CHAPTER XVII
AT WAYSIDE INN
The light still gleamed under the door of the alcove room. Jack wasnot sorry that he would have company in his bundle investigation.
"But Walter and Ed will blame me for not giving them the tip," he toldhimself. "We surely could have bagged that wild bird, if there onlyhad been some one on the other side of the hedge."
Ed opened the door before Jack had time to knock.
"Where in the world have you been?" demanded the young man, who stoodwithin the room, clothed in the splendor of a real athlete. "We hadjust about given you up. Who is she?"
"Search me?" replied Jack, laughing at the fitness of the slang and atthe same time apologizing for its vulgarity. "If I only knew who shewas I'd feel better."
"If he only knew who she was," repeated Walter, between a howl and agrunt.
"Oh, if he only knew," added Ed, dragging Jack into the room, andclosing the door after him.
Then they saw the package. Walter grabbed it from Jack's hands. "Didshe send it to us?" he asked, placing it comically on the washstandand making queer "passes" in front of it.
"It's for me," insisted Ed. "She promised to send me just that verybundle," and he yanked it from the stand and placed it on the mantel.
"Oh, for goodness sake, open it," interrupted Jack, glad of a goodchance to get some one other than himself to attempt that uncertainproceeding.
"It's light," commented Ed, giving the ends of the package an undoingtwist.
Walter and Jack leaned over very close. Ed stretched out his arms tokeep them off.
Then the paper spread open and the contents were in full sight.
A mass of light-brown hair!
"Oh, you--murderer!" exclaimed Ed, as loudly as the hour would politelyadmit. "To scalp her!"
But Jack was more surprised than were his friends.
"A girl's hair!" he exclaimed.
"_Her_ hair!" corrected Ed. "Oh, if he only knew who _she_ was!" andhis voice mocked the words Jack had uttered when he entered the room.
"Jack Kimball!" ejaculated Walter. "This is the 'unkindest cut ofall.'"
"We denounce you!" added Ed. "This is outrageous!"
Jack looked closely at the severed locks. "A pretty color," he mused."Sort of burnished gold!"
This attempt at the poetical brought the unrestrained wrath of hiscompanions on his head, for both Walter and Ed simply "fell to," andpounded Jack "good and proper."
He begged for mercy. Then they did let him go.
"Now, honest Injun," started Walter, "tell us about it."
But the strange race through the hedge was really too unusual to becomprehended or believed at once. Still Jack insisted upon everydetail of the affair, and his friends finally did believe a part ofit, at least.
"And whose locks do you suppose they are?" asked Ed when theopportunity for that question arrived.
"If I--only--knew!" reiterated Jack.
"Let me see!" murmured the prudent Walter. "What was the shade of hairworn by the runaways of the strawberry patch? If I mistake not----"
"You win!" interrupted Jack. "They were strawberry blondes!"
"And it's as clear as the nose on your face that they had to cut thelocks off--that they are here in the hotel at this very moment----"
He was actually jumping into his outer clothes.
"Where are you going?" demanded Jack.
"To find Rose," insisted Ed. "My Rose--or was she your Rose--and is shemy Nellie?"
"For goodness sake, man!" wailed Jack, "don't make any further fussaround here to-night. The ladies and the girls will be scared to deathif you start chasing my--shadow. We have got to-morrow to investigate.If the runaways are here to-night they will be here to-morrow."
"That sounds like good advice," assented Walter. "And if I don't get alittle rest there will be great ugly dark rings under my eyes, and mycomplexion will simply be ruined."
"And his hair won't stay up," added Ed, taking up the girlish toneWalter had assumed. "Well, if you beauties must sleep suppose you goat it. I could snore looking at the floor," and Ed suited his actionsto the words, for very shortly, neither Walter nor Jack could compelhim to answer a single question with so much as an intelligent grunt.
It seemed scarcely possible that daylight had come, when a tapping atthe door awoke Jack.
"Jack," called Cora, "I must speak with you. Come out as soon as youcan."
"Now what's up?" asked Ed with a yawn.
"We've got to get up," replied Walter, "and since you managed to getto sleep first, we will give you first whack at the wash basin."
"Thanks, but help yourself, Wallie," said Ed, turning over on hissingle bed, three of which sort were stretched out across the longold-fashioned room. "This is a fine day for sleeping."
But in spite of the young man's determination to "prolong," he wascompelled, by his companions, to join them in a quick washing anddressing act, and then take breakfast with the motor party on thebroad side-porch.
Mrs. Robinson was ill--that was the important piece of information thatCora wished to disclose to Jack.
"We must stay here to-day," insisted Belle, "for mamma could neverbear to travel with one of her bad headaches. Of course she could notavoid one after the awful experience of last night."
"Well, this place isn't half bad," declared Jack, showing his positiveregard for the breakfast before him. "We might all do worse than spenda day at the Wayside."
He was thinking of the advantage that the stay would give him inmaking a search for the girl who had lost her package of newly-cuthair. He had not as yet had an opportunity to consult with Cora; infact, there seemed plenty to do at the Wayside, and it would allrequire time.
Mrs. Robinson insisted that the young folks enjoy themselves, and gowherever they wished, as she declared, she would be better and quieterwith her friend Miss Steel. Miss Steel herself felt none too goodafter the experience and wetting of the past night, so the two ladieswere not annoyed by unnecessary fussing, and unneeded attention.
"Isn't this a wonderful old place, though?" commented Walter, as he,with the others had finished the meal, and all were about to go outexploring. "Did you see the fireplace in the dining room?"
Thereupon all hands repaired again to the great big old-fashioneddining room, where a few rather delicate-looking persons were stilllingering over their coffee.
A waitress, in cap and apron, flitted about the apartment. A secondgirl brought some extra fruit to a little man, who sat against thewall in the corner, and as the two girls met at the buffet Jack heardthe remark:
"Wasn't it mean for them to leave without notice? It will give _us_ agood day's work."
"Yes," replied the second girl, "and napkin day, too. Weren't they ina hurry to get away, though? You'd think some one was after them!"
A titter from the older girl was interpreted to mean that no one couldpossibly be after those spoken of. Then both girls picked up some oddsand ends from different tables, and left the room.
Jack's heart sank--if a boy's heart ever does anything like that. Atleast, his hope of finding the runaway girls was, for the time,shattered. He was instantly convinced that the persons to whom thewaitresses referred, could be none other than those who were soardently sought by the motor girls. He was also just as thoroughlyconvinced that the runaways had already started on a new trail, andwere beyond his reach.
Cora, Bess and Belle were in ecstacies over the antique settings ofthe big room, while Ed and Walter were doing what they could toemphasize the glories of a "side walk," as they termed the broadstones, in front of the fireplace.
"Fine for fire crackers on a wet Fourth," said Walter foolishly.
"Splendid for walnuts on a cold night," put in Ed with something likecommon sense.
Jack slipped out unnoticed. He went directly to the inn office.
"If only the girls had not yet left the place," he was hoping. "And tothink that I should have let them slip through my fingers like that!Cora wil
l begin to lose faith in me," he reflected. "When she findsout that I have not seen the detectives, and when she reallyidentifies the hair as that of----"
At the office he was informed that all the servants of Wayside Innwere in charge of the housekeeper, whose office he would find at therear, near the pergola.
Thither Jack betook himself. He found the office without anydifficulty, but the housekeeper was very busy, and could not see himat once. The wait was vexatious, but Jack amused himself with notingthe peculiar furnishings of the room, that served for an office. Itlooked more like a big clothes closet for white aprons and ginghamaprons, while all sorts of towels were hung around in abundance.
Maids came in and took white aprons, but the presence of a young manevidently prevented them from arranging the swiss ties and sashesthere, so those who seemed in a hurry went out with freshly launderedarticles on their arms.
Several remarks that Jack overheard seemed to relate to the girls whohad left recently, and although he was on the alert to gather anypossible definite information, none was forthcoming.
Finally the little window back of a shelf was raised, and the head ofan elderly woman was framed therein.
Jack stepped up to the "ticket office." "Are there two girls namedCatron employed here?" he asked.
"I have never had any help of that name," the woman replied, promptly,but politely.
"Perhaps they have used some other name," ventured the young man,feeling decidedly ill at ease.
"Why?" asked the housekeeper who, Jack learned, was Miss Turner.
"Well, the girls I am searching for--ran away from their home," heblurted out.
"Oh my!" exclaimed the woman. "I hope no such young ladies wouldpresent themselves at the Wayside Inn."
"They might," ventured Jack. "You see, the girls were not altogetherto blame. They were orphans, and did not have a good home."
The woman looked puzzled. "I wonder if they could have been the twogirls who were here yesterday?" she said. "They left early thismorning, and I so much wanted them to stay to-day. Could you describethem?"
"Well, I am afraid not," said Jack, "but my sister is a guest here,and it is she who is interested in these poor girls." Jack feltinfinitely better now that he had, in a measure, cleared himself of apersonal interest in the runaways.
"If you will wait until I give a few dinner orders," said Miss Turner,"I will go with you and talk with your sister. I am always willing,and anxious, to assist needy young girls."
This offer was accepted with thanks, and presently Jack conducted thematron to the private parlor, where he knew he would be able toarrange a quiet talk between her and Cora.