CHAPTER VIII
A STARTLING DISCOVERY
All was confusion at the strawberry patch. The two orphan girls, Roseand Nellie Catron, had disappeared the night before, it was said, andnot until shortly before the arrival of our friends in theautomobiles, was another loss discovered--that of a pair of veryvaluable diamond earrings, the property of Miss Hanna Schenk,otherwise known among the pickers as "Mrs. Blazes."
So it was that the Chelton young folks, as Jack said, "struck ahornet's nest," for Mrs. Ramsy, somehow, seemed to be of the opinionthat Cora could tell, if she would, something about the runaways.
"What could give you that idea, Mrs. Ramsy?" demanded Coraindignantly. "I only saw your nieces while I was here the other day,and I am sure I would have advised them to stay where they were, hadthey ever mentioned to me their intentions of leaving."
"That's all very well, young lady," growled the woman, "but I noticedhow them girls edged up to you, and your friends, and I warn you, if Ifind that you have helped them off I'll have the law on _you_."
At this the young men came up to the shed where the unpleasantconversation was in progress. Jack, of course, was indignant, and, notonly did he oblige Cora to leave the place at once, but, while doingso, he expressed his opinion directly to Mrs. Ramsy as to his personalmeasure of her character.
The whole affair was rather awkward, and the Robinson girls wereobliged to leave the patch once more without their crate of berries.
Just outside the wire fence, and when the girls were about to stepinto the cars, they were hailed by Andy--the small boy whom Cora had sofavored by buying the damaged crate of berries.
"Wait a minute, miss," he called. "I've got something fer you," and,so saying, he stepped up to the _Whirlwind_ and, very cautiously,handed Cora a slip of paper. She took it and read these scrawledlines:
"Miss: We are going away, but we think we will see you again some day. You will find your crate of berries under the tree where Andy will show you. They belonged to us and we paid for them.
Rose Catron and Nellie Catron."
Cora looked down at Andy for a further explanation.
"They had to go away, miss," he said; "they couldn't stand it anotherminute. I will show you where the berries are."
"But how did the girls get the berries? They had no money," arguedCora.
"No, but their Aunt Delia took from them a ring that belonged to theirown mother, and they took the crate to get even," declared Andy, hisvoice and manner showing his high regard for the "getting even" part.
Cora told the girls and boys about the matter, and they decided to goafter the berries. Consequently Cora insisted that Andy ride in hercar to the old willow tree, somewhat down the road, and as each tenthof a mile was marked in red on the speedometer dial the littlefellow's face threatened more and more to catch fire from the auburncurls that fell in joyous affright about his temples.
Jack thought he had never known what it was to really enjoy a ridebefore, and he whispered to Cora that he very much wished he mighttake Andy home "for a paper weight, or a watch charm."
"Right over there," directed Andy, after about a mile's ride, "underthe big willow."
Turning the car in that direction, Jack drove across a shallow ditch,and was soon under the tree, while the other machines waited on thesafer roadway.
Andy scrambled out, and Jack, leaving the wheel, went after him,followed by Cora.
"Here," said the boy, pulling aside a thick clump of berry vines."Here's the crate."
Sure enough, there was the new crate, filled with berries, safe anduntouched.
"Well, I declare!" exclaimed Cora. "I really did not expect to findthem."
"Very thoughtful of my Rose-bud," declared Jack, lifting the lid ofthe box. "What's this?" he went on, picking up a small object."Something else for Cora, I wonder?"
At that moment, fortunately, Andy was occupied with a particularlyattractive branch of red raspberries, and he did not see Jack lift outthe article. Cora, so quick to apprehend any possible danger forothers, was beside Jack instantly.
"Hush!" she whispered. "Don't tell the rest! It is an empty jewelbox--earrings have been in it!"
"You don't mean to say that the--girls have gone off with the oldlady's earrings!" exclaimed Jack. "And left the empty box in thiscrate to get you into trouble!"
"Indeed I do not mean to say anything of the kind," hastily answeredCora. "I have always found that the most suspicious circumstance mayturn out to be the most innocent matter, and, in this case, I have notthe slightest doubt that we will find my rule to work true. In themeantime," she continued, slipping the little case within her blouse,"I will take care of the--evidence."
It was not without a rather nervous fluttering of her usually reliablenerves, that Cora finally did secrete the jewel box, and in spite ofher firm declaration to Jack, she could not just convince herself thatit was altogether right for whoever had put the empty earring case inthe crate, to have done so without making some sort of explanation.
For a moment she thought of asking little Andy if he could tell heranything of the strange affair, then she quickly concluded to awaitdevelopments.
"Jack," she said, "we will take the crate of berries in our car. Wehave more room than the others, and perhaps Andy would like a ride intown with us. He can take a trolley car back."
This pleased the youngster immensely, and so, when the famous crate ofberries was at last loaded on the _Whirlwind_, and the word had beengiven to the others, the party started off on a merry run towardsChelton. On the way Cora had a chance to find out from the boy thatthe girls, Rose and Nellie, had walked away from their aunt's placeafter nightfall. Also that he, and some other boys, had helped themcarry their things, which, as far as the willow tree, included thecrate of berries. Cora also learned that the girls had started out "tosee the world," and this last piece of information did not add to herpeace of mind concerning the two orphans, who knew so little of thisworld, and its consequent dangers.
Jack was greatly taken with Andy, and promised to pick him up for aride every time the _Whirlwind_ came out Squaton way.
"Maybe you could get me a job," said the little fellow, glancing upwith unstinted admiration at Cora's handsome brother.
"Believe I could," replied Jack. "Let me see, what is yourspecialty--what can you do?"
"I am a caddy," replied Andy proudly. "They say I'm just as quick asany of them to trace a ball."
"Well now, that's fine!" declared Jack. "We play golf out Chelton way.Suppose you just take a trolley ride in next Saturday, and we will seewhat we can do. Here is your car-fare. Be sure not to lose it, fortrolley fellows are no respecters of persons."
Meanwhile Bess and Belle were racing with Walter and Ed, and theafternoon was to them a time of that sort of enjoyment that comesunbidden, unplanned, and therefor proof against disappointment. Ofcourse Cora was not by any means miserable, for no companion was toher more her chum than was Jack; then little Andy lent his novelpersonality to her surroundings, but still the thought that two younggirls, Rose and Nellie, had deliberately run away, that they werepractically accused of having taken a pair of diamond earrings valuedat two hundred and fifty dollars, and that the case in which thesestones seemed to have formerly reposed was actually found by Cora inthe berry crate--was it any wonder that she did not laugh as lightly asdid Bess Robinson? Or that she refused Ed Foster's pressing invitationto go into Snow's for an ice cream drink?
At the drug store Jack stopped the _Whirlwind_ to allow little Andy toboard a trolley car back to Squaton, but, as he left, Cora warned himto be very careful what he said about the runaways.
"Oh, don't you never fear, miss," he answered, crowding his negativesto make one good big "no." "Rose and Nellie are my friends, and I knowhow to stick by 'em."