CHAPTER XVI
ON THE BEACH
The whole house was roused in an instant. Lights gleamed in variousrooms, and from the quarter where the maids slept came shrill screamsthat matched those of Grace herself. Hoarse shouts came from the roomsof the boys.
But the affair had a most unexpected ending. For the man at whose backGrace was gazing horror-stricken, turned at her sudden shout, and hisface betrayed almost as much astonishment, not to say fear, as thecountenance of the girl showed.
And then Grace noticed that the man was attired in a bath robe, thepattern of which was strangely familiar to her. She noticed this evenbefore she looked at his face recognizingly, and beheld her host, Mr.Nelson.
"Oh! Oh!" gasped Grace, weakly, and she had to lean against the wall forsupport, for she was trembling.
"What--what's the matter?" asked Betty's father. "Are you ill, Grace?"
"No, but I--I thought you--oh, I thought----"
Out into the hall poured the others of Edgemere Cottage, attired in anondescript collection of garments hastily donned. Will, in his bathrobe, had his collar and tie in his hand, though it is doubtful if hewore an article of dress to which it could be attached. From theservants' rooms came frantic demands to know if the house were on fire.
"No, it's all right!" called Mr. Nelson. "Go back to bed, all of you!"
"But what's it all about?" asked Betty. "What is the matter?"
"Oh, I guess it's my fault," Grace said. "I got up to get a drink, and Isaw your father going down the hall, with the box and the package ofdiamonds, and I thought--I thought he was a----"
"Burglar! Is that what you thought me?" demanded Mr. Nelson, as a smilecrept over his face.
"Ye--yes," faltered Grace. "I know it was silly of me--dreadfully silly,but I--I----"
"It's all right, my dear. I don't blame you a bit!" comforted Betty, herarms around the shrinking figure of Grace. "Go on back, you boys!" shecommanded the others. "Our--our hair isn't fit to be seen!" and the boysretired, snickering. No girl likes to be looked at in a dressing gown,when suddenly aroused from sleep. And one's hair doesn't appear half sobecoming in that state as it does even under a bathing cap.
"But what does it all mean?" asked Mrs. Nelson, who had waited to put onsomething smarter than a dressing sack before venturing out into thehall.
"Grace thought papa was a burglar," explained Betty.
"Well--that is, I didn't exactly----" protestingly began Grace.
"Did you have a nightmare?" asked Mrs. Nelson. "I'm afraid the diamondexcitement was too much for you. A little bromide, perhaps, or some----"
"Oh, she doesn't need that," Betty said as the boys "made themselvessmall" around a corner, that they might hear the explanation, if unseen."She really did think papa was taking the diamonds."
"Why, he is!" cried Mrs. Nelson, as she caught sight of the objects herhusband carried--the mysterious box and the packet of precious stones."What are you doing with them?" she asked.
"I was putting them in a safer place," he explained. "Perhaps it wasfoolish of me, but, after I had brought them to my room, I got tothinking it was rather careless to leave them about so. It wasn't somuch the fear of thieves as it was of fire. You know diamonds can'tstand much fire."
"Oh, if they should be melted before we know who owns them!" gasped Mrs.Nelson.
"So when I found I couldn't sleep, for thinking of them," went onBetty's father, "I made up my mind to hide them in a different place.Perhaps it was foolish of me, but I couldn't help it. I'm as bad as someof the girls, I guess," and he glanced at Betty and her chums, who now,with flushed cheeks and looking pretty enough for any number of boys togaze upon, even if their hair was a bit awry, stood grouped in the hall.
"So I got up," resumed Mr. Nelson, "took the diamonds from the bureaudrawer where I had placed them, and started to take them down cellar.I----"
"Down cellar!" cried Betty. "What a place to hide diamonds--in thecellar!"
"It's the safest all-around place," her father said. "I don't believeany burglars would be able to find them where I was going to put them,and in case of fire the diamonds would be in little danger. Of coursethey might be buried under a lot of rubbish, but they wouldn't go up inpuffs of smoke.
"So I got up as quietly as I could, and took the diamonds, intending togo down cellar with them, hoping I would disturb no one."
"But where did you get the box?" asked Betty. "That was in my room,Daddy."
"I know. I went in and took it out."
"And I never awakened?"
"No."
"A fine guard for the diamonds," mocked Will from around the corner ofthe hall.
"Go to bed--you boys!" commanded Betty.
"I thought I would take the box, too," Mr. Nelson resumed. "It forms oneof the clues, and I didn't want anything to happen to that. So I decidedto take that, put the diamonds in the secret bottom, and hide all downcellar. Only Grace rather upset my plans."
"I--I'm so sorry," said the thirsty one, contritely.
"Don't you be!" returned Betty. "You're as good as a watch dog. To thinkof _me_ never waking when papa came in my room."
"I was glad you didn't," he said. "I hoped to have it all go offquietly, and tell you in the morning. But as long as you know it now Imight as well proceed. I'll go on down cellar and hide them."
"And don't forget to tell us where you put them," Betty urged. "If yougo away in the morning, we'll want to know where to run to get them incase the house does catch fire."
"Oh, don't suggest such a thing!" begged her mother.
Mr. Nelson laughed and went on down cellar, coming back soon to tell thewaiting ones that he had found a little niche in the wall, near thechimney, and had put the diamonds in the box there. Then the housequieted down again.
Will and Mr. Nelson left on an early train for Boston, both promising todo all they could to learn the secret of the mysterious package ofdiamonds.
"And now what shall we girls do?" asked Betty, after breakfast.
"What do the boys want to do?" queried Mollie. "Perhaps you may havesome plans for us."
"Sorry, ladies," Allen said, "but our boat is on a strike again, andwe'll have to have it fixed. It isn't much, though, and we can go outthis afternoon."
"Then we'll go down on the beach for a while," proposed Betty. "It'slovely this morning. We'll go in bathing just before luncheon, andthen, after a little sleep, we'll be ready to have the boys amuse us."
"Sounds nice, to hear them tell us," commented Roy with a laugh.
And this plan was followed. When the boys went off in the motor boat,the ignition system of which was not working to their satisfaction, thegirls strolled down to the shore, walking along it.
"Let's go as far as the place we found the diamonds," proposed Amy.
"Think you might find some more?" asked Betty, with a smile.
"No such luck. But I thought perhaps we might see----"
"Those men again? No, thank you!" cried Grace.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Mollie. "The beach is free, and it is broaddaylight. Come along."
So they strolled along the sand, stopping now and then to pick up apretty shell or pebble. Out in the bay was the fleet of clamming boats,little schooners from which the grappling rakes were thrown overboard,and allowed to drag along the bottom with the motion of the craft, to behauled up now and then, and emptied of their shelly catch.
On the other side of the point of land the ocean beat restlessly on thebeach.
"Here's the place," exclaimed Betty, at length, as they came to the logwhere they had sat when Mollie and Amy dug up the box of diamonds.
"It doesn't look as though they had come back and searched in vain forthe treasure," said Betty.
There was no evidence in the sand, that was certain. The girls lookedabout a bit, and then strolled on. Before they knew it they foundthemselves in front of the lone hut where, from the odor that hung inthe air, and the evidence of nets and boats about, it was evident afisherman dwel
t.
As the girls came opposite this, the door opened and a woman, with ahard, cruel face, peered out.
"Ah, little missies!" she croaked, "it's a fine morning for a walk, butyou must be tired. Won't you come in and rest?" And she leered up intotheir faces.