CHAPTER IX. A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE
As they walked along the hard, glistening beach, Nann glanced over theshimmering water at the gray, forbidding-looking island in the distance,almost as though she thought that the Phantom Yacht might again be seensailing toward the place where the dock had been. "Poor Darlina," shesaid turning toward the others, "how I do hope that she is happy now."
"Cain't no one tell as to that, I reckon," Gib commented, when Doriesasked: "Gibralter, how long ago did all this happen? How old would thatgirl and boy be now?"
"Pa was speakin' o' that 'long about last week," was the reply. "Hereckoned 'twas ten year since the Phantom Yacht sailed off agin with themother and the two little uns. That'd make the boy, Pa said, aboutnineteen year old he cal'lated, an' the wee girl about fifteen."
"Then little Darlina would be about our age," Dories commented.
"Why do you think that her name would be the same as her mother's?" Nannqueried.
"O, just because it is odd and pretty," was Dories' reason. Then,stepping more spryly, she said: "I do hope Aunt Jane has not been awakelong, fretting for her breakfast. We've been gone over two hours I dobelieve."
"Gee!" Gib exclaimed, looking around for his horse. "I'll have ter gallopas fast as the ol' colonel did that thar night I was tellin' yo' about orPa'll be in my wool. I'd ought to've had the milkin' done this hour past.So long!" he added, bolting suddenly between two of the boarded-upcottages they were passing. "Thar's my ol' steed out by the marsh," hecalled back to them.
The girls entered the kitchen very quietly and tiptoed through theliving-room hoping that their elderly hostess had not yet awakened, but aquerulous voice was calling: "Dories, is that you? Why can't you be morequiet? I've heard you prowling around this house for the past hour. Goingup and down those outside stairs. I should think you would know that Iwant quiet. I came here to rest my nerves. Bring my coffee at once."
"Yes, Aunt Jane," the girl meekly replied. Then, darting back to thekitchen, she whispered, her eyes wide and startled, "Nann, somebody hasbeen in this house while we've been away. I do believe it was that--thatperson we saw at midnight carrying a lantern. Aunt Jane has heardfootsteps creaking up and down the stairs to our room."
Nann's expression was very strange. Instead of replying she held out asmall piece of crumpled paper. "I just ran up to the loft to get myapron," she said, "and I found this lying in the middle of our bed."
On the paper was written in small red letters: "In thirteen days youshall know all."
"I have nine minds to tell Aunt Jane that the cabin must be haunted andthat we ought to leave for Boston this very day," Dories said, but hercompanion detained her.
"Don't, Dori," she implored. "I'm sure that there is nothing that willharm us, for pray, why should anyone want to? And I'm simply wild toknow, well, just ever so many things. Who prowls about at midnightcarrying a lighted lantern, what he is hunting for, who left thiscrumpled paper on our bed, and what we are to know in thirteen days; but,first of all, I want to find a way to enter that old ruin."
Dories sank down on a kitchen chair. "Nann Sibbett," she gasped, "Ibelieve that you are absolutely the only girl in this whole world who iswithout fear. Well," more resignedly, "if you aren't afraid, I'll try notto be." Then, springing up, she added, for the querulous voice had againcalled: "Yes, Aunt Jane, I'll bring your coffee soon." Turning to Nann,she added: "We ought to have a calendar so that we could count the days."
"I guess we won't need to." Nann was making a fire in the stove as shespoke. "More than likely the spook will count them for us. There, isn'tthat a jolly fire? Polly, put the kettle on, and we'll soon have coffee."
Dories, being the "Polly" her friend was addressing, announced that shewas ravenously hungry after their long walk and climb and that she wasgoing to have bacon and eggs. Nann said merrily, "Double the order."Then, while Dories was preparing the menu, she said softly: "Nann,doesn't it seem queer to you that Great-Aunt Jane can live on nothing buttoast and tea? Of course," she amended, "this morning she wishes toastand coffee, but she surely ought to eat more than that, shouldn't youthink?"
"She would if she got out in this bracing sea air, but lying abed isdifferent. One doesn't get so hungry." Nann was setting the kitchen tablefor two as she talked. After the old woman's tray had been carried to herbedside, Dories and Nann ate ravenously of the plain, but tempting, farewhich they had cooked for themselves. Nann laughed merrily. "Thiscertainly is a lark," she exclaimed. "I never before had such a goodtime. I've always been crazy to read mystery stories and here we areliving one."
Dories shrugged. "I'm inclined to think that I'd rather read about spooksthan meet them," she remarked as she rose and prepared to wash thedishes.
When the kitchen had been tidied, the two girls went into the sun-floodedliving-room, and began to make it look more homelike. The dust coverswere removed from the comfortable wicker chairs and the pictures, thathad been turned to face the walls while the cabin was unoccupied, weredusted and straightened.
"Now, let's take a run along the beach and gather a nice lot of driftwood," Nann suggested. "You know Gibralter told us that this is the timeof year when the first winter storm is likely to arrive."
Dories shuddered. "I hope it won't be like the one that wrecked ColonelWadbury's house eight years ago. If it were, it might undermine all ofthese cabins, and, how pray, could we escape if the road was underwater?"
"Oh, that isn't likely to happen," Nann said comfortingly. "Our beach ishigher than that lowland. It it does, we'd find a way out, but, Dories,please don't be imagining things. We have enough mystery to puzzle uswithout conjuring up frightful catastrophes that probably never willhappen."
Dories stopped at her aunt's door to tell her their plans, but the oldwoman was either asleep or feined slumber, and so, tiptoeing that shemight not disturb her, the girl went out on the beach, where Nann awaitedher. They were hatless, and as the sun had mounted higher, even thebright colored sweater-coats had been discarded.
"It's such a perfect Indian summer day," Nann said. "I don't even see atiny, misty cloud." As she spoke, she shaded her eyes with one hand andscanned the horizon.
"Isn't the island clear? Even that fog bank that we saw early thismorning has melted away." Then, whirling about, Dories inquired, "Nann,if we should see something white coming around that bleak gray island,what do you think it would be?"
"Why, the Phantom Yacht, of course."
"What would you do, if it were?"
"I don't know, Dori. I hadn't even thought of the coming of that boat asa possibility, and yet--" Nann turned a glowing face, "I don't know whyit might not happen. That little woman, for the sake of her children,might try a second time to win her father's forgiveness. If she came,what a desolate homecoming it would be; the old house in ruin and thefate of her father unknown."
For a moment the two girls stood silent. A gentle sea breeze blew theirsport skirts about them. They watched the island with shaded eyes asthough they really expected the yacht to appear. Then Nann laughed, andleaping along the beach, she confessed: "I know that I'll keep watchingfor the return of the Phantom Yacht just all of the while. The firstthing in the morning and the last thing at night." Then, as she picked upa piece of whitening driftwood, she asked, "Dori, would you rather havethe glistening white yacht appear in the sunrise or in the moonlight?"
Dories had darted for another piece of wood higher up the warm beach,but, on returning, she replied: "Oh, I don't know; either way would makea beautiful picture, I should think." Then, after picking up anotherpiece, she added: "I'd like to meet that pretty gold and white girl,wouldn't you?"
"Maybe we will," Nann commented, then sang out: "Do look, Dori, over bythe point of rocks, there is ever so much driftwood. I believe that willbe enough to fill our wood shed if we carry it all in. I've always heardthat there are such pretty colors in the flames when driftwood burns."
The girls worked for a while carr
ying the wood to the shed; then theyclimbed up on the rocks to rest, but not high enough to see the old ruin.When at length the sun was at the zenith, they went indoors to preparelunch, and again the old woman asked only for toast and tea.
After a leisurely noon hour, the girls returned to their task; therereally being nothing else that they wanted to do, and, as Nann suggested,if the rains came they would be well prepared. For a time they rested,lying full length on the warm sand, and so it was not until lateafternoon that they had carried in all of the driftwood they could find.
"Goodness!" Dories exclaimed, shudderingly, as she looked down at herlast armful. "Doesn't it make you feel queer to know that this wood isprobably the broken-up skeleton of a ship that has been wrecked at sea?"
"I suppose that is true," was the thoughtful response. They had startedfor the cabin, and a late afternoon fog was drifting in.
Suddenly Nann paused and stared at the one window in the loft that facedthe sea. Her expression was more puzzled than fearful. For one briefsecond she had seen a white object pass that window. Dories turned to askwhy her friend had delayed. Nann, not wishing to frighten the more timidgirl, stooped to pick up a piece of driftwood that had slipped from herarms.
"I'm coming, dear," she said.
On reaching the cabin, Nann went at once to the room of the elderlywoman, who had told them in the morning that she intended to remain inbed for one week and be waited on. There she was, her deeply-set darkeyes watching the door when Nann opened it and instantly she began tocomplain: "I do wish you girls wouldn't go up and down those outsidestairs any oftener than you have to. They creaked so about ten minutesago, they woke me right up." Then she added, "Please tell Dories to bringme my tea at once."
Nann returned to the kitchen truly puzzled. It was always when they wereaway from the cabin that the aunt heard someone going up and down theoutside stairway. What could it mean? To Dories she said, in so calm avoice that suspicion was not aroused in the heart of her friend, "Whileyou prepare the tea for your aunt, I'll go up to the loft room and makeour bed before dark."
Dories had said truly, Nann Sibbett seemed to be a girl without fear.