CHAPTER XXX
THE PROMISE KEPT
With Jack's and Walter's additional cars the girls were able to ridehome without crowding, so that the Whirlwind carried only Cora, Clipand Gertrude--the gallantry of the Chelton young men affording Tillieand Adele a chance for a most jolly trip in the little runabouts, whileHazel rode with the twins.
Cora explained that she had an errand to do on the river road, so thatshe might go to the antique shop without the others.
"I think it will be best to have a chance to talk with the old manquietly," she told her companions. "I am so anxious to find outwhether or not he really had Wren's table, or knows anything about it."
But scarcely had she turned into the narrow street than the surprisingsight of Rob Roland's car dashed before her eyes. In it were RobRoland and Sid Wilcox.
Seeing the festooning of the Whirlwind, the driver of the smaller carslackened up, then, seeing further who the occupants of the floral carwere, Rob Roland drew up to speak to Cora.
"He has just come from the antique shop," whispered Clip, "and I amafraid we are too late, Cora."
But Cora spoke cheerily to the young men, exchanging pleasantries aboutthe auto show, and remarking that they should have been in Breakwaterto see it.
"Oh, we have had our own show this morning," said Rob triumphantly. "Iguess the motor girls are not such expert detectives as they havethought themselves to be."
This seemed to be aimed directly at Clip. She only laughed merrily,however, as the Whirlwind shot out of reach of the young man's voice.
"What do you suppose he meant?" she asked Cora.
"We will soon know," replied the other. "It is about the table, ofcourse."
They pulled up to the narrow sidewalk. Cora was not slow in leavingher car. Clip was with her on the walk directly.
As they pulled off, their gloves they stopped for a moment in front ofthe dingy window.
Cora drew back.
"Look!" she exclaimed. "There is Wren's promise book."
"For sale here!" gasped Clip.
"I--hope so--" faltered Cora quickening her steps into the shop.
The little bewhiskered man was rubbing his wrinkled hands in apparentsatisfaction. He was in no hurry to wait on his customers.
"What is that album I see in the window?" asked Cora. "Some foreignpostcard book?"
"Oh, that! No, that is not foreign. It is a sacred relic of somechild saint."
"For sale?" asked Cora, her voice a-tremble.
"Oh, no! No! No!" and the man shook his head gravely. "I always keeprelics--for curiosities."
"Might I look at it?" pressed the motor girl, while Clip picked upsomething with pretended interest.
"Oh, yes, of course. But it is only filled with names, and I got it ina deal with another sale. The party who brought it here," went on thecurio dealer, "the same who bought the table gave me the book in thebargain, with the understanding that I should not sell it but keep iton exhibition. They were very particular about me not selling it."
Cora instantly guessed what this meant--a trick of Rob Roland. To showher the book! To make sure it was now useless, as the table had beenmade secure by him, but just to put it in that case to taunt her, whenshe would come, as of course he knew she would, and discover there wasnow absolutely no hope of ever recovering Wren's long-lost treasure.
She looked vaguely into the glass case. "So you did get the table?"she said indifferently.
"Yes, that, too," said the man. But he made no attempt to display it.
"Can't I see it? You said you would make me one like it--"
"Oh, yes. I know I did. But my customer is very particular, and Ihave agreed not to show it."
"Cora's heart sank. She must be shrewd now or lose what she had solong worked for.
"But you made the agreement with me first," she argued. "You promisedto let me see the table, and said you would make me one to order, notlike it, of course, but in the same line."
The old man shook his head. He had evidently changed his mind.
A new thought came to Cora. "Has your customer paid for the table?"she asked.
"Oh, it will be paid for--it will be paid for," and he seemed to gloatover the words, "when it is delivered."
Then it was not yet paid for--not actually bought. Clip saw instantlywhat Cora was striving for, but she pretended to be interested in thelocked case in which rested the much-looked-for promise book.
"How do you know it will be paid for?" hazarded Cora. "Young folksoften change their minds. I suppose you have a good deposit?"
"Well, no. I wanted one, but the gentleman is gone for to cash acheck--"
Cora laughed. The old man's face changed.
"If they wanted the table why did they not bring the money?" she said."I should think it would save you trouble to sell the table directly tome--if it suits me, of course. I am going away from here, and supposethe other customer never comes back?"
Still the old man did not speak. Cora saw her advantage and took outher purse.
"How much is it?" she asked boldly.
"They will pay me fifty dollars for that table," he said dramatically.
"So will I, if it suits me," she declared. "Come, let me see it."
The old man saw the new bills in her hands,
He stepped toward the door of another room, but he put up his hand towarn her not to follow.
"I will bring it," he said in such grave tones that Clip wanted tolaugh--surely this was a Shylock.
While he was within the room Cora whispered to Clip, and when the oldman came out Clip was gone.
He had between his hands a small, very narrow table, like the old-timecard table, with glass knob at either end, and on the long drop leaveswere inlaid an anchor and crossed oars.
"That is just the size," declared Cora, while she trembled so shefeared the man would detect her agitation. Then she looked it over,and under she was seeking for a hidden drawer.
"Are there drawers in it?" she asked.
"Oh, my, but yes. That is why it is worth so much. The drawers cannotall be found. It is like a safe--"
Cora was sure this was the long-lost table. Oh, if she could onlyinduce the man to let her take it.
The price, she was positive, was far beyond that offered by the othercustomer, but that did not matter.
"You had better let me have this," she said. "I will take it rightalong and save express. Then make one for the other party, if he evercomes back."
The shopkeeper shrugged his shoulders--if he only would talk, thoughtCora.
Cora counted out fifty dollars. The man watched her greedily. It wastwenty-five dollars more than he had bargained to sell the table for.Why should he lose so much?
"May I have it?" pressed Cora.
"Well, I never before did that but he should have left a deposit," saidthe man.
Quicker than the girl dreamed she could do it, Cora paid the man,actually grabbed the table herself and ran out of the shop with it andthrust it into the front of the Whirlwind among the flowers, cranked upher car and darted off.
Her face was so white that she frightened Gertrude. "Don't ask anyquestions, dear," she said to the latter. "I must meet Clip. She hasgone for a detective."
Just around the corner came Clip, and with her an officer in plainclothes. Cora swung in to the curb.
"I have it! I have it!" she exclaimed to Clip. "Is this the officer?"she asked. "And have you told him the book was stolen?"
"Oh, don't worry about the details, miss," replied the officer. "Wehave that thing to do every day. These fellows take anything they canget, and that being the book of a cripple, I will take chances ongetting it. You may be asked to explain fully, later."
"Oh, thank you so much!" cried Cora, almost overcome. "To think we maybring both the table and the book home to Wren!"
What followed seemed like a dream to Cora. Of course she knew that itwas Rob Roland who had ordered the table and Sid
Wilcox who hadreturned the book. As the Whirlwind passed the little hotel on theroad to Chelton Cora actually brushed against Rob Roland's car--and shehad the table hidden amid the flowers in the Whirlwind!
In Clip's hands was grasped the promise book--Wren should have both.Poor, afflicted little Wren!
Straight to the private sanitarium they went--these two motor girls.Miss Brown helped carry the table up to Wren's bedside.
At the sight of it Wren uttered a scream--then the shock did whatmedical skill often fails to do. Wren Salvey sprang out of bed,touched a spring in the table and a drawer jerked open.
"There!" she shrieked, holding up a paper. "The will!" Then she fellback--exhausted.
"The shock has done it," said Miss Brown as Clip helped put the girl onthe bed and Cora looked frightened. "It has broken the knot that tiedher muscles. She will be cured."
Clip stepped over to a closet, and while Cora was almost fainting fromexcitement Clip quietly took off her motor coat. Presently she steppedback to Cora--in the full garb of a trained nurse.
"Clip!" exclaimed Cora.
"Yes," replied the girl, "I graduate to-night. Will you be able tocome?"
What more should be told? With the failure of Rob Roland to getpossession of the table he lost all courage and simply admitted defeat.It was Sid Wilcox who stole the book from little Wren--just to avengeIda Giles, whose lunch basket had been demolished by a motor girl. Anodd revenge, but he thought, in some way, it would annoy the motorgirls. Of course Rob Roland paid him something for doing it. But alltheir strategy was not equal to the ready wit of Cora Kimball and herchums. Nor was this the only time that the motor girls proved theirworth in times of danger and necessity. They were active participantsin other adventures, as will be related in the third volume of thisseries, to be called "The Motor Girls at Lookout Beach; Or, In Quest ofthe Runaways." How they went East in their cars, and how theyunexpectedly got on, the trail of two girls who had left home under acloud, will, I think, make a tale you will wish to peruse.
It was not long after the table and the promise book had been restoredto Wren, and following her complete recovery, that the suit against Mr.Robinson was dropped. Roland, Reed & Company admitted that they hadarranged to have the papers taken from the mailbag, and the governmentimposed a heavy fine on them for their daring crime. They had donewhat they did with the idea of securing information, and not with adesire to keep the papers, but the Federal authorities would accept noexcuses. Later Mr. Robinson secured heavy damages from the men, thedisfigured thumb of one having served Clip to identify him.
As for Wren and Mrs. Salvey, with the will in their possession, theywere enabled to get control of a comfortable income, and Wren could betaken to a health resort to fully recover her strength. Sid Wilcox andRob Roland were not prosecuted for their mean parts in thetransactions, as it was desired to have as little publicity as possible.
"And to think, Clip, dear, that you were deceiving us all the while,"remarked Cora several days later, when she and the Robinson twins; anda few other of the chums, were gathered in the Kimball home. "I neverwould have thought it of you."
"Nor I," added Belle.
"But wasn't it strange how it all came about?" suggested Bess. "Itseemed like fate."
"It was fate," asserted Clip. "Fate and--Cora."
"Mostly fate, I'm afraid," declared Cora. "Of course the table beingdisposed of at auction was a mere accident, likely to happen anywhere.The real power, though, was little Wren. She, somehow, felt that theold will was in it, and by her talk, and through her promise book, thefact came to be known to the enemies of the family. Then Rob Roland,or some of the men who used him as a tool, conceived the idea ofsearching for the table. They probably had the old mahogany man actfor them, and he made inquiries of auctioneers and persons who were inthe habit of buying at auctions. Then we came into the game, and--"
"Yes, and then Ida and Sid Wilcox, though I'm glad Ida didn't take anypart in these proceedings," observed Belle.
"So am I," said Cora softly. "Well, we managed to get ahead of RobRoland. A little later and he would have had the table, and would havefound the will. Then little Wren and her mother would never have comeinto their inheritance. Oh, I don't see how people can be so mean!"
"And the way they treated Paul," added Clip. "They ought to bepunished for that."
"Well, I guess Paul was more harmed mentally than he was physically,"said Bess. "He told me the men used him very gently. It was the papersin the bag they were after."
"I think Clip gave us the greatest surprise of all," went on Cora. "Theidea of a girl keeping it secret as long as she did, that she was allready to graduate as a trained nurse! No wonder she knew how to treatWren. I feel that she is far above us now."
"Shall I lose my honorary membership in the Motor Girls' Club?" askedClip as she slipped her arm around Cora and pretended to feel her pulse.
"Well, I guess not! The motor girls are proud of you!" cried Bess.
"Of course," added Belle.
Cora said nothing, but the manner in which she put her arm around thewaist of Clip was answer enough.
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