The Orchard Secret Part 37

That's only a theory, but it may be true. One night I spied on him, discovered his trick, and was preparing to denounce him when the chaplain forced me to give up my masquerade. So it's all over, and you are the first, outside of Dr. Bordmust, who knows my secret. And I suppose you won't keep it long?"

"We just can't!" said Arden. "As soon as I saw you coming along just now I knew you were the man of the poster. I half recognized you before, but the mustache deceived me. I've done a lot of foolish things trying to remember the two faces--yours and the one on the poster."

"Well, anyhow, Arden," said Sim, "it was fun doing it."

"Yes, it was," Arden agreed. "But, Mr. Pangborn, will you let us notify the police or lawyers and claim the reward?"

"I would prefer to have you notify the lawyers," he said genially.

"We don't want the money for ourselves," Terry made haste to explain. "We are going to give it to the dean to have the swimming pool repaired for Sim."

"For Sim?"

"Yes," exclaimed Arden, indicating the blushing Miss Westover. "She threatens to leave college because she can't go in the pool."

"Arden!" rebuked Sim.

"Then you will let us notify the lawyers that you are here?" persisted Arden.

"Please!" begged Terry in a way she had.

"Well," he laughed, "I suppose I must. I guess my little adventure is over. Go on--tell on me!"

"How wonderful!" cried Arden, while Sim and Terry looked at each other happily.

"I had about made up my mind, Arden," said Sim, "not to go home after all. Now, of course, I'll stay, with the prospect of the pool. I'll stay until I'm sent home."

"That's fine, Sim!" Arden declared. "Everything is coming out so beautifully!"

"We can have the pool fixed, Sim isn't going to leave us, and the horrid old ram is caught," murmured Terry.

"And the mystery of the bell is explained," added Sim.

"Have you a piece of paper?" suddenly asked Mr. Pangborn after a vain search in his own pockets.

"We nearly always carry books and papers," said Sim, "but this morning----" She looked helplessly at her chums.

"Here!" exclaimed Arden. "Use the back of this envelope. It's the letter you gave me to keep, Sim. I was always afraid she'd mail it herself if I left it around," she explained to Terry, "so I've been carrying it with me."

She handed the crumpled envelope to the young man, who had managed to find a pencil, and he wrote on it quickly. He handed the envelope back to Arden.

"There," he said. "That's a telegram to my lawyers. Sign your name, send it, and the reward is yours."

"You won't run away meanwhile, will you?" asked Arden shyly.

"No, I'll stay around or go and give myself up, as you direct--just so you'll get the money." He seemed happy to comply.

"Thanks, so much!" Arden said warmly. "Do you mind if we go send this telegram right away--before we have to report in cla.s.s?"

"Run along," he said, laughing. "I'll go telephone my people and relieve their anxiety. Though I don't really believe they were worried. I've traveled pretty much around the world alone and been out of touch with them for months at a time."

"Good-bye!" chorused the three freshmen as they literally "ran along" to the main building to telegraph the surprising message to the lawyers named on the poster. Harry Pangborn, a quizzical smile on his face, watched them go.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," he murmured as he swung on through the orchard. "And I think it did me good. Those are mighty pretty girls.

I wouldn't mind knowing them--after I come into my kingdom," he chuckled.

"Perhaps I may. Who knows?"

The girl at the college telephone switchboard was almost as excited as the breathless Arden, who asked to be connected with Western Union and then dictated the startling news of the missing heir.

"This will be something for the papers!" thought the telephone operator.

And it was--later.

Terry and Sim waited impatiently outside the booth for Arden to emerge.

Girls cl.u.s.tered around them, and many were the exclamations of wonder, delight, and surprise as the news was told.

"Now we must go inform the dean," said Terry as she came out, fl.u.s.tered but triumphant.

On the way to Miss Anklon's office the girls pa.s.sed the college post boxes, where each girl had a niche of her own, with a dial lock, for incoming mail. Sim begged them to wait while she looked in her box. There was a letter slanting to one side.

"Oh, I have one!" Sim announced as she twirled the combination and took out the missive.

"Who's it from?" asked Terry before Sim had half read it. But she was quick to answer:

"It's from Ed Anderson. He wants me to go to a dance during the Thanksgiving holidays. I didn't think he'd ever speak to me again after the way I disappeared at the tea dance."

At this news Arden and Terry decided to look in their boxes.

"You're not so much!" Terry cried. "I have a letter myself. It's from d.i.c.k Randall!"

"Me too!" announced Arden, succinctly if not grammatically. "It's from Jim Todd."

"What fun!" exclaimed Sim. "And the holidays begin the end of next week."

CHAPTER XXVIII A Disturbing Message

Hardly realizing the good fortune that had come to them so unexpectedly, and while they were rejoicing over their letters and the prospects of the Thanksgiving holidays, with dances in the offing, Arden, Terry, and Sim saw one of the college messengers making her way toward them through a throng of other students. For the messengers were young women who, like the waitresses, were working their way through Cedar Ridge by making themselves useful to the dean.

"I have a message for you," said this girl, without smiling. She looked at Arden but included Sim and Terry.

"A message for me?" Arden exclaimed. Could the Pangborn lawyers have sent the reward money by telegraph already?

"Yes, you three young ladies must report to the dean at once."

"Whew!" faintly whistled Sim.