CHAPTER XIX _Conclusion_
Mary Louise threw her arms around Elsie and hugged her tightly. It was sogood to know that she was innocent--and safe!
"You've found the gold pieces!" exclaimed the girl, staring at the box inMr. Gay's hand. "And the necklace!" she added, as the gypsy proudly puton the jewels and went off to show her people.
"Yes, I'll tell you all about it later," replied Mary Louise. "But firstI want to hear about you, Elsie: why you are here, and how these gypsieshave been treating you."
"They've been treating me splendidly! Much better than Aunt Mattie everdid. You see, they liked my father and my grandfather, and they hatedAunt Mattie. So of course they have a lot of sympathy for me."
"But when did you come to them?"
"Yesterday afternoon. I was perfectly miserable after Saturday night. Iknew Jane suspected me of doing that terrible thing to you, and I neverslept a wink the whole night. So I decided to run away. I didn't think ofthe gypsies at the time: I just wanted to get out of Riverside. I put onthe green silk dress you gave me, and tied up my other things in abundle, and made off through the woods so that I wouldn't meet anybody."
"Mrs. Jones saw you go," said Mary Louise. "It was she who put Daddy andSilky and me on the trail."
"I took some fruit and some biscuits from the kitchen at Dark Cedars,"Elsie went on to explain. "I thought I'd walk to the nearest town and askfor work. Now that I have some decent clothes, I don't feel ashamed to beseen."
"But you came upon the gypsies before you got to any town?" inquired Mr.Gay, who couldn't keep out of the conversation, although he had not beenproperly introduced.
"Yes. And I was tired and hungry, so I thought maybe they'd let me stayovernight with them. They were stewing chicken, and it smelled so good."
"Your aunt Mattie's chickens," explained Mary Louise laughingly.
"Really?" asked Elsie in surprise. The idea had not occurred to her.
"Yes. Mrs. Jones saw the gypsies stealing the chickens.... Well, did theygive you some supper?"
"They certainly did. Mira--she is the fortune teller--let me sleep in hertent. She said she used to play with my father when he was a little boy,when my grandfather--old Mr. Grant, you recall--let the gypsies camp atDark Cedars. She told me I could stay with them all my life if I wantedto."
"You didn't expect to do it, did you?"
"I wanted to get a job. But there isn't much I can do, I'm afraid." Theyoung girl's voice grew sad; the future looked gray to her.
Mary Louise took her hand.
"You're coming right back to Riverside with Daddy and me," she announced."Your aunt Mattie will have to promise to treat you better, or else shewon't get her gold pieces back!"
"She'll be furious about the necklace," said Elsie.
"No, she won't either. I happen to know that she'll be thankful to havethe matter all cleared up. And she'll be delighted to get the money,because that is rightfully hers."
Mr. Gay leaned over and picked up his pack.
"You go get your things together, Elsie," he said, "and say good-bye toyour gypsy friends. We'll take a bus back to Riverside from Coopersburg."
"You really want me?" asked the girl.
"Absolutely!" replied Mary Louise. "You're going to go to high schoolthis fall, I hope, and belong to our crowd of young people. All the boysand girls like you."
Elsie's face lighted up with a happy smile.
"And I like them, too--but you and Jane will always come first. Oh, I'mso glad that Jane will believe in me again!"
Ten minutes later the two girls and Mr. Gay were seated in the bus boundfor Riverside. Mary Louise held Silky in her arms under her pack when shegot in, and the conductor did not even notice him. She was thankful forthat, because she was much too tired to walk.
They went straight to the Gays' home, taking Elsie with them. Mrs. Gaywas sitting on the front porch, little thinking that her two adventurerswould return so soon. She jumped up in delight when she saw them comingin at the gate.
"And is this Elsie?" she asked as the three tired wanderers ascended theporch steps.
"Yes, Mother, this is Elsie Grant," replied Mary Louise. "We found her,and we caught the thief too. It was the gypsy fortune teller."
"Well, of all things!" exclaimed Mrs. Gay. "And had she kidnaped Elsietoo?"
"Oh no, Elsie went there voluntarily, because everybody suspected her ofthe crime, and she was unhappy. But Elsie had no idea the gypsy was thethief, until she heard us accusing her."
"If I'd only have been a detective like Mary Louise," the girl remarkedadmiringly, "I might have guessed. But I'm pretty stupid about thingslike that. I even ate some of Aunt Mattie's chicken for my supper lastnight without ever guessing that the gypsies stole it."
Mrs. Gay laughed.
"Well, it certainly is nice to have you all back again. We'll have a finedinner to celebrate--I'll send Freckles for ice cream when he comes in."She stooped over and patted the little dog's head. "Silky shall have sometoo. He loves ice cream."
Mary Louise took Elsie up to her room, and the two girls lay down on thebed to rest after they had removed their dusty clothing and cooledthemselves under the shower. At five o'clock Mrs. Gay came in with thenews that Jane Patterson was downstairs, asking for her chum.
"Please tell her to come up, Mother," replied Mary Louise. "I can'tunderstand why she is being so formal."
"She knows Elsie is here," explained Mrs. Gay, "and thought you might notlike to be disturbed."
"Does she know I didn't steal the money or the necklace?" demanded Elsieeagerly.
"Mary Louise's father is telling her the story now. Freckles just camein, and he had to hear all about it too. He's almost as keen to become adetective as Mary Louise is."
Mrs. Gay returned to the first floor, and in a couple of minutes JanePatterson dashed into the bedroom. She hugged both Elsie and Mary Louiseat once.
"You're a wonder, Mary Lou!" she cried. "Sherlock Holmes, and PhiloVance, and Spencer Dean haven't a thing on you for solving mysteries.Why, I bet your father loses his job and they hire you in his place!"
"Now, Jane, be rational!" begged Mary Louise.
The visitor seated herself upon the edge of the bed.
"All right, I'll try.... What I came over about was to see whether youand Elsie can go with our crowd to that country fair tonight. We'releaving early after supper, and Mother and Dad are both going along. Youcan take Freckles too--but not Silky. He might get into a fight with thecows or pigs or something."
"Don't insult my dog!" returned Mary Louise solemnly. "Silky neverassociates with pigs!"
"O.K.... Well, can you go?"
"We'd love to, but don't you think we ought to take Miss Grant's moneyback to her?"
"Not tonight, certainly!" was Jane's emphatic reply. "Let her worry aboutit a little longer--it's good for her."
"But shouldn't I go over to see her?" asked Elsie.
"Tomorrow's time enough for that," answered Mary Louise. "You can stayall night with me tonight."
Mrs. Gay heartily approved of the plan, for she felt that both herdaughter and Elsie needed a little diversion, and so for the time beingthe adventure at Dark Cedars was completely forgotten. Early after supperthe young people drove off in four cars and enjoyed themselves thoroughlyuntil nearly midnight.
But both Elsie and Mary Louise awakened early the following morning,intent upon tying up the few remaining threads of the mystery at DarkCedars.
Mary Louise had been hoping, ever since she found Elsie, that the girlwould be invited to live at the home of Mrs. Grace Grant--if her auntMattie would agree to contribute something towards her support. With thisplan in her mind, she turned Elsie over to Jane to entertain for themorning, and she herself went directly to the Grants' home in Riverside.She was fortunate in catching John Grant before he left for business, forshe believed him to be an ally.
He and his mother were seated at the breakfast ta
ble when she arrived.The maid brought her right into the dining room.
"Good-morning, Mrs. Grant--and Mr. Grant," she began brightly. "I mustapologize for this early call, but I have great news. We caught thethief!"
John Grant, who had risen at Mary Louise's entrance, stepped forwardexcitedly.
"Not really?" he demanded. "Do you mean Elsie?"
"No, Mr. Grant, Elsie is not a thief. It was the gypsy fortune teller."And Mary Louise went on to explain the story of the necklace as the womanhad told it to her. She concluded with the finding of Elsie.
"The poor child has been perfectly miserable all the time she lived withher aunt Mattie," she said. "So I wondered--if I can make Miss Grant paysomething towards her support--whether she couldn't live here. She needssomeone like you, Mrs. Grant, to be a mother to her."
The old lady's kind heart was touched.
"Of course she can live here!" she exclaimed, "whether Mattie contributestowards her support or not. We'll manage somehow. Don't you think we can,John?"
"I have thought so all along," replied her son. "Elsie should go to highschool, like other normal young girls."
Mary Louise seized the hands of both people at once. She was wild withjoy at the success of her plan.
"I'm going straight to the hospital now," she said, picking up the heavytin box which she had laid on a small table in the dining room, "to seewhat kind of bargain I can drive with Miss Grant!"
John laughed. "You have the gold?" he asked.
"Yes. But I'm not going to give it to her till she makes me some sort ofpromise."
"Let me drive you over," he suggested. "That box must be heavy."
"It has five hundred dollars in gold in it," returned Mary Louise. "Icounted it, to make sure. Probably Miss Grant will offer me ten dollarsas a reward."
"I can believe that," agreed Mrs. Grant. "She certainly is stingy. Poorlittle Elsie!"
Five minutes later John Grant left Mary Louise at the entrance to thehospital, and the girl carried her heavy box up to the patient's room.But it was carefully wrapped and tied, so that Miss Grant had no ideawhat it contained.
The old lady was looking much brighter this morning. She smiledpleasantly as her young friend entered.
"Mary Louise!" she exclaimed. "Any news?"
"Lots of news," replied the girl, seating herself in the chair beside thebed. "Do you feel equal to hearing it?"
"I certainly do. Have you found my money?"
"I want to tell you the story straight from the beginning. But before Ido that, I want to assure you that Elsie is innocent. We found the realthief, and we also found Elsie. She ran away because she was unhappy."
Miss Grant's eyes sparkled with eagerness. "Never mind about Elsie now.Tell me who stole my money."
"One of the gypsies," replied Mary Louise. "I can give it to you ifyou'll promise to donate some of it for Elsie's support. Mrs. Grace Grantwants her to live with them, but you know how poor she is now."
"All right, all right, I'll give you fifty dollars if you get it all backfor me! Where is it?"
"I'll tell you in a minute." Mary Louise couldn't help enjoying teasingthe miserly woman in retaliation for the way she had treated Elsie. "Butit isn't a case of giving fifty dollars now. It's rather that you payMrs. Grant something--say twenty dollars a month--as your share towardsElsie's support."
Miss Grant groaned.
"For how long?" she demanded.
"Till Elsie finishes high school."
"That's a lot of money.... Still, I wouldn't have to have the childaround. And she does irritate me.... Yes, I'll agree. Where is my money?"
Mary Louise unwrapped her box and put it down upon the white bed. MissGrant reached for it as a child might grab at his Christmas stocking. Sheopened it and immediately began to count the gold pieces.
"It's all here!" she cried exultantly.
Mary Louise nodded. "Shall I tell you the story now--about the necklace?"she inquired.
"Yes, yes. I had forgotten the necklace. Where is it?"
"I'm afraid you won't get that, Miss Grant, because it never reallybelonged to your father." And Mary Louise went on to relate the gypsy'sstory.
Still fingering the gold, the old lady listened intently.
"Yes, that sounds right to me," she agreed, as the story ended. "I amthankful that the necklace is back with its rightful owner. That wouldplease my mother. Maybe now Dark Cedars will be a more peaceful place tolive."
"I believe it will be," concluded Mary Louise as she rose to go. "Here isyour key, Miss Grant--and--good-bye!"
"Wait, Mary Louise! I want to give you forty dollars--in gold. You cangive ten to Jane, as I promised her, but I think you deserve thirty.You're a good, clever girl!"
Mary Louise shook her head.
"No, thank you, Miss Grant. What I did, I did because of my love andsympathy for Elsie. If you will treat her fairly, that is all the rewardI want."
The old lady gazed at the girl in amazement at her refusal. But she sawthat she meant what she said; perhaps Mary Louise's generosity put her toshame.
"I will, Mary Louise," she promised solemnly. "I will indeed."
So, well satisfied with the happy solution of the mystery at Dark Cedars,Mary Louise hurried back to tell Elsie Grant the good news about her newhome and the four happy years at high school which were in store for her.
* * * * * *
Transcriber's note:
--Retained publication and copyright information from the printed exemplar (this book is public-domain in the U.S.).
--Obvious typographical errors were corrected without comment. Possibly intentional spelling variations were not changed.
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