Part 21 (1/2)

The boys were at the landing as the boat came in. This was exactly what Cora had wished for.

CHAPTER XV

AN ALARM

”I will go to Lamberton this afternoon,” declared Mrs. Lewis, after having conferred with Cora and Jack. ”I know a man there who was a great friend of my husband. He told me to come to him any time I needed advice, and he is a prominent lawyer. I have never troubled him--had no good cause to until now.”

”I think that would be a good plan,” Jack agreed. ”I fancy as soon as we come down on those fellows good and hard, they will be forced to show their hand.”

So it was arranged that Mrs. Lewis should go to the town, some twenty-five miles away.

”And Freda,” she said, ”don't worry if I am not back until the last train, for if he should happen to be in New York I will wait for him.”

”Be careful of that cut in the old road,” Freda warned. ”Mother, you know it is always dark through there, even in broad daylight, and after dark it is pitchy.”

”I can't get any train until one o'clock,” went on Mrs. Lewis, ”so, Freda, we will hurry back to the bungalow and leave everything ready for tea. We can prepare things while the girls are lunching.”

”Now, you needn't do anything of the kind,” objected Cora, ”we girls can well enough take care of ourselves once in a while. Why, Mrs.

Lewis, you have us all spoiled. We are supposed to do most of our own housekeeping in Summer camp, you know.”

”Indeed, you do that now,” returned Mrs. Lewis, who was more than grateful for the opportunity for work that Cora had afforded to her.

”I like housekeeping when there is someone to keep for.”

”You had Freda,” Jack reminded her.

”And she wouldn't let me do enough to keep in practice,” replied Mrs.

Lewis. ”Here we are, and the young ladies are stringing beans!”

”Now that is what I call sweet of you,” Jack observed as he greeted the four girls, all seated around a low porch table with knives and beans plying from basket to pan. ”Who told you we were coming to dine?”

”You positively are not, Brother Jack,” Cora declared. ”You boys think our place is an elastic delicatessen. Why, we never know whether we are going to have enough for another meal or not, and we can't go to the point again to-day.”

”All right, Little Sister. If you have the heart to eat good string beans from old Henry's garden, and know that your brother is starving for a single spoonful, just go ahead. They will rest heavy on your heart, though. I warn you.”

”You may help!” offered Lottie. ”Just take that paper bag and scoop up the ends. Bess spilled them.”

”I absolutely refuse,” replied Jack, haughtily, ”to be a sc.r.a.per-up for such mean people. No, sir! I have just been manicured,” and he gazed lovingly at his much-neglected hands.

”It does seem as if all we do is to get ready to eat and then eat,”

said Belle with a sigh. ”I would never keep house for myself if I starved. At least, I would manage on fewer meals. We have only been to the point since breakfast and now it is time to eat again.”

Cora had gone in with Freda and Mrs. Lewis and very soon afterward luncheon was announced--the beans were laid over for the evening meal.

Jack stayed, of course, and wondered (so he said) why the other fellows did not come in search of him.

An hour or two later Mrs. Lewis hurried off to the little station, after promising Freda that she would be most careful of the dark road known as the ”Cut.”

”For, Mother dear,” warned Freda, ”I do believe those land sharks would do almost anything to scare the information out of us. They have threatened to have it at any cost, you know.”