Part 24 (2/2)

The Chelton party was not far from the place where the footlights ought to have been.

”Suppose I go over there and strike a match,” suggested Ed. ”I can hold it up near her face, and then you will be able to get a glimpse.”

Acting on this plan he felt his way through the dark and deserted place, and did almost reach the stage. Then he struck a match!

It went out.

He lighted another--better luck this time, for it burned away while he jumped to the stage and almost thrust the little wooden taper into the face of the singer.

The girl screamed, and seemed too frightened to move!

The match went out, and, as the place was again black in darkness, the figure on the platform pa.s.sed behind the curtain and was gone!

CHAPTER XX

THE GAIETY OF GOING

”Oh, Glorious gaiety!”

”Oh, delightful dissipation!”

”Oh, luscious loafing!”

”Oh, wayside wanderings!”

These remarks emanated from the exuberant spirits of Jack Kimball, Paul Hastings, Ed Foster and Walter Pennington.

It was a few evenings after the moving picture performance had ended so abruptly, and the young men insisted that this time they would ”take in” some other attractions. The young ladies were almost equally enthusiastic, and therefore it was decided that the beautiful June evening be spent in the perfectly innocent sport of further sight-seeing at the select summer colony centre.

On the other evening when Ed thrust the light under the eyes of the little singer, who was following the manager's instructions to ”sing for all she was worth, to catch the crowd,” and the girl had darted away, frightened at the rather daring act of attempt at recognition, Cora insisted that the singer was none other than Rose Catron.

But the darkness and confusion of the place made it impossible for even the Chelton boys to make their way back of the stage and investigate further.

Jack did try it, but the tangle of boxes and heaps of stage fixings so blocked his way that he was forced to give up before he reached what ought to be the stage entrance. Ed and Walter searched for the manager with equally unsatisfactory results, and so, for the time being, the quest had to be abandoned; although Cora was keenly disappointed in having to leave the place with no clue as to the real ident.i.ty of the little singer.

That the girls had not drowned themselves was all the a.s.surance that Belle needed to restore her peace of mind on that subject, while Bess insisted she would take the _Flyaway_ and run down to the place so early next morning that if the performer should prove to be Rose, she would scarcely have had time to pick up her things in daylight, and again escape. Hazel was also interested when told of the girls'

strange story, and in her gentle yet decisive way, she offered to do what she could while at the beach to discover the possible whereabouts of Rose and Nellie. But the search was unavailing, as no one in authority at the moving picture theatre would answer questions satisfactorily.

”To-night,” said Walter, as they started out again, ”let the girls choose the attraction.”

They sauntered along the brilliantly-lighted boardwalk. All the style available at the colony seemed to be on parade, and, as far as our girl friends were concerned, they would really have preferred to remain in the procession, but for the knowledge that the boys wanted to see what was going on in the big building at the end of the pier.

”The Human Was.h.i.+ng Machine!” shouted Jack, after a glance at the sign.

”Now there is a practical attraction and I am willing to pay the bill for 'doing up' every one in the crowd.”

<script>