CHAPTER XXIX THE PLOT
The girl screamed and tried to run, but Higby was too quick for her andseized her roughly by the arm.
"No, you don't!" he cried. "You're not going to get away from me aseasily as all that, after I've been watching you for days. You've got tolisten to what I have to say."
"Let me go!" cried the girl, pulling away from him.
"Go where?" he leered. "To jail? You'll go there mighty quick if I careto have you go. All I have to do is to notify the police at Roxbury andyou'll be behind the bars in forty-eight hours."
The girl turned white as the awful vision that had haunted her for a yearpast seemed to be assuming form and substance. She had no doubt that hecould do as he threatened.
"What do you want with me?" she asked in a trembling voice.
"Now you're getting a little more sensible," he remarked. "Sit down onthat bank and I'll tell you what I want.
"Those folks you're staying with are pretty well off, aren't they?" heinquired.
"How do you know where I'm staying?" she asked.
"That's my affair," he said brusquely. "I know you're staying at a placethey call Camp Kill Kare. Quite a change from the gypsy camp," hesneered. "You're flying high these days. But that's neither here northere. Those boys and girls there seem to have plenty of money. There'dbe quite a haul there in the way of cash and watches and diamond ringsand other jewelry, I suppose."
She grasped his meaning and drew away from him in horror.
"You don't mean to say that you're thinking of robbing the house!" sheexclaimed.
"You're pretty squeamish for a jailbird," he sneered.
"I'm not a jailbird!" she cried passionately. "I never did a dishonestthing in my life!"
"They say differently at Roxbury," he taunted.
"Yes!" she blazed out. "But why? Because you told a falsehood about me!You know you didn't see me steal that purse!"
"Let's cut this short," he said impatiently. "I'll put the whole thing ina few words. I'm not going back to Roxbury. I need money, and need itbad! Those folks at Kill Kare have plenty of it, or what can be turnedinto money, and I want you to help me get it."
"I never will!" she cried defiantly.
"It's either that or jail," he said menacingly. "And I know that youwon't choose jail when you come to think it over. I'll give you a day tomake up your mind. You be here at this same time to-morrow, or it will bethe worse for you."
She pleaded with him to renounce his purpose and leave her in peace, buthe laughed at her and went away with a parting threat.
Nina retraced her steps to the house in a state of great agitation. Shefelt sure that Higby was in desperate earnest and would denounce her tothe authorities if she should fail to do his bidding. But she would havedied before helping him to rob her benefactors.
What resource then was left? Flight! Once more to become a fugitive--tolive under the ban of the law--to fear any moment the touch of anofficer's hand upon her shoulder.
The castle of dreams that she had been building in the last few happydays seemed ready to dissolve in mist.
She tried to assume her usual cheerful manner when she entered the house,but the girls noticed at once that she was pale and anxious.
"What's the matter, Nina?" asked Bess. "You're as white as though you'dseen a ghost?"
"I hope you haven't run across any of the gypsies!" exclaimed Cora, inquick apprehension.
"Nothing like that," Nina asserted.
"Nor Higby?" asked Belle.
Nina faltered, and at this the others jumped to their feet in greatexcitement.
"Do you mean to say that that cur is lurking around here yet?" demandedCora.
Nina broke down then, and told them all the details of her meeting withHigby.
The girls were aghast at the plan to rob the house.
"He's getting along fast," remarked Belle bitterly. "He's graduating fromthe sneak thief to the burglar class."
"I wonder what we ought to do," said Bess. "It's too bad the boys areaway to-day. I suppose the police ought to be told about it."
"There's nothing yet to tell," said Cora. "He'd simply deny that he eversuggested anything of the kind to Nina. It would be only her word againsthis, and she has no witnesses. Besides, for revenge, he'd blurt out allabout that Roxbury matter."
At this moment the maid announced a visitor, and Nina vanished as Mr.Baxter entered the room and greeted the girls cordially.
"Sort of an Adamless Eden here, I see," he laughed, as he noted theabsence of the boys.
"Yes," smiled Cora, "they're out for a spin to-day by themselves. But Iexpect that they'll be back before long."
"I'm rather sorry they're not here," said Mr. Baxter, "as I wanted totalk over a matter in which you're all interested. I refer to the younglady who has been staying with you for the last week or two."
For a moment the sickening fear came to Cora that Mr. Baxter might be anemissary from the Roxbury authorities.
"Well, what about her?" she asked warily. "She's a dear friend of minewho is paying me a little visit."
"But not a very old friend," said Mr. Baxter quietly, "since two weeksago she was telling fortunes in a gypsy camp."
A cry broke from the lips of the girls, and they looked at each other ingreat trepidation.
"Now, now," said their visitor with a genial smile, "she hasn't theslightest thing to fear from me. In fact, I think I'm going to prove oneof the best friends she has."
"Oh," breathed Cora in relief, "I hope you will! The poor girl is sadlyin need of all the help she can get."
"I have been looking for her for a long time past," said Mr. Baxter. "Atleast I feel reasonably sure that she's the girl I'm after. And my onlyobject in finding her is to restore her to the home and relative that sheran away from in a fit of youthful anger. I suspected that I had foundher in Nina the gypsy girl. But now that I have seen her dressed incivilized clothes and compared her with the pictures in my possession, Ifeel practically sure of it. Still, I won't know positively until I bringher and my client face to face."
"O," cried Cora, "is your client----"
"There, there!" Mr. Baxter checked her. "No names, please. If I am rightin my identification you'll know all about it before long."
"I think I can name him now," smiled Cora.
"Never jump at conclusions," advised Mr. Baxter. "But what I called forespecially to-day was to warn you that your house was to be robbed."
"So we heard only a few minutes ago," replied Cora. "Thank you very muchfor the warning, though."
"So she told you?" remarked Mr. Baxter with a gratified smile. "That'sgood. I am glad that she has defied that fellow's threats. I wasconcealed near by and heard the whole conversation."
"What do you think we ought to do?" asked Cora.
"I think," replied Mr. Baxter, "that the girl had better meet Higbyto-morrow and pretend to fall in with his plans. I will be on hand andhear all he says. In the conversation that goes on between them, Higbymay say something that reveals her innocence and his guilt in thatRoxbury affair.
"She can arrange to let him into the house at night, which is evidentlythe part he wants her to play in the theft. We'll be waiting for him whenhe comes, and we'll give Mr. Higby the surprise of his life."
CHAPTER XXX BROUGHT TOGETHER
The plan met with the hearty approbation of the girls, and they acceptedit, subject to the approval of the boys.
And when the latter reached Kill Kare and learned what was afoot, theyagreed to it enthusiastically. They all felt toward Higby as they wouldtoward a particularly noxious reptile. And this latest attempt to makethe victim of his falsehoods a criminal brought their feeling ofdetestation to the highest pitch.
"Oh, won't it do me good to get a whack at him!" gloated Jack.
"He'll be as safe with me as if he were on a battlefield," remarkedWalter.
"
We'll fix him!" declared Paul.
Nina had been told that Mr. Baxter had overheard the conversation withHigby, but had been given no hint that the detective was looking for herto restore her to her home.
At the appointed time on the following day, she met Higby, whose facelighted up with an evil smile as he saw her appear.
"Thought better of it, did you?" he remarked jeeringly. "I knew mightywell you would."
"It's vile of you to make me do a thing like this," protested Nina.
"You weren't so particular at Roxbury," he taunted.
"Why do you harp on that?" she cried furiously. "You know I didn't stealthat purse. I believe you did it yourself."
"Suppose I did?" he grinned mockingly, in a way that was itself a halfadmission. "I deserve credit for being smart enough to make somebody elsethe goat. But let's get down to business. I want you to tell me all aboutthe way the rooms are laid out and where the cash and jewelry are kept."
She gave him an idea of the plan of the bungalow, and promised to leave adoor open from the back leading into the kitchen. He was to come a littleafter midnight.
That afternoon and evening, life took its ordinary course at Kill Kare,as far as external signs were concerned. They knew that Higby wasprobably watching the house from the shelter of the adjoining woods,ready to take flight at anything which might indicate the betrayal of hisplans.
Not that he anticipated betrayal. He was confident that the deadly fearthat Nina had of jail would keep her his accomplice, even though anunwilling one. But one could never be too careful when engaged upon sucha venture as his.
He noted the girls sitting on the porch with their sewing, or pickingflowers in the garden, saw the boys go motoring and return, heard theparty singing songs after supper on the steps of the veranda. There wasnothing to excite suspicion in the slightest degree and he exulted as hethought of the rich haul he expected to make.
His jubilation would have been less keen, however, had he noted the carewith which Joel loaded his favorite revolver and had he seen three menwho slipped into Kill Kare under cover of the darkness.
One of the three was an officer who had been brought over from Milford tomake the expected arrest. The other two were Mr. Morley and Mr. Baxter.
The botanist had been told of the robbery that had been planned, and hadbeen invited to be "in at the death." But he had not received theslightest hint of the presence of Nina in the house. The detective didnot care to risk a possible disappointment. Then, too, he had a sense ofthe dramatic, and schooled himself to wait.
As for Nina herself, she kept carefully out of view, as she always didwhen there were visitors at Kill Kare.
Eleven o'clock was the usual hour of retiring at the bungalow, and nodeviation from the custom occurred on that night. A few minutes aftereleven the lights were out, and Kill Kare seemed to be peacefullysleeping.
The door at the rear had been left unlocked, as arranged. The members ofthe party, all fully dressed, waited in different rooms the outcome ofthe drama.
"He'll probably stop in the dining room to look over the silver,"remarked the officer, Thompson by name, to Mr. Baxter. "Do you think we'dbetter nab him then?"
"Don't be in too much of a hurry," advised Baxter. "He'll probably lookfor his biggest haul in the sleeping rooms upstairs. Give him plenty ofrope and let him hang himself. Besides, the farther he gets into theheart of the house, the harder it will be for him to escape in case anyof our plans go wrong."
The girls were seated in the dark in their own rooms, their heartsbeating fast with excitement.
"I suppose we'll be only lookers on," remarked Bess in a low tone. "Themen will do all the work."
"I'm not so sure of that," replied Cora. "We may come in somewhere."
"What was it you put in that cedar chest you're sitting on?" asked Bellecuriously.
"I'll tell you later," replied Cora. "And, girls, stay right where youare, whatever happens."
In the dark she busied herself with something at the entrance of theroom.
Shortly after midnight, Higby slipped in through the rear door. He hadtaken off his shoes and was in his stocking feet.
It was pitch dark within, and he moved with such feline stealthiness thathe had reached and stolen up the stairs before the watchers were surethat he was not one of themselves.
The jewelry of the girls was the chief object that he had in view, and hewent to their rooms first. But as he stepped inside, he tripped over awire that extended from one side of the door to the other, at the heightof a foot, and fell headlong with a crash that jarred the house.
Cora reached into a chest, and clutching an acetylene lamp that wasalready lighted, turned its blinding glare right into Higby's eyes.
"Don't dare to move!" she commanded.
Higby, not knowing how many weapons were turned upon him, and unable tosee anything in that pitiless blaze, lay perfectly still. The nextinstant he was in the grasp of the men and boys, who handled him none toogently and jerked him to his feet.
"Trapped by a woman!" he growled, as he saw the wire over which he hadfallen and the lamp that Cora still held.
"You're trapped all right," declared Thompson, as he snapped a pair ofhandcuffs on his wrists.
"And in for a good long term in the State Prison," added Mr. Baxter. "Wehave you dead to rights, Higby, and you haven't a show in the world. Butyou may be able to have some years cut from your term if you help now toundo a wrong."
"What is it?" muttered Higby, his craven soul clutching at straws.
"That theft at Roxbury that you charged Helen Holman with committing,"Baxter reminded him. "You stole that purse yourself, didn't you? Speak upnow. Nothing but the truth will help you."
"Yes," admitted Higby, sheepishly.
"I thought as much," remarked Baxter. "Take him away, Thompson."
There was a wild hubbub after the officer had driven away to Milford withhis prisoner. All the boys and girls were laughing and talking at once.
"Who is this Helen Holman you were talking of?" asked Mr. Morley.
A sudden hush fell on Cora and the others, as they listened for Mr.Baxter's answer.
"A girl that has lately been leading the life of a gypsy," replied Mr.Baxter. "She's a very interesting character. Miss Kimball," he continued,turning to Cora, "will you ask Miss Holman to step here for a moment?"
Cora darted into the adjoining room, and returned an instant laterleading Nina.
She and Mr. Morley looked casually at each other. A startled look leapedinto the eyes of each. There was a gasping cry, and the next instant shewas in his arms, sobbing as though her heart would break, while he heldher tight as though he never intended to let her go.
"Alice!"
"Uncle!"
The girls were sobbing openly, while Mr. Baxter blew his nose vigorously,and even the eyes of the rollicking boys were momentarily dimmed.
Mutual explanations followed, together with mutual requests forforgiveness. Both had reaped the bitter fruit of hasty tempers, and hadbeen made to realize during their separation how really dear they were toeach other. The reconciliation was complete, and the Motor Girls weredelighted beyond measure at the part they had played in bringing itabout.
During the remainder of her stay at Kill Kare, Alice Morley grew more andmore deeply attached to the girls to whom she owed so much, and when shefinally went back with her uncle to Saxton, it was with the promise thatshe would soon make a long visit to them at their homes in Chelton.
"Dear old Chelton!" remarked Belle, as, shortly after the departure ofAlice, they themselves turned their faces homeward. "How glad I'll be toget back."
"Yes," agreed Cora. "But you must admit that we've never spent such aglorious outing as this one at Camp Kill Kare."
And with this delightful memory as their cherished possession, we bidfarewell to the Motor Girls.
THE END
Transcriber's Notes
--Silently c
orrected several palpable typos in spelling and punctuation
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