CHAPTER XII
THE "UNPLANNED" PLANS
Cora was always a pretty girl, but in her corn-colored, empire gown,that morning at the breakfast table, even her own brother was forcedto express openly his admiration for her.
"Whew, Cora!" he exclaimed, "but you do look like a--tea-rose in thatwrapper."
"Jack, dear, this is not a wrapper, but the very best design inempire," and she smoothed out the fullness that lay about her.
"Well, it's all right, anyway," declared Jack. "Makes me think of roseleaves, the way it clings about you."
"What a pretty speech, brother. Now, if that had only been saved upfor Bess, or Belle or Hazel! By the way, we haven't seen Hazel thissummer. I suppose she is studying as hard as ever. What a pity abright girl like Hazel is not bright enough to save her health bytaking the regulation vacation."
"Well, with Paul away I suppose Hazel thinks there is nothing left todo but study. I never saw brother and sister more attached," remarkedJack, taking his fruit from the dainty leaves in which, when Cora"kept house," she always insisted that fruit be served.
Paul and Hazel Hastings were indeed devoted brother and sister. Paulwas also a devotee of the motor, and more than the amateur chauffeur,yet not quite the professional. He had an interesting part to play inthe story "The Motor Girls On a Tour." But Cora had just remarked,Hazel had not been with them during the summer in which this storytook place, and, as Jack further explained, this was due to the factthat Paul Hastings, after a severe illness, had taken a position tooperate a car abroad, Mr. Robinson having arranged the "business end,"in recognition of Paul's heroic work for Mr. Robinson in a mysteriousrobbery.
"But Belle had a letter from Hazel," said Jack, after some thought,the trick of which was not lost on Cora. "Yes, she said Hazel might goaway with them. And now, sis, where are they going, anyway? Come,haven't I waited long enough for that secret?"
"It really isn't any secret, Jack, but the girls have a baby way ofwanting to keep things to themselves until all the preparations aremade. I find it convenient to--keep my affairs to myself, so you see,dear, I have a selfish motive in humoring the others."
Cora's cheeks lighted under the cascade of shadows that fell from hersplendid black hair. Jack saw, too, that his "little sister" wasgrowing up, and even in her summer plans there were things other thanflounces and frills to be considered.
The lighter vein of their conversation had been taken up after Corahad told her brother all that she felt it was prudent to tell aboutAndy's early morning call. And now----
"Well, I suppose you are determined to see the detective fellows,"said Jack, moving Cora's chair out so that she might more easily leavethe table.
"What else can I do?" she asked, and answered at once, with herdecisive tone of voice.
"I think with Andy--you ought to 'git away,'" and Jack smiled inimitating the earnest youngster.
"And make matters look as if I were more deeply involved than I reallyam? Now, Jack, dear, that is not like you."
"No matter what you make matters look like, so long as you don't makethem look like themselves," replied the boy. "That's my brand of logicin a case like this. Don't you see, sis, you may throw them off thetrack, and by getting a chance to talk with you, they are bound tofind out something, or lose their badges."
Cora's face was bent in the roses that stood on the serving table."But what could I do?" she asked, this time with less decision.
"Anything. Just take a run to--the beach--or anywhere. Leave me to seethe officers."
The rapid tooting of horn of the _Flyaway_ interrupted them.
"My!" exclaimed Cora, "more early morning callers? There's Bess!"
And, true enough, there was Bess, guiding her car up the drive, herveil flying in the breeze, and her cheeks like the very roses thatoutlined the path.
"Why the where-for-ness?" demanded Jack. "I am startled--collapsed--Imight say, by the suddenness of this--pleasure----"
"Now, Jack," and Bess had alighted from her car, "you are not to makejokes, we haven't time. I am almost dead from hurrying. Motherdecided, about midnight last night, that we should go to----"
Then she stopped. How silly it would be to blurt out in one mouthfulall the story of their secret planning!
"Oh, go ahead," said Jack with a light laugh. "I am deaf and dumb,also blind and halt. I have no idea where you are going. A trip overthe Rockies----"
"Come in, Bess dear," said Cora, "and leave the boy to himself. Youare certainly out of breath, and----"
Cora drew the arm of her friend within her own, and with all sorts ofglances at Jack, who was actually seated in the _Flyaway_ to make surethat the girls would not get away without his knowledge, Bess and Corapassed into the house.
"We are going to-day," went on Bess. "Mother wants our Western friendsto have an outing at the beach--they have never been to salt water--and,as they must start back in a few days, we have to go to-day. Can youcome?"
"How could I--go, this very day?"
"Why, we won't start until afternoon. And you have everything ready,"urged Bess. "It will be fun. We'll stop over night at a hotel andreach the shore next day."
It seemed to Cora that all the powers were conspiring to get her outof Chelton that day, and it also seemed as if it might be rash tooppose such a force. True, she did have everything ready, and herhousehold matters were always in such shape she could leave theservants on an hour's warning. Bess saw that Cora was uncertain, andshe hurried to take advantage of the possible favorable opportunity.
"Oh, Cora, do come! What a perfectly stupid time we would have on thatlong run with just mama and the others. We wanted to go in the_Flyaway_ and let them go by train, but, of course, mama would nothear to that. So now papa has hired a big machine and a chauffeur fromthe garage and Belle and I will go in our '_Bird_,' while the otherstravel near us in the hired car. Don't you see, if you go along withthe _Whirlwind_ what a splendid time we shall have?"
"Let's tell Jack--or ask him," said Cora finally. "He knows we aregetting ready for some trip, and I guess we can trust him not to tellthe other boys."
"Don't you want the other boys to know?" asked Bess, a tone ofdisappointment in her voice.
"Do you?" asked Cora, mischievously.
"Oh, I suppose they will find it out. And besides, Cora, honestly,don't you think we would be--lonely without--the boys?"
Cora burst into a merry laugh. "There, Bess, my dear, you have brokenthe watchword--you are to be responsible for the boys. We pledgedourselves, as we always do, to 'keep them out' this time."
When Jack heard the news he hugged Cora in the very presence of Bess.The sister knew what he meant (it was getting away from thedetectives), although Bess was somewhat embarrassed at the extravagantshow of affection. Then Jack did what a boy does "when in doubt," hestarted a series of somersaults and sofa pillow turns, until Coradeclared he quite forgot that he was in the company of ladies.
With profuse apologies he assumed an unwonted show of dignity, andwithout another word went upstairs and called up first Ed and thenWalter on the telephone, telling each all he knew, and all he couldguess about the trip to Lookout Beach, and fairly begged the boys togo along!
"I am afraid the girls will have to spoil their trip if we don't go,"he said to Ed, who had made a half excuse, "for they really couldn'ttravel along that road without us!"
And this in the very face of the fact that the elders were goingalong, and that the girls had declared that no boys _could_ go!
"Won't there be high jinks!" Jack asked, and he told himself, with ajolly chuckle, as he hung up the receiver and went down to the girls,that if any "jinks" were lacking, it would not be his fault.
"Too bad we fellows can't take you out a little way," he said,innocently, as he came downstairs, "but the fact is, we have madeplans--our plans are still secret!" and Jack ran down the walk like thebig boy that he was in spite of his few years of good record atcollege.
Turning as he reached the street, he s
houted:
"Oh you--secrets!" then Cora and Bess were left alone.
"Well, I suppose I can go," said Cora, finally, "although it does seemstrange to leave town in such haste. But after all, if I remainlonger, I shall only find more things to be attended to, and I will bejust as well off to--escape from them."
Bess was delighted, of course. She knew Cora so well, and she hadgrave fears that the methodical young girl would not run away at suchshort notice, but, now that she had gained her chum's consent, Besshad need to hurry back and finish up her own preparations.
Jack was on his way to the post-office, when he saw the now familiarfigure of little Andy. He hailed him pleasantly, and the boy lost notime in hurrying up to the tall young man who waited for him.
"Now, Andy," began Jack, "suppose you tell me about those women--thosewho are after my sister. When did they say they were coming toChelton?"
"I heard them tell the--the men that they would come in on the twoo'clock trolley," said Andy, "and that was the reason I thought itwould be better fer your sister to be--out of town. Is she goin'?"
"I guess she is," replied Jack, much amused at the boy's earnestness."But she has no reason, you know, to want to avoid any one."
Andy hung his head. Then he thrust his hands into his pockets. Thislatter gesture Jack knew was equivalent to preparing for a sudden shotof information.
"It looks bad," said the boy, timidly.
"What looks bad?" demanded Jack.
"Well," said Andy, "maybe you won't believe me, but it was just thisway. I was under the window listening, when all of a sudden old Ramsytook out of her pocketbook a slip of paper. She handed it to the man,and said that she had found it in the girls' room, and that she wassure that your sister gave it to Rose, for she saw her slip somethinginto her hand as Rose went out from the shed. The man read what was onthe paper and then put it on the window sill. A nice little breezecame along----"
"And blew it right out to you," finished Jack, not attempting to hidehis surprise at the boy's astuteness.
"Yep, and I've got it right here," Andy declared, jabbing his handinto his torn blouse, and then from the depths of what might have beena handkerchief, had it not been beyond identification, he produced acard.
"That's my sister's card," said Jack, still showing surprise. Then heturned to the reverse side. He read the words, written in pencil:Clover Cottage--Lookout Beach. "That's nothing," he added, "that's thecottage where my sister is going to spend the summer. She wrote it onthe card for a memorandum, I suppose, and forgot about it."
"But Nellie and Rose had it in their room," persisted Andy.
"Perhaps my sister asked them to write to her," went on Jack,wondering why he bothered so much with the idle chat of an ignoranturchin.
"Well, Mrs. Ramsy said if she could get hold of the girl that gavethat card to her girls, she would not wait for judge or justice butshe would--well, she said she would do lots of things."
Jack laughed outright. "Now, see here," he went on, finally, "you hadbetter take this car back to Squaton, Andy. You have been away fromhome for a long time, and the first thing you know they will havedetectives looking for you. Or, maybe, they will say--you ran after thegirls!"
It was not like Jack to joke in that strain, but the lad looked socomical, and he said such serious things in contrast to hisappearance, that for the life of him, Jack could not resist thetemptation to tease him.
"Nope. I'm not goin' home," declared Andy. "Mom knows where I am, andI am goin' to stay in town till the two o'clock trolley comes in."
"To meet the Ram and the Schenk?" asked Jack, laughing. "Then at leasttake this change, and look the town over. Buy some ice cream and--abrick bat or two to have ready when----"
"There's a fellow I know," interrupted Andy, and taking the profferedcoin, he was soon lost to Jack, and to the business of detecting thedetectives.