Part 31 (1/2)
It was one day when Mr. Floyd had gone in to town, and Mrs. Floyd had departed to one of the more distant bungalows to get it in readiness for occupancy, that Cora and her friends again went on a little trip to the small lake which once before they had visited.
”And make sure everything is well locked,” Belle advised, as they started away, boys and girls together.
Windows and doors were seen to, though no one had more than a faint suspicion that any unbidden visitors would call. They got back rather early in the afternoon, for a thunder shower was threatening, and as Jack opened the door and looked in the living room, he called out:
”All serene. They haven't been here this time.”
”That's good,” said Belle. ”I guess we've broken the hoodoo.”
But when Cora and Hazel went upstairs there came simultaneous cries of surprise from them.
”Oh, Cora!” cried Hazel. ”Look at my room!”
”And look at mine!” Cora added.
”What's the matter?” asked Jack from below.
”Everything!” answered his sister. ”They've been up here, Jack!”
”Who?”
”The Surprise, of course. Our rooms are all upset.”
”Is anything taken?” asked Jack, who, with the others, came up to look at the strange evidences left by the mysterious visitors.
”We can't tell yet,” said Cora. ”Oh dear! what does it all mean?”
No one answered for a moment, but Belle and Bess looked half-fearfully about, as though even then they might be standing in the presence of some unseen creature.
CHAPTER XXI-A DANCING LIGHT
”This is getting to be the limit of patience!” exclaimed Jack a bit wrathfully, as he looked at the disordered rooms. ”Why can't we do something?”
”We could, if we knew what to do,” said Walter. ”But you can't fight nothing with something.”
”It is very intangible,” said Cora. ”Oh, all my pretty things scattered about!”
”Look and see if anything is taken,” suggested Paul. ”If we can find out what is missing-I mean the character of the things-we can get a better line on who might have taken them. So far, the flashlight indicates regular burglars.”
For a time the girls were so put out, and so nervous over what had happened, that they could not ascertain what, if anything, was missing.
Then Cora began to reckon up her belongings, and found that a number of articles had been taken. Hazel found the same misfortune had visited her.
”There are lots of my things gone,” said Cora.
”What?” asked Walter, producing pencil and paper. ”Let's get at this systematically.”
”Oh, well, there are lots of things you-you wouldn't understand about,”