CHAPTER XIX
A STRANGE DISCOVERY
Adonis and Rosebud sat for a while at the side of the miniaturelake, where the pretty little lights dimpled in the placid waters,and where now a score of merrymakers were clamoring for a ride inthe tiny launch which Jack Kimball and his chums, Ed and Walter, hadrigged up, in order to add picturesqueness to the fete.
"Don't you want to take a sail?" asked the Greek youth of his faircompanion.
"Oh, no, indeed, thank you. I must leave that for the others."
"You must?" and he accented the last word, as if to penetrate herdisguise by this act of deference to the "others."
"Oh, well," she answered hesitatingly, "I never did care much forsailing, to tell the truth--especially in a--tub. I prefer a placewhere there is at least room in which to dip my hands."
"Then let us walk," he suggested. "I am anxious to see all over thegrounds. Aren't they splendid? Just see that cave formed by thecedars, back of the lighted path. I declare' this place looks like areal fairyland to-night."
"I am glad you like it," replied the girl. "I--er--" She clappedher dainty hand over her masked mouth. She was near to betraying heridentity.
"Like it?" he repeated. "How could I do otherwise? But in all thishuman garden there is no fairer flower than--Rosebud," and hebrought her hand reverently to his lips.
"Oh! You--you mustn't be too--too gay!" she expostulated, but shelaughed as she said it. "You know the patronesses have specified--"
"There!" he exclaimed, interrupting her. "It's all right, Rosebud,"and he tucked her arm within his own. "I will make love to the treesif it pleases you. But let us walk about the grounds. I am afraidthe curtain will be suddenly rung down and leave us again justmortals."
Rosebud felt that it was, pretty--very pretty. She was entirelysatisfied with herself and her friends. Then Adonis--wasn't hesplendid? And how courteous--almost like the brave knights of old.
They approached a spot gloomy with shadows.
From it they heard voices in a gentle murmur--voices near whatAdonis had called the cedar cave.
Involuntarily, at the sound of one voice, Rosebud pressed hercompanion's arm. She heard some one say:
"I must go home at once--I am so frightened!"
There came an answering whisper, but it was in tones that indicateda youth pleading.
"I have--I have done it," again came the girl's frightened whisper."I did what you asked me to, and I don't see why you don't take mehome."
There was almost a sob in her voice.
"What? Just when I'm having a fine time?" objected the other. "Whydon't you want to stay? No one could have seen you drop it into---"
"Hush!" cautioned the girl desperately.
"Oh, you're just nervous--that's all."
Rosebud felt that she should not hear any more, but she would eitherhave to cross the path near the cave and allow the hidden ones tosee her, or she must wait until they had come out, as, if she andher companion retreated now, they would make a noise on the gravel,and it would be heard. Adonis seemed to understand the situation,and whispered to his companion:
"Stay. They'll be gone in a moment." He drew her farther back intothe shadows.
"If you don't take me home," continued the girl in the cedar cave,"I'll ask some one else to. I certainly shall not stay until supperand have to unmask. I dare not."
"Just as you like," was the cool response.
"And I risked it all for you--spoiled my entire evening. I'll knowbetter next time!"
"Well, I'm going to make it up to you," said her companion.
There was a movement of the cedars, and two figures emerged fromamid the trees. They crossed the path. They were Antonio and thenun.
Rosebud drew Adonis farther back from the path. The others passedon without seeing them and at once began talking gaily, as if theyhad been merrymaking with the rest but Rosebud and Adonis detectedthe false note in their laughter. Adonis pressed the little warmhand on his sleeve.
"Do you know them?" he asked.
"I--suspect them," she replied.
"So do I," he almost gasped, "and with good reason. I have justfound something in my pocket."
"In your pocket?"
"Yes, quite a bulky package. I did not notice it until thismoment."
"But how--"
"Don't ask me how it got there. It's just--there. I did not evenknow there was a pocket in this cloak I wore. Whoever put thepackage there was more clever than I."
"But what is it?"
"I'm going to look--Cora."
"Cora? Then you know me--Ed?"
"As you do me. Of course. Did you think you could deceive me?"
"I--I hoped to. But the package--what does, it contain?"
"We will look--together."
He led her to a dangling electric light, drew, something from thefolds of his cloak, and unwrapped the paper. Then he gave anexclamation of surprise.
"Ten thousand dollars of my missing bonds!" he whispered.
"Really, Ed?"
He extended them to her.
"Oh, Ed! I'm so glad!"
"So am I, yet I have been suspecting it."
"Suspecting it?"
"Yes. I may as well admit it, of late I have not worried about myloss. Recently I have been convinced that it would come back. Andyou see I was right."
"But this is only half of it."
"I know, but the rest will come. It is not so easy to return thecash."
"But who could have slipped it into your pocket?"
"Don't you know? Can't you guess--after what we heard?"
"The--the nun?"
"Exactly."
"And she is--"
"That is a mystery--as yet, but I have my suspicions. She brushedpast me in a crowd, and I thought I felt her hand upon my velvetcloak, but as I never suspected the garment contained a pocket, Igave it no further thought. Had I the remotest idea--what hadhappened there might have been a disturbance. But the talk we heardjust now gave me a clue."
"Hush!" exclaimed Cora, and she shivered slightly in her rather thincostume. "Here come Paul and Belle. I have penetrated theirdisguises. Isn't Paul splendid as Marc Anthony? and Belle makes aperfectly classical Psyche."
"And Walter?" asked Ed with a veiled hint of jealousy in his tones.
"It was horrid of him to play the clown."
"But I like him best in some such humble role," spoke Ed.
"I wish you had not discovered me," went on Cora. "It would be suchfun to hear things, and say things, in some other character thanourselves."
"But I could not find, even in the Rosebud, a fairer type than thatof Jack's real sister," he replied gallantly.
"There's the supper gong!" exclaimed Cora; "and I must hurry away,as I have my duties to look after. Oh, but I'm so glad about themoney. I wish it were all back. Are you going to make this public?"
"I don't know. We'll talk about it again."
"Well, run along now," commanded the girl with a pretty air ofsuperiority. "Why don't you join in with that milkmaid andPocahontas? They are charming--both of them."
"I think I will just run along with--Rosebud," he answered, and hedrew her arm more firmly within his own as they advanced toward thefairy tables set about all over the lawn, where, as the repast wasserved, masks were suddenly taken off, and the merrymakers weretreated to many surprises.
"Oh!" cried the pretty milkmaid to Hiawatha. "How could you--JackKimball?"
"Oh!" answered Jack, who had quite recovered from his little autoaccident. "Oh! How could you--Bess? And you know perfectly well youdid squeeze my hand--once."
"Oh, you horrid boy, I did not!"
"Well, you may now, if you like," and he extended it, but Bess drewback.
"And to think," cried the beautiful Psyche, who was Belle Robinson,"that I have actually been--"
"Letting a perfectly strange chap make love to you!" added Paul,helping her out, for Paul was Marc Anthony, and had spentconsiderabl
e time with Belle.
"Oh!" cried the girl, recovering herself quickly. "Wasthat--making--love?" and she looked archly at him.
"I--er--I rather hoped it was," he replied grimly.
Night--Hazel, you must know--had been flitting around with Hiawathaand the clown, but toward the end the latter had attached himself toher, to the exclusion of the Indian youth, and now WalterPennington, with a shake of his head which set all the foolishlittle bells to ringing, told Paul's sister how delighted he was torenew his acquaintance with her.
Adonis and Rosebud had a table directly under the umbrella tree.
"I must run in-doors for a second," Cora whispered to Ed when theices were being passed. "I want to speak to Jack. I just saw himgoing in."
"May I come?"
"With me?"
"Yes. You see, those bonds are burning a hole in well, in my lacehandkerchief, and I wish Jack would put them in the safe in thehouse."
"Why, certainly. Come along. But see, there is Antonio--and thenun is not with him."
"Yes," spoke Ed. "I saw her go away with Priscilla."
"Priscilla?"
"Yes; and John Alden never spoke for himself."
"Priscilla," murmured Cora. "Do you know who she was?"
"No. Who?"
"Mary Downs."
"Mary--why, I thought she was out of town."
"She was, but she came back to-day, and I helped her fix up acostume. And so the nun went off with her?"
Cora walked slowly toward the house, Ed following.