The Motor Girls at Lookout Beach Part 9

"A thread mill?" asked Walter.

"No, a treadmill--a mill that was treaded. They used to make b.u.t.ter in olden times by having a sheep or a dog travel around on that sort of wheel, which was geared to a churn."

"See page one hundred and eight Encyclopedia Fosteria," put in Jack, with a good natured slap on Ed's broad shoulders. "When you don't see what you want--ask Ed," he finished.

Feeling that they had actually solved the mystery of the circular platform, the boys spent some time in examining the strange machine.

Meanwhile the girls were peering in the broken windows of the old house, for Bess insisted that Nellie and Rose might have fallen ill after their long tramp from the strawberry patch, and that they might actually be lying within the tottering ma.s.s of mortar, beams and stones. But, of course, the fears of Bess were soon proved unfounded, and, at the urgent order of Cora, the party started again on the road to Squaton to get that "much delayed" crate of berries for Mrs. Perry Robinson.

"Keep a lookout along the road for the girls," Cora directed, as they started off. "We might spy them resting under a tree."

"You will never spy them," insisted Jack. "I am going to find Rose--my Rose, and Walter has his heart set on Nellie--_the_ Nellie. So you girls may go to sleep, if you wish, for all the good your looking will do."

Only a joke--but many a jest begets a truth!

So the motor girls thought, in their long search for the unfortunate runaways.

CHAPTER VIII

A STARTLING DISCOVERY

All was confusion at the strawberry patch. The two orphan girls, Rose and Nellie Catron, had disappeared the night before, it was said, and not until shortly before the arrival of our friends in the automobiles, was another loss discovered--that of a pair of very valuable diamond earrings, the property of Miss Hanna Schenk, otherwise known among the pickers as "Mrs. Blazes."

So it was that the Chelton young folks, as Jack said, "struck a hornet's nest," for Mrs. Ramsy, somehow, seemed to be of the opinion that Cora could tell, if she would, something about the runaways.

"What could give you that idea, Mrs. Ramsy?" demanded Cora indignantly. "I only saw your nieces while I was here the other day, and I am sure I would have advised them to stay where they were, had they ever mentioned to me their intentions of leaving."

"That's all very well, young lady," growled the woman, "but I noticed how them girls edged up to you, and your friends, and I warn you, if I find that you have helped them off I'll have the law on _you_."

At this the young men came up to the shed where the unpleasant conversation was in progress. Jack, of course, was indignant, and, not only did he oblige Cora to leave the place at once, but, while doing so, he expressed his opinion directly to Mrs. Ramsy as to his personal measure of her character.

The whole affair was rather awkward, and the Robinson girls were obliged to leave the patch once more without their crate of berries.

Just outside the wire fence, and when the girls were about to step into the cars, they were hailed by Andy--the small boy whom Cora had so favored by buying the damaged crate of berries.

"Wait a minute, miss," he called. "I've got something fer you," and, so saying, he stepped up to the _Whirlwind_ and, very cautiously, handed Cora a slip of paper. She took it and read these scrawled lines:

"Miss: We are going away, but we think we will see you again some day. You will find your crate of berries under the tree where Andy will show you. They belonged to us and we paid for them.

Rose Catron and Nellie Catron."

Cora looked down at Andy for a further explanation.

"They had to go away, miss," he said; "they couldn't stand it another minute. I will show you where the berries are."

"But how did the girls get the berries? They had no money," argued Cora.

"No, but their Aunt Delia took from them a ring that belonged to their own mother, and they took the crate to get even," declared Andy, his voice and manner showing his high regard for the "getting even" part.

Cora told the girls and boys about the matter, and they decided to go after the berries. Consequently Cora insisted that Andy ride in her car to the old willow tree, somewhat down the road, and as each tenth of a mile was marked in red on the speedometer dial the little fellow's face threatened more and more to catch fire from the auburn curls that fell in joyous affright about his temples.

Jack thought he had never known what it was to really enjoy a ride before, and he whispered to Cora that he very much wished he might take Andy home "for a paper weight, or a watch charm."

"Right over there," directed Andy, after about a mile's ride, "under the big willow."

Turning the car in that direction, Jack drove across a shallow ditch, and was soon under the tree, while the other machines waited on the safer roadway.

Andy scrambled out, and Jack, leaving the wheel, went after him, followed by Cora.

"Here," said the boy, pulling aside a thick clump of berry vines.

"Here's the crate."

Sure enough, there was the new crate, filled with berries, safe and untouched.

"Well, I declare!" exclaimed Cora. "I really did not expect to find them."

"Very thoughtful of my Rose-bud," declared Jack, lifting the lid of the box. "What's this?" he went on, picking up a small object.

"Something else for Cora, I wonder?"

At that moment, fortunately, Andy was occupied with a particularly attractive branch of red raspberries, and he did not see Jack lift out the article. Cora, so quick to apprehend any possible danger for others, was beside Jack instantly.

"Hush!" she whispered. "Don't tell the rest! It is an empty jewel box--earrings have been in it!"

"You don't mean to say that the--girls have gone off with the old lady's earrings!" exclaimed Jack. "And left the empty box in this crate to get you into trouble!"

"Indeed I do not mean to say anything of the kind," hastily answered Cora. "I have always found that the most suspicious circ.u.mstance may turn out to be the most innocent matter, and, in this case, I have not the slightest doubt that we will find my rule to work true. In the meantime," she continued, slipping the little case within her blouse, "I will take care of the--evidence."

It was not without a rather nervous fluttering of her usually reliable nerves, that Cora finally did secrete the jewel box, and in spite of her firm declaration to Jack, she could not just convince herself that it was altogether right for whoever had put the empty earring case in the crate, to have done so without making some sort of explanation.

For a moment she thought of asking little Andy if he could tell her anything of the strange affair, then she quickly concluded to await developments.

"Jack," she said, "we will take the crate of berries in our car. We have more room than the others, and perhaps Andy would like a ride in town with us. He can take a trolley car back."

This pleased the youngster immensely, and so, when the famous crate of berries was at last loaded on the _Whirlwind_, and the word had been given to the others, the party started off on a merry run towards Chelton. On the way Cora had a chance to find out from the boy that the girls, Rose and Nellie, had walked away from their aunt's place after nightfall. Also that he, and some other boys, had helped them carry their things, which, as far as the willow tree, included the crate of berries. Cora also learned that the girls had started out "to see the world," and this last piece of information did not add to her peace of mind concerning the two orphans, who knew so little of this world, and its consequent dangers.

Jack was greatly taken with Andy, and promised to pick him up for a ride every time the _Whirlwind_ came out Squaton way.

"Maybe you could get me a job," said the little fellow, glancing up with unstinted admiration at Cora's handsome brother.

"Believe I could," replied Jack. "Let me see, what is your specialty--what can you do?"

"I am a caddy," replied Andy proudly. "They say I'm just as quick as any of them to trace a ball."

"Well now, that's fine!" declared Jack. "We play golf out Chelton way.

Suppose you just take a trolley ride in next Sat.u.r.day, and we will see what we can do. Here is your car-fare. Be sure not to lose it, for trolley fellows are no respecters of persons."