
"Not for the present, but of course we must tell Aunt Betty and Dan andlearn their opinion. Wait another moment, please."
Returning to the empty drawers, Sally began searching diligentlyunderneath the neatly folded papers lining each one. Finally sheremoved them.
"I thought it barely possible Juliet might have left a note for Tante.She understands that she is to return in another thirty-six hours andprobably would wish to explain to her."
"Here is a letter, Sally, addressed to Mrs. Richard Burton and sealedwith sealing wax!" Bettina exclaimed, having answered Sally's suggestionby entering the adjoining room and slipping her hand under one of thepillows of Mrs. Burton's bed.
"I presume this letter does inform Tante why Juliet found existence withthe Camp Fire girls by the blue lagoon so disagreeable that she couldnot endure the experience during the week of her absence. Well, I amjust as glad we discovered the letter and grateful to you, Sally, forthe idea. I never have pretended that you do not understand humannature better than the rest of us, although no one would guess the factexcept through long acquaintance with you. Juliet, I suppose, neverdreamed that we would search Tante's bed for the concealed letter and sobelieved it would not be unearthed until her return. I don't know whatgave me the inspiration to look there? Personally I wish Juliet hadvanished from Tante's life for all time, rather than until the close ofher visit to us. Let us go down to the drawing-room and make ourreport. I'll bear the letter with me and see if mother thinks we shoulddare open it."
"No, I do not consider it wise to open Polly's letter," Mrs. Grahamstated ten minutes later. "She is so unnecessarily sensitive about thegirl, I don't wish her to feel that we regard Juliet's behavior as morethan ordinarily discourteous. I am relieved that she planned herdisappearance, so she is not in any trouble. Polly will decide what isbest when she learns what Juliet wishes her to know. Put the letter inPolly's room, please, Bettina, dear, not under her pillow, that seems toimply secrecy; lay it upon her desk where she will be apt to observe itsoon after her arrival. Thank goodness, she will be at home afteranother day and two nights. She has been with me so little in the pastyears I begrudge the loss of each day."
Bettina sat down on the arm of her mother's chair.
"Is Aunt Patricia coming with Tante, mother, you have not said?"
"Yes, I think so, I have had a room made ready, although in Polly's lastletter Aunt Patricia still seemed to be arguing the question. I neverhave had much doubt, however, that she finally would do what Pollyinsists upon.
"However, the battle will not be severe, as Aunt Patricia is longing tosurrender."