CHAPTER XXIV THE KNOCKING AT MIDNIGHT
"I think I know his name," said Cora quietly.
The girl looked at her in surprise.
"How can you know?" she asked.
"Because you nearly fainted the other day when you heard it mentioned,"returned Cora, "and we saw that same man over at the camp to-day. Hisname is Higby."
The girl started violently, but whether she would have admitted it theydid not know, for just at that moment a call came from the depths of thewoods:
"Nina, Nina!"
"My people are looking for me!" exclaimed Nina. "It wouldn't do for themto find me here talking with you. They're suspicious of everybody. I'llhave to go."
"But we must see you again," said Cora. "We simply must. Can't you comeover to our place and have a long talk with us? We live at Camp KillKare, only about four miles from here." And she hastily gave the neededdirections for finding the way.
Again the cry arose from the woods, but nearer this time.
"Nina, Nina!"
"Perhaps I will come," said Nina hurriedly. "But you had better not comeover to the camp again. If they suspect anything they will shut me up inone of the vans until they go away. Good-bye," and she scurried away intothe woods.
The girls looked after her regretfully and then climbed into their carand drove ahead to where the boys were waiting for them with more or lesspatience.
"Well, how did you amateur sleuths make out?" asked Jack, as they drewalongside.
"Foiled again, judging from their faces," observed Paul.
"The committee reports progress and asks to be continued," chimed inWalter in his best parliamentary manner.
"I thought only women were curious," said Belle scathingly.
"You boys drive on," directed Bess. "This is a matter for us girls tosettle."
"We're clearly in the second-fiddle class," grumbled Jack, as he threw inthe clutch and took the lead.
"Wasn't it the most exasperating thing?" observed Bess, as the girlssettled down for a "comfy" talk. "Just as we were on the very point offinding out perhaps about that Higby, she had to go."
"Goodness knows when we'll see her again, if ever," sighed Bellepessimistically.
"I'm glad she has the Kill Kare address anyway," replied Cora. "She maycome over to see us. But if she doesn't, I'll find out some way ofgetting in touch with her again."
"Well, as Walter said, the committee has made some progress anyway," saidBess.
"I don't see where," put in her sister. "We don't really know any more ofher story than we did before."
"Not of the real story, perhaps," admitted Cora, "but we know some thingsnow, where formerly we only suspected them. We know, for instance, thatHigby is the man she's afraid of. She didn't actually admit it, though Ithink she was about to, but his being there to-day and her hiding make itpractically certain. It just couldn't be a mere coincidence.
"Then too," Cora continued, "we know that she can speak perfect Englishwhen she wants to. And she has the accent of an educated girl."
"But that doesn't prove she isn't a gypsy," said Belle. "I've heardsometimes of gypsy fathers, especially the chiefs of tribes, sendingtheir daughters to good schools. I suppose at the time they intend tokeep them away from gypsy surroundings altogether. But then the wildfeeling in their blood comes out and they drift back to the camp lifeagain."
"I know that happens sometimes," agreed Cora thoughtfully, "but it's veryrare, and all the chances are against it's being true in this particularcase. And then, too, the blue eyes the girl has show that she isn't ofgypsy birth."
"But even if that is true," objected Belle, "I don't see what good we cando the girl by getting mixed up in this. If she's with the gypsies, shemay be there of her own accord. She seems to be treated well enough. Shedidn't say anything about wanting to get away from them."
"She hasn't had time to tell us very much yet," answered Cora. "But we'reletting the boys get too far ahead of us," and she put more speed intoher car and soon caught up with them.
The next day the rain came down in torrents. It beat in a perfect delugeon roof and windows, and even swept in on the big capacious porch, sothat outdoor life of any kind was out of the question.
But it could not dampen the high spirits of the party at Camp Kill Kare.They had been so constantly on the go that the little interval of forcedinactivity was not after all unwelcome. The girls were able to catch upwith neglected bits of sewing. Then there was the library stocked withchoice books, and one of the girls read aloud while the others worked.
The boys ensconced themselves in the barn with Joel, where the oldbackwoodsman regaled them with stories of his adventures in the earlierdays when he had been one of the most noted guides in the Adirondackregion.
After supper a big wood fire blazed on the open hearth and took the edgefrom the damp chill that sought to invade the house. The girls furnishedmusic, and boys and girls together sang songs until they were tired.
The girls had been asleep for an hour or more when Cora was awakened by aknocking on the front door.
"Who on earth can that be at this hour of the night?" she wondered, asshe raised herself on her elbow to listen.
The knocking continued, and as nobody else seemed awake to answer it,Cora slipped out of bed, donned a kimono, and softly woke Bess and Belle.
"What is it?" asked Belle drowsily.
"Go away and let me sleep," murmured Bess, turning over on her pillow.
"There's somebody knocking at the front door," explained Cora. "I'm goingdown to see who it is, and I want you girls to go with me."
"It may be a burglar!" exclaimed Belle.
"You might get hurt!" protested Bess, wide awake now.
"Nonsense!" laughed Cora. "Burglars don't usually announce their comingby knocking at the door. Besides, I'll find out who it is before I open.Slip on your kimonos and come along."
They obeyed, not without some inward shrinking.
"Don't you think you ought to wake the boys?" asked Belle, hesitating onthe landing.
"I couldn't do that without waking the whole house, Aunt Betty and all,"answered Cora. "Besides, the boys would have the laugh on us and try topatronize us. We don't want to be looked on as a lot of cowards."
Both of the sisters seemed to be perfectly willing just at that moment tobe included in that ignominious category, but they were accustomed tofollow where Cora led, and they went down the stairs, their slipperedfeet making no noise.
The knocking still continued, though it seemed weaker than at first.
Cora, with her lighted bedroom candle in her hand, softly approached thedoor, which was secured by a double lock and also by a heavy chain.
"Who is there?" she asked.
"Please let me in," came in a woman's voice from outside.
"Who are you?" Cora repeated.
"Nina," was the answer. "Oh, please let me in!"
Cora unfastened the chain and turned the key, and as she opened the doorthe gypsy girl staggered into the bungalow.