Nan Sherwood's Summer Holidays Part 2

"By the way, how is Mrs. Bagley?" Rhoda asked, in an effort to keep herself from watching the windows so constantly.

"Oh, she's getting along all right, I think, since she got her money.

But you know how Nan is. She's always afraid something might happen.

Why, I honestly believe that she still fears that those horrid men who tried to get the deed to Mrs. Bagley's property away from her might turn up again after they get out of prison."

"Why, Bess Harley, I don't believe she thinks any such thing!" Rhoda exclaimed. "You are the one. You know you have been frightened half to death of the dark ever since Nan had those awful scares down in Palm Beach!"

Bess looked guilty. "Well, maybe it is me," she conceded ungrammatically.

"But I do worry, at times about Nan. Sometime something's going to happen to her--"

"Going to happen to whom?" queried a new voice and Laura Polk, red-headed and freckle faced and homely but withal very likable, bounded into the room.

In the confusion that followed the question went unanswered. Grace and Amelia Boggs were right at Laura's heels. "Don't ask me why we are late," Laura grinned impishly, "Or I might tell."

"That is just what I am afraid of," Bess replied.

"--And if you don't, I'll tell anyway," Laura continued. "We met a tall handsome dark-haired man--"

"You didn't either," Bess interrupted.

"Well, then he was short and fat."

"Laura Polk, you know very well that you didn't meet any man at all. You either lingered too long over the chocolate soda that you have spilled on that plaid skirt or, and this is more likely, you relied on Amelia's watch which is always slow."

"If it isn't old Sherlock Holmes himself! And what a disguise! Why, Sherlock, if it weren't for your super intellect and your remarkable powers of observation, which no one could mistake, I'd swear on a stack of Bibles that you were Elizabeth Harley of Lakeview Hall, otherwise known to her intimates as Lunch-Box Lizz. Really, Sherlock, you amaze me," Laura continued as she turned Bess slowly around. "Amazing, truly amazing."

Bess laughed and blushed. "Lunch-Box Lizz" was an appellation that was hard to swallow, but she knew from of old that there was absolutely no use in trying to silence Laura.

"Anyway," she retorted, as she winked at Rhoda, "You missed the fudge that Mrs. Cupp sent up to us."

"If Mrs. Cupp sent you up fudge, then I'm a monkey," Laura returned.

Nevertheless, she proceeded to look around for the empty plate, muttering the while that if Bess was any kind of friend at all she'd have saved some of the loot.

Bess watched her for a few seconds. Then feeling anxious to get on with the business of the day, she laughed, "There's no plate and no crumbs and no fudge, but you're a monkey, anyway, Laura Polk."

Laura laughed, as the other girls joined in. "Well, you see it's like this," she explained, "It's been so long since I've had anything besides a chocolate soda, that I'm just starved for something good to eat. But, Bess, since I wouldn't eat any old chocolate fudge even if you offered it to me on a great big silver platter, will you please break down and tell me what all the mystery is about."

"Yes, for Pete's sake," Amelia exploded, "What have you got on your mind? You and Rhoda have been going around the last two days looking as though you knew the answer to why Dr. Beulah wanted to know if our parents were at home this winter. What a question that was! I wrote home right away to find out what was up. What happened? Nothing. I don't even get an answer."

"What's more, I don't either," Rhoda joined in. "Do you know I haven't had a letter from my mother for two weeks now! I hope that if Dr. Beulah has something to write home, she is getting more response than I am."

"Oh, we're all neglected," Laura dismissed the question. "What I want to know is, what have you two companions in mystery cooked up now? Come on, spill it," she looked menacingly at Bess.

Bess turned to Rhoda, "You tell them," she said.

Rhoda shook her head, "No, it's your idea. Come, Bess, they are dying to know."

Bess cleared her throat. "Well--", and she looked around the room at the girls sitting on the chairs and cross-legged on the floor. It was nice to be there holding their attention.

"Bess Harley," Laura threatened, "Don't you go trying to pull any of my stunts. It's all right for me to go round working up suspense, but I won't have you doing it. I can't stand it. Are you going to tell what's eating you, or aren't you?"

Bess got up, went to the door and looked up and down the hall, "Just want to make sure that Linda Riggs isn't around," she explained.

"Oh, she's not here at all now and you know it," Laura laughed. "Come on, you tell us your secret and I'll tell you really and truly what Grace and Amelia and I were doing down in the village this afternoon."

Bess looked doubtful. "She will, honestly," Grace couldn't contain herself any longer. "If she doesn't, I will. Now come on, Bess, don't be mean."

"Can't you guess?" Bess asked. "Can't you guess, when you know as I do that Nan will be leaving about the end of April to go away?"

"Can't you guess," Rhoda chimed in, "When you know that it's a secret, that it's about Nan, that you are all--"

"Invited," supplied Amelia.

"That there will be food," Grace put in her bit.

"That everybody will know eventually," Bess added.

"That it's to be a great big surprise party on Nan!" they all chorused together, and then laughed.

"s.h.!.+ Did I hear somebody at the door?" Bess broke in on the confusion.

Immediately everybody was silent. The room was quiet as a tomb, as Bess got up and went to the door.

CHAPTER III

PLANS AND MORE PLANS

She clasped the k.n.o.b firmly in her hand and opened the door suddenly.

Though she saw nothing, she felt something soft and furry brus.h.i.+ng against her legs. She turned white and screamed.

It was Laura who brought her back to her senses. "Oh Bess, be quiet!"

she commanded. "You'll have the whole dormitory in here. You'll spoil everything. You are not afraid of a cat, are you?"

"A cat!" Bess exclaimed.

"Yes, a cat. What's more it is as frightened as you are!" Laura said in great disgust. "How did it get into the building anyway?"

"How do I know?" Bess asked shortly, for she was still frightened.

"Now, there, don't take it so hard," Amelia comforted her friend, as Bess turned to view her unexpected visitor.

In a far corner of the room, its back arched high in anger was a very black, very angry looking cat.

"What's the matter, p.u.s.s.y cat?" Rhoda coaxed. "Did Bess nearly scare you out of a year's growth?"