CHAPTER II Cara's Fright
"It doesn't matter if you didn't bring a token," Madge comforted theshaking Cara. "We'll not make you go back there again. But tell us, whatfrightened you so?"
"I--I saw a ghost!"
"You must have dreamed it," Jane declared. "I guess you saw so manyghosts during the initiation that you had them on your mind."
Cara shook her head stubbornly.
"No, I didn't dream this. I saw something white moving around in theSwenster yard--I don't know what it could have been if it wasn't aghost!"
Madge switched on the living room lights and led Cara to a chair. Thegirls were disturbed to see that she was pale. No one doubted that herfright was genuine.
"Cara Wayne, you know very well that ghosts don't exist," Madge saidsternly. "Now tell us exactly what happened."
"Well, I went to the old mansion as I was told to do. I went around theback way and found the gate ajar. Believe me, I wasn't very keen to goinside, but I made myself do it. No sooner had I stepped inside than Isaw the thing--oh, it was awful!"
"What did it look like?" Edna demanded.
"I just saw something white and a face--it frightened me so I turned andran. I made it back here in about thirty seconds flat."
"What was your so called ghost doing in the Swenster yard?" Madgequestioned curiously.
"Digging with a shovel!"
Until now the girls had been impressed with Cara's story although theytook no stock in ghosts, but this announcement called forth gales oflaughter in which all joined save Madge. She had begun to think thatperhaps Cara's fright was based upon something more substantial thanimagination. She kept the thought to herself.
"You must have been seeing things!" Jane scoffed.
"Well, if you don't believe me, go there yourself and find out!" Carachallenged.
Madge tactfully put an end to the argument by suggesting thatrefreshments be served.
"We've all had enough initiation for one night," she said. "I vote thatwithout further ceremony we make Cara a full-fledged member of the club."
The others unanimously agreed. Cara breathed a deep sigh of relief as sherealized that it was all over. Madge and Enid went to the kitchen to dishup ice cream and cake. Everyone was very sweet to Cara, trying to atonefor the unpleasant events of the evening. She bore no one a grudge andsoon was able to laugh at her own experience.
Before the girls had finished their ice cream, Mr. and Mrs. Bradyreturned home from the bridge party.
"Remember, not a word about what happened," Jane warned as footsteps wereheard on the porch.
Mr. and Mrs. Brady greeted the girls cordially. Themselves youthful inspirit, they enjoyed the society of young people and never objected whenMadge overran the house with her friends. If they noticed that Caralooked pale and slightly ill at ease, they made no mention of it.
A few minutes later the girls departed, gratefully accepting Mr. Brady'soffer to drive them home in his car. Madge had hoped to speak alone withCara before she left, but the opportunity did not present itself.
"I'll see her tomorrow at school," she thought. "I mean to find out moreabout what happened tonight at the Swenster mansion. Cara isn't the sortto be frightened over nothing. I'm inclined to think something queer maybe going on there."
Madge had a certain instinct for adventure; her many thrillingexperiences were the envy of her friends. Each summer she was privilegedto spend many pleasant months at her uncle's fishing lodge at Loon Lake,Canada. There she had met Jack French, a young forest ranger, who hadtaken more than an ordinary interest in her. Her friendship for anorphan, Anne Fairaday, had plunged her into a baffling search for avaluable paper. The story of this interesting adventure is related in thefirst volume of the Madge Sterling series, entitled "The MissingFormula."
More recently, she had been involved in a strange kidnapping case.Arriving at Cheltham Bay to visit her friend Enid, she had found theBurnett yacht abandoned. In trying to discover what became of Mr. Burnettshe was brought into dangerous contact with a fanatical group of ZudiDrum worshipers. This story is recounted in the volume "The DesertedYacht."
"I've often wondered why the Swenster mansion has been kept boarded upall these years," Madge reflected as she undressed for bed. "It must havebeen quite a show place at one time."
She was still thinking of the old estate when she tumbled into bed.Perhaps Cara's tale of "ghosts" had disturbed her more than she knew forher dreams were of the wildest sort. It seemed to her that she had slepthalf the night when she was awakened by a loud cry from the basement.Actually, she had been asleep only a few minutes.
"What was that?" she asked herself nervously, sitting up in bed. "I hopeit isn't a burglar!"
The sound was not repeated but she could hear something banging about inthe basement. After a moment of indecision she decided to investigate.Slipping into her bathrobe, she stole softly down the stairway. She couldhear someone coming up the basement steps and scarcely knew whether toretreat or stand her ground.
Suddenly the cellar door was flung open and Uncle George stomped angrilyinto the kitchen.
"Say, who left a tub of water at the foot of the stairs?" he demandedcrossly. "Look at me!"
The sight struck Madge as extremely funny and she made the mistake oflaughing.
"If this is your idea of a joke--" Mr. Brady began threateningly.
Madge hastily assured him that the tub of water had not been intended forhim, but it was some time before she could clear herself. She finallycoaxed him into a better humor and left him foraging contentedly in therefrigerator.
The next day she did not forget her resolution to question Cara Wayne.During algebra class, when the teacher's back was turned, she passed anote, asking Cara to wait for her after school.
"I want you to tell me more about the Swenster ghost," Madge commanded asthey linked arms and started away from the building.
"Oh, dear, I suppose I'll never hear the last of it," Cara sighed. "I'mwilling to admit it couldn't have been a ghost, but there was somebody inthat yard!"
"I have a splendid idea!" Madge confided, watching her friendmischievously. "Let's go to the old mansion now and see what we candiscover."
Cara shrank away.
"No, thanks. I don't care for the place."
"It's broad daylight," Madge insisted. "And remember, for a week you'resupposed to obey the commands of any member of Skull and Crossbones."
"Oh, all right," Cara submitted unwillingly, "but I don't see what youexpect to find there."
Madge did not respond. In truth, she could not have told what she hopedto learn. It was pure intuition that had inspired the little adventure.Turning down Summit Street, she urged Cara to a faster pace.
"Don't look so glum," she protested gayly. "It will be fun! Before we'rethrough, I'll warrant you'll be glad I brought you along!"