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diff --git a/old/55964-0.txt b/old/55964-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 9321863..0000000 --- a/old/55964-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5841 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Sapphire Signet, by Augusta Huiell Seaman - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Sapphire Signet - -Author: Augusta Huiell Seaman - -Illustrator: C. M. Relyea - -Release Date: November 14, 2017 [EBook #55964] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET *** - - - - -Produced by Larry B. Harrison and The Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - THE - SAPPHIRE SIGNET - -[Illustration: "I had the _worst_ time puzzling this out!" she said] - - - - - THE - SAPPHIRE SIGNET - - BY - AUGUSTA HUIELL SEAMAN - Author of "The Boarded-Up House," etc. - - ILLUSTRATED BY - C. M. RELYEA - - [Illustration] - - NEW YORK - THE CENTURY CO. - 1916 - - - - - Copyright, 1915, 1916, by - THE CENTURY CO. - - _Published, September, 1916_ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I THE HOUSE IN CHARLTON STREET 3 - - II SOMETHING TURNS UP 16 - - III THE DISCOVERY IN THE ATTIC 32 - - IV A KEY TO THE MYSTERY 53 - - V "THE LASS OF RICHMOND HILL" 65 - - VI A SURPRISE 79 - - VII THE DISCOVERIES CORINNE MADE 91 - - VIII BAFFLED! 102 - - IX INTRODUCING ALEXANDER 114 - - X ALEXANDER TAKES HOLD 126 - - XI ALEXANDER SPRINGS A SURPRISE 135 - - XII THE MYSTERY UNRAVELS FURTHER 149 - - XIII ALEXANDER ENGAGES IN SOME HISTORICAL - RESEARCH 162 - - XIV A BELATED DISCOVERY AND A SOLEMN CONCLAVE 179 - - XV SARAH TAKES A HAND IN THE GAME 192 - - XVI THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET 209 - - XVII IN WHICH SARAH CHANGES HER MIND 228 - - XVIII TWO SURPRISES 245 - - XIX THE MISSING LINKS 255 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - - "I had the _worst_ time puzzling this out!" she said _Frontispiece_ - - "Corinne noticed that the bottom of the trunk seemed - all wrong." 37 - - "He gazed hard at me as I stood on the lawn." 71 - - "Madame Mortier warned Alison that she wasn't to have - any communication with the rebels." 109 - - "I poked around it, top, bottom, and sides." 143 - - "You must welcome the latest member of the Antiquarian - Club, Miss President!" 205 - - He began to tap the inside of the trunk all over, carefully, - with the handle of his penknife 223 - - "For a minute or two she didn't answer." 265 - - - - - THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET - - - - - THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET - OR - "THE LASS OF RICHMOND HILL" - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE HOUSE IN CHARLTON STREET - - -It was five o'clock and a very dull, dark afternoon in Charlton -Street. One by one lights had twinkled out in all the little -two-story-and-dormer-windowed houses on the block,—in all but one. -The parlor windows of this house were still unlit, but behind the -flower-box in one of them a hand could be seen moving aside the white -curtains at frequent intervals and a dim face peering anxiously into -the dusk. - -At ten minutes past five precisely, two trim girl-figures turned the -corner of Varick Street, hurried down the block, raced up the steps -of this same house, and waved frantically at the dark windows. An -answering wave saluted them from between the parted curtains. At the -same moment lights twinkled out from the windows, and a quick hand -pulled down the shades with a jerk, shutting out the dim street for the -night. But back of the drawn shades a small figure in an invalid-chair -held out welcoming arms to the girls who had just entered. - -"My! How long you were! I thought you'd never get here to-day. And it's -been so dark and dismal all the afternoon, too!" The two girls, who -were plainly twins, knelt down, one on each side of the invalid-chair. - -"We _were_ an age, I know, Margaret dear," began Bess, "but there was a -good reason. It's quite exciting,—all about the new girl!" - -"Yes, you can never guess what, either!" echoed Jess, winding one of -Margaret's dark curls around her finger. - -"Oh, tell me—quick!" The child's big, beautiful gray eyes fairly -sparkled with eagerness, and a faint flush tinted her delicate face. -"Is it that queer girl you told me about, who only came into the class -a few days ago?" - -"That's the one,—but let's get our things off first and see if Sarah -made any cookies to-day. We're starving!" - -A huge woman who had been moving about the room lighting gas-jets, -pulling down shades, and straightening the furniture, now broke into -the conversation: "Ye kin save yerselves the trouble! I ain't made no -cookies this day—an' me wid all that wash! What d' ye think I be?" - -"Go 'long, Sarah!" laughed Bess. "You know there's probably a whole -jarful in the pantry, and we don't care whether you made them to-day or -a week ago. They're always dandy!" - -Sarah gave a chuckle that shook her huge frame, and tucked a light -shawl lovingly about the knees of the girl in the chair. - -"Ye'll have a hard time findin' any!" she warned, as the two ran off. -"Won't they, Margie, macushla?" - -In five minutes the twins were back, each with a massive chunk of -chocolate layer-cake in her hand and a mouth full of the same. - -"You told the truth, Sarah, for once! There weren't any cookies, but -this is heaps better!" - -"If ye get any crumbs on me floor," threatened Sarah, ominously, -"ye'll have no more cake of any kind, the week out!" And she departed -downstairs in great (pretended) displeasure. - -"Now for it! Tell me right away," demanded Margaret. "I'm _so_ -impatient to hear!" - -"Well," began Bess, in muffled tones, struggling to swallow a large -mouthful of cake, "you remember we told you about that nice girl who -came into our section three days ago, but who seemed so offish and -queer and quiet. She's always staring out of the window, as if she were -dreaming. And when she isn't studying, she's reading some book the -whole time. And she hardly ever talks to a soul. Jess and I thought -she must feel rather lonesome and strange. You know it is rather hard -to come into the first year of High School more than a month after -everything's started, and every one else has got acquainted, and try -to pick up! I think one must feel so awfully out of it! - -"So Jess and I decided we'd ask her to eat lunch with us to-day. She -always eats by herself, and yesterday she didn't eat at all,—just read -a book the whole time! I went up to her at lunch-period and said—" - -"What's her name?" interrupted Margaret. - -"Corinne Cameron,—isn't it a dandy name? Corinne! It has such a -_distinguished_ sound!—Well, she was reading, as usual, and looked -up at me sort of dazed and far-away when I asked her if she'd care to -eat with us. But she seemed very glad to do it and came right over. We -had a very interesting talk, and she asked us right away to call her -'Corinne,' instead of 'Miss Cameron,' as they do in High School. She -said it made her feel about a hundred miles away from every one to be -called 'Miss.' So of course we asked her to call us 'Elisabeth' and -'Jessica.'" - -"But why didn't you tell her just 'Bess' and 'Jess'?" interrupted -Margaret again. "That's so much more natural." - -"Well, you see, 'Corinne' sounds so sort of distinguished and—and -dignified! And somehow our names don't. They just seem ordinary -and—and so like small children. And at least 'Elisabeth' and 'Jessica' -seem more—grown-up!" - -"What does she look like?" questioned Margaret, going off on another -tack. - -"Oh, she's, well, sort of distinguished-looking, too—like her name. -She's tall and slim and has very dark brown wavy hair, and big, dark -eyes, almost black, and the prettiest straight nose,—not a little -_snub_ like ours (I don't mean yours, Margaret! _That's_ all right!). -But she always acts as though her thoughts were about a thousand miles -away. She talked about books mostly, and asked us if we didn't just -_love_ to read. And when we said no, not so awfully, she seemed so -astonished. I said we'd rather play basket-ball, and she laughed and -said we couldn't play that _all_ the time, and what did we do with our -spare moments. I told her we didn't have many, because, at home here, -we were always busy amusing you or helping Sarah, when we weren't -studying. - -"Then she asked about you, Margaret, and was _so_ interested when we -told her about your poor back, and how you couldn't move around much or -go to school, but studied with us and knew just as much as we did—and -_more_, because you read a great deal, too, even though you are only -thirteen and we're fifteen. And she said: - -"'That's perfectly fine!' Well, we were talking so hard that we -scarcely noticed lunch-period was over, and we hadn't said half that we -wanted to. She promised to eat with us every day. - -"This afternoon we decided not to stay for basket-ball in the gym, -because Jess's finger hurts so much where she cut it last night. So we -left at half-past two (which we hardly ever do), and who should start -to walk over our way but Corinne, and she was delighted that we could -go part of the way together. She lives in the Ten Eyck, that swell new -apartment in West Twelfth Street." - -"The Ten Eyck!" exclaimed Margaret, in a tone of hushed awe. "Gracious! -she must be very wealthy, then!" - -"Wait till you hear!" murmured Jess, parenthetically, and Bess went on: - -"She told us they'd just moved there because her father, who isn't -in very good health, has to live near his business. He's in a big -steamship company on West Street. And until now they've always lived in -an apartment on Madison Avenue near Central Park. They just moved down -here a week ago. Her mother is dead, and an aunt, her father's sister, -lives with them. - -"By this time we had reached the Ten Eyck, and what do you think!—she -asked us to come in and chat awhile, because she was all alone. Her -aunt was out at some club. Of course we went in, and my! but it was -splendiferous, especially going up to the eighth floor in a big -elevator! Their rooms are sort of built all around a central hall. -It's different from any apartment we were ever in. Corinne took us to -her room, which was about as large as this parlor, and had the cutest -low bookcases all around the walls and lovely cushioned seats in the -windows. And we sat there and talked a long time. - -"But here's another queer thing about her. While we were talking about -school and our studies, and how hard the geometry seemed, she suddenly -showed us an old book that was lying on her table,—it was a _very_ -old, battered-up looking book with brown stains on the leaves, and one -cover half hanging off, and the queerest old-fashioned pictures,—and, -she asked us whether we'd like to look at it. She said it was her chief -treasure just now. It was called 'Valentine's Manual, Volume II,' and -seemed to be all about New York City in very early times. She said her -father had picked it up at an auction-sale of some one's library, and -had given it to her for her birthday. - -"I didn't say much, for somehow I thought it was an awfully queer thing -to get for your birthday—an old, dilapidated, uninteresting book like -that! And then I guess she saw that we were surprised, for she said: - -"'Don't you love _old_ things?' - -"I just had to laugh,—it all seemed so queer! And I said, no, I -preferred them brand-new. And then she said: - -"'Well, perhaps every one doesn't feel the same as I do; for Father -says I'm a born antiquarian, just as he is!' We couldn't say a word, -either of us, for actually, we don't know what 'antiquarian' means! She -went out of the room just after that and brought back some lemonade and -little sweet crackers. Then we had to leave, for it was getting late, -and we knew you'd be watching for us." Here Bess ended her recital and -Margaret instantly exclaimed: - -"Get the dictionary—quick! I want to see what 'antiquarian' means!" - -"That's just like you!" commented Jess, as she hauled a big Webster's -Unabridged out of the bookcase. "You're a lot like Corinne, too. I -think you two would get on beautifully together. Here it is: - -"'Antiquarian,—one who is addicted to the study of antiquities; an -admirer of antiquity.' And 'antiquities' are old things, of course. -Well, what she sees to admire in 'em beats me! Anyhow, she's an awfully -nice girl,—sort of unusual, you know,—and I'm glad we made her -acquaintance. Bess and I were saying on the way home that it's kind of -like an _adventure_ to meet unusual people—" Jess broke off suddenly, -at the sound of a latch-key in the front door, and they all exclaimed: - -"There's Mother! Isn't she early to-night!" - -A pleasant-voiced woman called out to them cheerily, and a moment later -entered the room. Mrs. Bronson's face, which singularly resembled her -youngest daughter's, had once been very pretty, but now showed many -traces of anxious care. Her expression was of one who was constantly -thinking over worrisome matters. But at the sight of the trio her face -lit up, the lines smoothed away temporarily, and ten years seemed -magically to drop from her as she sat down in the group, questioning -them about the affairs of their day. - -After a few moments the twins went off downstairs to help Sarah with -the dinner, and Margaret was left to her coveted half-hour alone with -her mother. - -"Oh, Mummy," she sighed, snuggling her head on Mrs. Bronson's shoulder, -"this is lovely! You don't often get home so early. But I appreciate it -specially, because I feel sort of blue and no-'count to-night." - -"Is that so, dear?" exclaimed her mother, some of the anxious lines -returning to her face. "Is the pain worse? What has happened to-day?" - -"No, it isn't my back," Margaret almost sobbed. "It's just that -_nothing_ has happened—to me—to-day; nothing ever _does_ happen! I -just sit here all day long, waiting for 'something to turn up,' like -Dickens' _Mr. Micawber_, and nothing ever does turn up! The twins -go out and meet nice people and have pleasant things happen, but -there's nothing like that for me. Oh, I want some adventures—just one -nice, big, beautiful adventure would do—some delightful, unexpected -surprise! I'd be content if I could have just _one_!" It was very -unusual for Margaret to make the slightest complaint, and it was well -now that her head was on her mother's shoulder, and that she did not -see the sudden pain in Mrs. Bronson's face. - -"Dearie, I know!" her mother said. "It's dull enough for you, sitting -here day after day. But we're all doing the best we can to make you -happy. After all, you never can tell what's going to happen. Just keep -on hoping for something interesting to 'turn up,' and I'm sure sometime -it will. Things occasionally happen in the most unexpected way! Even -_Mr. Micawber_ had something pleasant 'turn up' after a while, if you -remember." - -Margaret snuggled her head closer. "You're a _dear_, Mummy! You -do cheer me up so! I feel better already, and I'm going to hope -harder than ever that something nice and interesting—some real -_adventure_—will turn up sometime, perhaps _soon_!" - - - - -CHAPTER II - -SOMETHING TURNS UP - - -And the unexpected happened sooner, much sooner, than Margaret would -even have dared to dream. Something did "turn up"! But like many -adventures, it came clothed in the guise of quite an ordinary, every -day affair, and there was little about its beginning to suggest the -remotest idea of anything startling. To be exact, it was simply that -about a week after the beginning of their acquaintance the twins came -home one day with the announcement that their new friend, Corinne, had -expressed a decided wish to call and make Margaret's acquaintance, and -that they had invited her for the following day. At first Margaret had -protested strongly: - -"Oh, no, girls! I can't see her. You know I never see any strangers. -It's awfully nice of her. But—but I wouldn't know what to say to any -one I didn't know very well. Do thank her for me, but—" - -"Nonsense!" cried Bess, decidedly. "It'll do you good to see some one -beside just ourselves. Mother thinks so too. And you'll _like_ her, -I know. I couldn't tell her she mustn't come, anyway! It wouldn't be -polite!" And that clinched the argument. - -In reality, it had seemed quite wonderful to Margaret that this -interesting new friend of her sisters could possibly care to become -acquainted with her, and she felt grateful for the pleasant attention. -But with the unconquerable shyness of a secluded invalid she shrank -from the meeting, all her longing for something new and exciting to -happen being temporarily forgotten. And then the day arrived. - -"Ye'll be after havin' company, this afternoon, Margie mavourneen, so -I suppose ye'll be wantin' a little snack about half-past four?" Sarah -had just wheeled Margaret into the front parlor by the window, raised -the shades a trifle, and tucked her idol securely and cozily into her -chair. - -"Oh, yes, Sarah! Do have hot chocolate and those lovely drop-cakes you -made this morning!" - -"Who's the gur-rl that's comin', anyway? Shure it's a strange thing for -_you_ to be seein' any one!" Sarah exclaimed jealously as she turned to -leave the room. - -"Oh, some one named Corinne Cameron. She's a nice girl. The twins like -her," replied Margaret, with assumed indifference. Not for worlds would -she have allowed Sarah to read her real feelings on the subject. - -"Huh!" was Sarah's only reply as she handed Margaret her book and -lumbered heavily downstairs to the kitchen, while the invalid settled -herself to wait for the arrival of her twin sisters and their "queer" -new friend. It was only two o'clock and she couldn't possibly expect -them before three or a quarter past. The time loomed long and -interminable before her. First she tried to read, but even the beloved -"Little Women" failed to interest her. So she rested her elbow on the -arm of her chair, and, chin in hand, stared out of the window across -the street at a squat little dormer-windowed house directly opposite. - -Would she really, she wondered, like the girl who was coming that day? -The occasion was certainly an unusual one in her uneventful life, for -she saw, as a rule, almost no one outside of her own family, except the -doctor. From the time she was a small baby she had suffered with an -affection of the spine, and the physicians could hold out no hope that -she would ever be anything but an invalid. Ever since she had grown -too large to be carried about, she had spent her waking hours in this -invalid-chair. - -Of the outside world she saw little save the view from the parlor -windows, and what passed before her each sunny day during the short -hour that Sarah pushed her in her chair up and down the block. But -Margaret was singularly loving and sweet-tempered, and most of the time -successfully hid the pain and weariness she suffered, both in body and -mind. Few realized, except the faithful Sarah, what bodily misery she -often endured; and none could appreciate the unconquerable shyness that -kept her from all companionship with girls of her own age, excepting -that of her sisters. - -Margaret envied nothing more heartily than the ability to join in the -athletic sports of the robust twins. She yearned above all things to -play basket-ball and wield a tennis-racket. And because such things -were to be forever impossible to her, she felt that she could be of -no earthly interest to her sisters' equally athletic comrades, so she -shyly refused to meet any of them. But this new girl was obviously -"different." Margaret felt that perhaps she would understand, that -they would find much of common interest to talk about. For Margaret, -too, loved books,—loved them with the passionate delight that only -confirmed invalids can feel for the printed magic that takes them -out of themselves and makes them forget their bodily ills. She read -voraciously everything that came her way. Beside that, she had long ago -insisted on studying with the twins. She kept pace with them through -all their school work and often outstripped them in the quickness -of her comprehension. And the twins were immensely proud of her -attainments. - -The home life of the Bronsons was a pleasant one, but rather different -in many ways from that of ordinary families. Their father had died when -Margaret was a baby. Their mother was the busy, worried, overworked -director of a large French dressmaking establishment on Fifth Avenue. -By her earnings she supported her family in moderate comfort and -maintained the little house in Charlton Street, which had always been -their home. She went away to business early every morning, and often -did not arrive home till late in the evening, especially in the "rush" -seasons. Thus she saw little of her children except on Sundays, and -then she was usually too tired to enjoy their company, though she loved -them devotedly. - -It was big, loyal Sarah McKinstry who really ran and directed the -household. She had lived with the family ever since Mrs. Bronson had -come to the Charlton Street house, a bride, and considered it her -own. Little, frail, ailing Margaret she adored with a passionate and -jealous devotion. Margaret never teased her, as did the twins, and many -a weary night had she spent sitting up with the little sufferer when -the pain was worse than usual. Her sharp tongue she used on the others -unsparingly, but never on the delicate child in the invalid-chair. -Nevertheless, as a matter of fact, she was really devoted to them all. -And though they, perhaps, never expressed it in quite that way, they -knew that the heart of Sarah McKinstry was as a precious jewel in a -setting of cast-iron. - -So on this sunny afternoon sat Margaret in her window, wondering much -about the coming visit,—wondering for the hundredth time if she would -really like this queer Corinne Cameron, and—which was even more -important—would she be liked in return. - -The clock on the mantel chimed three, and Margaret began to crane her -neck in order to see as far down the street as possible. They would -come from the Varick Street end of the block, she knew, because they -always walked down that way, in preference to the shorter but not so -pleasant route through Macdougal Street. - -At three-fifteen precisely they swung into view. The twins, who -looked very much alike, were walking one on each side of a tall girl, -who topped them by almost a head. Margaret gave a little gasp and -leaned far out of her chair. In one swift glance she scanned the new -acquaintance, as the three came abreast of the house. - -"Oh, I'm going to like her—_surely_!" she whispered, as she waved in -answer to the triple salute. Then she drew back suddenly behind the -curtains in a new access of shyness, now that the encounter was really -so close. - -But if Margaret had any lingering doubts on the subject, they were -quickly dispelled in the first half-hour with the "queer" girl. Corinne -broke the ice at once after her introduction to the little invalid. - -"What a dear, fascinating house you live in!" she began, gazing about -the parlor with her dreamy, far-away look. "That carved marble mantel -is just fine, and so are the pillars between the rooms, and all this -white paneling." - -The twins stared at each other and then at Margaret. - -"Mercy! Do you think so?" cried Bess. "Why, we've always thought it the -horridest, old-fashioned place—" - -"That's just what I mean," interrupted Corinne. "It _is_ old-fashioned, -and that's why it's so delightful!" - -"Oh, we forgot that you like _old_ things!" laughed Bess. "Well, this -is just a little, old, shabby rookery, and not a single interesting -thing about it. You don't know how we've _longed_ to move into a lovely -new apartment—like the one you live in, for instance,—and have all -the up-to-date fixings and everything." - -"Well, I'd give a _lot_ to change with you!" replied Corinne. "I -_hate_ apartments! I've lived in one all my life, and I've always just -dreamed of living in a dear old house like this that was built fifty or -a hundred years ago. Think of all the things that must have happened -in it, and all the history it's seen!—Nobody ever heard of anything -_historical_ about an apartment-house!" - -Margaret, who hadn't said a word all this time, leaned forward now with -shining eyes and demanded: - -"But—Corinne—" (she hesitated just a little over the unaccustomed -name) "what can you possibly see about this place that's interesting? -We've always thought it just as ordinary as—as ordinary could be,—when -we've thought about it at all!" And now Corinne was in her element. - -"Why, think of it!" she exclaimed. "Think what stories there must be -about this house—or any old house! Think what strange things may have -happened in it! Think what history it's seen! Think what mysteries -there may be about it—if we only knew them! Just imagine what scenes -people may have looked at out of those darling little dormer-windows, -or what famous generals may have leaned against this white-pillared -mantel and talked of their battles, or what traitors may have sat in -this parlor and laid plots, or what secret letters may be hidden -behind the woodwork in that funny little cater-cornered closet over -there, or—" - -She stopped suddenly from sheer lack of breath. Her three listeners -were staring at her spellbound. Even the less impressionable twins were -devouring her words in wide-eyed wonder. - -As for Margaret, she was tingling to her finger-tips with a strange -excitement. A whole new vista of wonderful things had suddenly been -opened to her. She looked about on what she had always considered her -perfectly ordinary, commonplace home, and her very scalp prickled to -think of the many-sided mysteries its walls might contain. She felt -a sudden wild desire to get to the cater-cornered closet Corinne had -mentioned (though she knew it contained nothing more exciting than -Sarah's dusters and some dilapidated books), rip out its white woodwork -and search frantically for hidden documents. Instead, she leaned back -in her chair with a long sigh, and remarked: - -"Well, you are a wonder, Corinne! You've given me something new to -think of. From now on, this house will always be as interesting to me -as a story!" - -Corinne nodded, but only said, "I know!" - -Suddenly Jess sat up with a start and exclaimed: - -"Oh, by the way, Corinne, as you're so interested in old things, I -wonder if you'd like to see the spinning-wheel we've got up in the -attic. Mother says it belonged to her grandmother in New England more -than a hundred years ago!" - -"Have you actually an _attic_?" cried Corinne, joyfully. "Oh, do let -me see it—that is, if it won't be inconvenient! Actually, girls, -I've never been in a _real_ attic in my life! And I'd love to see the -spinning-wheel, too." - -"Well, come right along with me," said Jess, "and we'll see it while -the daylight lasts. I suppose it isn't the same kind of an attic you'd -find in a big old farmhouse, but it's the open space over the top floor -that we've always used as an attic and storeroom, except the back part, -which is finished off into a room that Sarah uses. She's our maid,—or -rather, our housekeeper, and we'd better not let her catch us up -there, because she's awfully particular how she keeps the attic, and -never allows us to go up and disturb things." - -So Jess escorted the antique-loving Corinne to the exploration of the -attic, while Bess remained downstairs to keep Margaret company. - -"Well?" she questioned, turning to her younger sister as soon as the -others were out of ear-shot. She knew that no further explanation of -her question was necessary. - -"Oh, she's simply wonderful!" exclaimed Margaret, in a half-whisper. -"I rather expected I'd _like_ her, but I never dreamed she'd be as -interesting as this. And she thinks the same way I do about a lot of -things." - -"But isn't she _queer_!" marveled Bess. "Actually, on the way walking -down here this afternoon, I thought we'd never be able to drag her -past some of the old, rickety places on Varick Street. She'd stand in -front of each one and rave about it till we really began to attract the -notice of people passing. But she didn't care! You'd have thought we -were sight-seeing in Europe! And she was worst of all in front of that -ramshackle old place on the corner of Carmine Street, that has a whole -piece of the side cut off, apparently, and the front door stuck in that -funny angle. True as you live, she got out a blank-book and pencil and -stood there sketching it! (You know, she draws beautifully.) Said she -wanted to show it to her father! I didn't think or care anything about -that kind of talk then; but do you know, what she's said here this -afternoon actually makes me feel kind of interested in it all! I seem -to see a lot in these old things that I didn't before." - -Bess gazed about the parlor again with speculative eyes, and added: -"Now, that old cupboard in the corner, for instance," when they were -both startled by a loud crash from upstairs. - -"Gracious!—what was that?" she exclaimed, and ran out to the foot of -the stairs to listen. But as there were no further alarming noises, she -soon came back. - -"I guess it wasn't anything serious, but I hope nothing's broken or -disturbed, or Sarah'll have a fit!" - -Five minutes later, Corinne and Jess came tearing down the stairs, -breathless and excited, the latter carrying something in her hand. - -"Did you hear that bang?" cried Jess. "It was an accident—I'll tell -you about it—but we made the most wonderful discovery—you can never -guess what!" she was panting for breath and stopped short at this point. - -"Tell me! Tell me quick!" begged Margaret, almost wriggling out of her -chair in her excitement. - -"Here it is!" Corinne, equally breathless, took up the tale. "We -brought it down—" At this moment there came the sound of heavy, -thumping steps on the basement stairs, and Jess, running to the -bookcase, hastily thrust something far behind a row of books. - -"Sarah's coming!" she warned. "I've hid it. She mustn't guess what -we've been up to, or she'd spoil everything!" She laid a warning finger -on her lips as Sarah tramped massively into the parlor bearing a -daintily spread tray. - -"I hur-rd a tur-rible bangin' jest now!" she remarked suspiciously as -she set it down. Then turning her eyes on the twins: "What might the -pair of ye have been up to?" - -"Oh, nothing, Sarah!" Jess replied sweetly. "I went up to the attic -for a moment, and something fell while I was pulling it out. But there -wasn't any damage done," she hastened on reassuringly, "and I put it -right back!" - -"I've warned ye to keep out of that attic!" grumbled Sarah, arranging -the chocolate-cups. "Something always happens when ye go there. From -now on, I think I'll be lockin' it up!" - -"My gracious!" thought Margaret, boiling inwardly with impatience. "I -_do_ believe this is an _adventure_, at last! Will Sarah _ever_ get out -of this room so that I can hear all about it!" - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE DISCOVERY IN THE ATTIC - - -But Sarah continued to circulate around the little tea-table, clattering -the cups, pouring the chocolate, and handing about the napkins and -plates. And all the while she was scanning Margaret's new visitor with -jealous and appraising eyes. Her ministrations seemed fairly interminable -to the impatient four, and during the whole time that she was serving -the refreshments not one of them uttered a word. So much of a contrast -was this silence to their usual volubility, that she delivered this -Parthian shot as she was at last taking her departure: - -"Ye all seem mighty quiet, though ye were chatterin' hard enough when I -come up! I'm thinkin' ye must have guilty consciences!" - -When she had disappeared, Corinne spoke up: - -"You girls all seem rather afraid of your maid, if you'll pardon my -remarking it! But I think she seems very good-hearted." - -"Why, it's this way," replied Bess. "You see, Sarah's more than just a -maid or a servant. She runs the whole house, really, because Mother's -away so much and just trusts her with everything. She's awfully good -to us children and would do almost anything for us. But she's very, -very particular about her work and her way of arranging things, and she -won't be interfered with the least bit. Why, Mother herself wouldn't -think of changing any of Sarah's arrangements, even if she didn't like -them, because Sarah wouldn't stand for it, and we couldn't do without -her. Jess and I tease her a lot, and she lets us have anything we want -to eat; but we mustn't on any account interfere with her in other ways, -or there'd be trouble!" - -Bess did not enlighten Corinne, however, as to the real reason for -their consideration of Sarah. It was because of an episode that had -happened when she and her twin sister were several years younger. They -had rebelled one fine day at what they considered Sarah's tyranny, -and for twelve long hours had led her a life of excitement and angry -remonstrance. And then that night, just as their mother arrived home, -behold Sarah descending the stairs, dressed for departure, a huge -carpetbag in each hand. A stormy and tearful scene ensued in which -Sarah finally relented at the urgent importunities of the distracted -Mrs. Bronson. But she promised to remain only on condition that the -twins should obey her implicitly from that moment. - -And in the privacy of their bedroom that night Mrs. Bronson had warned -the nine-year-old rebels that, should such a scene ever occur again, -she would give up their home, put Margaret in a sanatorium and the -twins in the strictest boarding-school she could find, and herself find -a place to live nearer to her business. The threat had its lasting -effect, and nothing of the kind had ever happened since. But this was -the true reason why the family lived in wholesome awe of Sarah. And, as -the twins were anything but proud of the episode, they never referred -to it. - -"Sarah will probably do just as she threatened," added Jess, looking -meaningly at Corinne, "and lock up the attic. She's awfully particular -about that place! You'd think it was as important as the parlor!" - -Suddenly Margaret, who could endure the suspense no longer, burst out: - -"If some one doesn't tell me quick all about that mysterious thing you -found in the attic, I'll—I'll go _crazy_!" Then she dropped back in -her chair, overcome anew by shyness at having been so vehement before a -comparative stranger. - -"Oh, tell her, right away!" cried Corinne. "I know just how she feels!" - -"Well, it happened this way," began Jess, between a sip of chocolate -and a bite of drop-cake. "Corinne and I were looking at the -spinning-wheel—" - -"Yes, and it's a beauty, too!" interrupted Corinne. "You ought to have -it down here." - -"—and then we got to poking around, looking into some boxes and -talking about the funny old hooded cradle that Mother brought from her -home in Massachusetts. And all of a sudden Corinne spied that little -old hair-trunk,—do you remember it, Bess?—and she said she'd never -seen an old trunk like that before. I asked her if she'd like to look -into it. I really didn't remember, myself, what the inside was like or -what was kept in it. She said she would, so we started to haul it down. -It's rather small, and Sarah had it piled way up on that high shelf. - -"Well, I guess we gave it too hard a jerk, for all of a sudden, down -it came—smash!—and flew open (you know it hasn't any lock now), and -everything in it was scattered all over the floor. Sarah had all our -winter flannels packed away in it, and you can imagine what a time -we had picking them up and trying to fold and get them back so she -wouldn't know what had happened! - -[Illustration: "Corinne noticed that the bottom of the trunk seemed all -wrong"] - -"But here's the queer part of it! Just after we'd collected all the -things and folded them nicely and were going to put them back, -Corinne noticed that the bottom of the trunk seemed all wrong. One -corner of it was humped up as though it had been knocked through in -falling. I tell you I was scared, for I thought Sarah'd just go wild -when she found it out! But when we turned the trunk upside down,—lo -and behold! the bottom of it was _all right_—just as tight as a trivet! - -"If we weren't astonished! We just didn't know what to make of it! Then -we turned it back, and I put my hand under the part that was poked up, -gave it a pull, and—it came right out!—the whole bottom! And there, -if you please, was the _real_ bottom of the trunk, underneath! But -between the two was lying hidden—_this_!" Jess ran to the bookcase, -pulled out the mysterious object she had concealed there, and crossing -the room laid it in Margaret's lap. They all crowded about the chair. - -"Why!" exclaimed Bess, in a tone of great disappointment, before -the others could speak, "it's only an old, dusty, disreputable -account-book with the back torn off. I don't see anything so wonderful -in that!" - -"Wait till you've seen what's inside!" remarked Corinne, quietly. -Margaret, meanwhile, was fingering the crumbly leather cover, wondering -at its queer, mottled aspect. Then she opened it to the first page and -suddenly gave a big gasp. - -"Well, of all things!" she murmured. "What in the world can it mean? I -never saw anything like it before!" - -"Neither did I!" agreed Bess, now in a tone of real awe. The other two -only smiled, with a rather "I-told-you-so!" expression. Well might they -marvel over its strange contents. The pages were yellow with age and -mottled with curious brown stains, and some of them were torn. But the -writing was still visible, and this is what it looked like:— - -[Illustration] - -with similar characters all down the first page. A glance through the -rest of the long thin book revealed the same array of bewildering -symbols to the very last leaf, where the back cover was missing. - -The four sat for a moment in silent astonishment, trying to make some -sense out of the riddle. Suddenly Margaret had an idea. - -"I know! It's shorthand! I've read that that is writing with funny -curves and dots and wiggly lines." - -"No," Corinne gently corrected her, "I don't think it's shorthand, -Margaret. I saw some shorthand that Father's stenographer wrote once, -and it was quite different from this. Besides, this seems quite old, as -if it were done many years ago, and shorthand's a comparatively modern -invention, I think." - -"Well, then, it must be Chinese or Syrian or Russian or something like -that!" asserted Jess. "I've seen lots of signs over the stores of -foreigners that don't look so very different from this. Or—oh, I know -now! it's _Greek_!" - -Corinne laughed. "No indeed, it isn't Greek!" she declared. "Father -taught me the Greek alphabet when I was a tiny girl, and made me learn -to know the letters. I'm going to study it when I go to college. This -is entirely different. I don't believe they're letters of any other -language, either." - -She sat in frowning thought over the strange page for several minutes, -while the others watched her in breathless interest. They, having -no further solutions to offer, threw themselves unreservedly on her -greater resourcefulness. Jess, meanwhile, refilled the chocolate-cups, -and Bess passed the cake, while Margaret reveled in such excitement as -she had never before experienced. Corinne still remained thoughtfully -turning the pages. Suddenly she exclaimed: - -"I have it!—at least, I _think_ so!" - -"What? what? oh, quick!" they begged. - -"I think some one has written all this in what they call a—a 'cipher.' -I've heard of such things. Father told me people often send messages -over the telegraph or cable in cipher—" - -"But what is that? How?" demanded Margaret. - -"Why, they have certain words or expressions which stand for other -words or even whole sentences. And you can't understand the message -unless you have the 'code' or explanation. For instance, a man may -cable just the words 'Pay Smith' to his broker, and that may mean 'Buy -me five thousand bushels of wheat to-day.'" - -"Yes, but that isn't a bit like what's here," argued Margaret. - -"No, but it's the same idea," Corinne declared. "I think in this case -some one has taken certain signs to represent the different letters of -the alphabet. First I thought that perhaps each sign might stand for -a different word. But that could hardly be, because there are so many -words, one could hardly find signs enough to go round. And besides, I -notice in looking through the book that there are comparatively few -signs, and they are constantly repeated." She fell to gazing silently -at the book again, while the others watched, still more fascinated by -the discoveries she was making. Presently she looked up again. - -"I've found out something else, I think. Do you see that sign of the -triangle? Well, if you notice, that occurs more frequently than any of -the others. In the first five lines there are more than fourteen of -them, and no other sign happens as frequently as that. Now, if these -signs stand for letters, that couldn't be a letter, even if it were one -of the commonest, like 'a' or 'i' or 'e'—" - -"What _can_ it be then?" whispered Margaret, in a voice so tense that -they all laughed. - -"I think it means the _space_ between the words!" vouchsafed Corinne. -"You see, there'd have to be _something_ to indicate spaces. You -couldn't have the words all jumbled up together. It wouldn't make -sense!" - -"Well, you are wonderful!" sighed Jess, sitting back on her heels. "I -never would have thought of it in a century!" - -"Oh, no!" laughed Corinne. "There's nothing wonderful about that. It's -only common sense and puzzling it out like a riddle. Now see! If we -take it for granted that the triangle means a space between the words, -this sign of the dot between two triangles must be either the letter -'a,' 'I' or 'O,' for those are the only words of just one letter. -But you can't tell which it is till you've puzzled out some more. -And—after all, this idea may be all wrong. It may be something quite -different, for all we know!" - -"But what can it all be about?" began Jess, going off on another tack. -"And how under the sun did the thing get hidden away in our old trunk -under a false bottom. It's awfully mysterious!" - -"Tell you what I think," volunteered Corinne. "Whatever it is, it's -been in that trunk for years and years—hidden there, perhaps, when the -trunk belonged to some one else. Do you know where it came from—the -trunk, I mean?" - -"No, I don't even know whether it was Father's or Mother's," answered -Jess. "But I can ask Mother. Maybe she'd know." - -"I'd like to puzzle this thing out!" mused Corinne. "Who knows! Perhaps -we'd find it was something awfully interesting. It's simply full of -mystery and—and possibilities!" At this point, Margaret, who during -all the latter conversation had been fidgeting with impatience, began: - -"Now, girls, look here! I've just had the most delightful idea! We've -made the discovery of something awfully interesting, probably, if we -could only find out what it's all about. Why not let's form ourselves -into a secret society—just we four—with the purpose of finding out -all about this mystery? We won't let another soul into the secret—not -even Mother. Oh, it'll be _such_ fun! Do, _please_!" - -She looked imploringly at the twins, and for once they did not appear -to object—even looked a trifle interested. For it was the ambition of -Margaret's pitiful, limited little life to be the member of a "secret -society." She had read much of school fraternities and clubs, and the -fascinating idea had taken a firm root in her mind. Of course for -her—poor helpless little invalid that she was—there could be no -such thing as membership or participation in the real organizations. -In place of this, she was forever begging her sisters to form a tiny -society of their own, just the three, and have meetings and secrets and -all the paraphernalia of the big school "frats." - -But the idea had never appealed to the twins. They had no interest in -any of the school clubs except the basket-ball and tennis teams. And -to have a make-believe one at home with no earthly or apparent object -was something they had never yet brought themselves to consider, much -as they loved their invalid sister. But here was something a trifle -different! Margaret, quick to see her advantage, hastened on: - -"Oh, yes! _Do_ let's have one! Wouldn't it be a good idea, Corinne? -Think of the fun we'd have, meeting and puzzling out this queer old -book! Perhaps it might lead to something important, too. And I've even -thought of a name for it,—we could call it the _Antiquarian Club_!" - -The latter idea captured Corinne. "That's a dandy name for -it,—'Antiquarian Club'! I _like_ that! And besides, it's true, too, -for if this isn't an antiquity, I'd like to know what is! Yes, let's -have the club!" Corinne was moved to accept the idea by two impulses. -The notion really did appeal to her, but even if it hadn't, she would -have pretended it did for the sake of the pathetic little figure in the -invalid-chair, who was rapidly taking a firm hold of her heart. - -"Oh, goody! And you do like the idea, too, don't you, girls?" exclaimed -Margaret. The twins capitulated unreservedly. - -"Yes, we do," said Bess. "I've always detested such societies because -they seemed so useless. But this thing is really worth having a club -for!" - -Margaret, however, had something else on her mind. "Oh, just one thing -more," she added, a little shyly. "Could I—could I be—_president_? -All clubs have to have a president. I would so love to be!" - -"Indeed you shall!" spoke up Corinne before either of the others had a -chance. "We elect you at once—unanimously—don't we, girls? And now, -Miss President, you can appoint the rest of us to other offices!" - -Margaret flushed with pleasure. "I appoint you, Corinne, to be -secretary. There always has to be one of those. And there usually is a -treasurer, if there is any money to handle. But there won't be here, -for we won't have any dues. So I don't know what to call the others." - -"Let's just be plain members, for the present," suggested Bess. "And -now, what are we going to do about this book, Miss President?" - -"I think we ought to let Corinne take it home and see if she can puzzle -out any more of it before next meeting," decided Margaret. "That would -be all right, wouldn't it?" They all agreed. - -"I'd like to show it to Father and ask him what he thinks—" began -Corinne, but Margaret hastily interrupted: - -"Oh, no! You mustn't do _that_! You know it's a _secret_ society, and -we aren't going to tell any one about anything in it. And besides—" - -"Yes, and besides," put in Jess, "if we tell _any one_ about this -book, it might somehow leak out and get back to Sarah what we'd done -in breaking the trunk, and then there might be _trouble_!" She looked -meaningly at Bess. - -"Oh, no!" assented the latter hastily. "We mustn't tell a soul!" -Plainly the twins still lived in dread of the awful threat made so many -years ago. They knew that Sarah was even yet fully capable of putting -it into execution—under sufficient provocation! - -"All right," agreed Corinne. "I won't breathe a word of this, then, -and I'll see what I can do to make head or tail of the thing. But, -mercy!" glancing at her watch, "it's nearly six o'clock, and I ought -to have been home long ago. I'll take the car at the corner, I guess." -She hurried into her wraps, gathered up the precious "find" with her -school-books, and bade the girls good-by. - -"It's been a remarkable afternoon for me!" she declared as she kissed -Margaret. "I feel like a _real_ antiquarian now. Hurrah for the -Antiquarian Club! Let's have another meeting as soon as I've made some -progress with this!" She tapped the old account-book significantly and -hurried away. - -"Oh!" sighed Margaret, blissfully, settling back in her chair, "this -is positively the most wonderful day I ever spent in my life! Can -I ever wait for the next meeting?" The twins stood by her chair, -looking thoughtful. They too were strangely stirred out of their usual -unimaginative selves. - -"Well, I confess, I never dreamed of anything so queer happening in -_this_ old ranch!" marveled Bess. "It's all Corinne's doings." - -That night Mrs. Bronson came home very late from business, but she -went in, as was her invariable custom, to peep at her little invalid -daughter before she herself retired. To her surprise, she found -Margaret still awake. - -"Dear, you're not ill, are you?" she inquired anxiously. "You're -usually asleep at this time." - -But Margaret only laughed a happy little laugh. "No, Mummy, I'm all -right,—only just too interested to sleep! Do you remember what you -once said about an _adventure_ turning up? Well, it has,—the loveliest -kind of a one! But I can't tell you about it, because it's a secret. -You won't mind, will you?" - -Mrs. Bronson smiled. "No indeed, I won't mind! Just as long as you're -happy and contented, I don't mind a thing! Did the twins' new friend -come to see you to-day? And did you like her?" - -At this, Margaret entered on such a vivid and enthusiastic account of -Corinne, that Mrs. Bronson heaved a sigh of thankfulness for the new -interest in her little girl's empty life. - -An hour later Margaret fell asleep to dream, the night through, of -strange, hieroglyphic symbols, and all the weird things they might -stand for. But not a thing she dreamed of was as curious as the reality -that Corinne was soon to disclose! - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -A KEY TO THE MYSTERY - - -The next few days passed in a fever of impatience for Margaret. Each -afternoon she besieged the twins for news of Corinne and her progress -with the "cipher." And every day their report was about the same: - -"She thinks she's on the right track, but she can't tell surely yet. -It's pretty difficult, you know, and Corinne has to study and do other -things, too, besides puzzling over that." - -"But has she found out _any_ of the letters?" Margaret would demand. - -"She _thinks_ so, but she can't be sure till she's made them _all_ -out definitely." And Bess would add, "Now, do be reasonable, Miss -President! Your secretary is doing her very best. But if you don't -think she's a success, you might take the job away from her and give -it to _me_!" At which Margaret would chuckle derisively. - -Truth to tell, the twins were almost as anxious as she for a solution -of the mystery. The sudden introduction of this new element into their -hitherto wholly athletic and unimaginative existences, they found, to -their surprise, even more diverting than the most exciting tennis-match -or basket-ball struggle. About a week after Corinne's first visit, all -three burst in breathlessly upon Margaret, one cold afternoon, and -transported her to the seventh heaven of delight with this exciting -news: "Corinne's got it, at last! Haven't you, Corinne! - -"Yes," she admitted, giving Margaret a big hug of greeting, "I think -I've puzzled out most of the letters now, and I've even worked out a -few of the first sentences—" - -"Yes, and she says they're awfully strange!" interrupted the twins, in -chorus. "And she wouldn't tell us a word, though we begged her hard!" - -"Well, Miss President," laughed Corinne, "it seemed to me that this was -a thing to be revealed only in a solemn meeting of the club and in your -presence. Was I right?" - -"Indeed you were!" declared Margaret. "Don't you ever tell them a thing -before you've told me, will you?" - -"I won't!" promised Corinne. "It shall be the first rule of our -society,—no discoveries told to ordinary members before the president -hears them! And now let's get to business!" They all drew up before the -cozy open fire. - -"Oh, isn't this lovely!" sighed Corinne. She opened the old -account-book and placed beside it a paper on which she had written the -letters of the alphabet, and next to each the sign that appeared to -stand for it. - -"I had the _worst_ time puzzling this out!" she said. "I worked and -worked over it and changed them all around nearly forty times before -I struck anything that seemed just right. But now I guess we've got -it, at last! I'm sure 'a' is this perpendicular straight line, 'b' the -rectangle with the bottom missing, 'c' the horizontal parallels—and -so on. Now, as I've said, I've made out the first few sentences and -they seem awfully strange! Here they are." She turned the paper over -and read: - -"'This is a house of mystery, and strange, unaccountable dread. I -feel daily that something menaces me—that my life is not safe.'" A -delicious shudder ran through the listening group. - -"Oh, isn't this _gorgeous_!" half whispered Margaret. "It fills me -with—with thrills!" Corinne went on: - -"'Therefore I am keeping this little journal from time to time. Should -aught evil befall me in this strange land and among these unfriendly -people, at least I will leave some record whereby my own kin may trace -my fate, perchance, at some future day. I dare not write this out in -good English lest it be discovered by those who hate me. So I have -invented this secret code, whereof none save myself knows the key. This -book I found in the library unused and I have taken it. I trust it will -be counted no act of thievery. I keep it hidden in the false bottom of -my trunk. The key of the code I have put in another spot. As soon as my -memory has mastered it, I will destroy it. 'Tis safer.'—And that's as -far as I got!" ended Corinne. - -For a moment they all sat dumb with amazement. - -"What _do_ you make of it?" exclaimed Bess. "Who is it,—a man or a -woman? When was it written, and where? Why, I'm just wild to find out -all about it!" - -"I confess," admitted Corinne, "that I don't know _what_ to make of it. -I've puzzled and puzzled over it all day—" - -"But, good gracious!" interrupted the impatient Margaret, "of course -we can't make anything out of it till we've worked out some more! Come -ahead! Right now! We're only wasting time talking about it!" - -"That's so!" laughed Corinne. "And when we can find out right away, by -getting to work! Here, Margaret! You write, while I spell the thing -out!" She thrust the paper and pencil into Margaret's hands, while the -twins hung over her as she slowly deciphered the sentences: - -"'Would—that—I—had—never—left—my—peaceful—Bermuda—'" Corinne -dropped the book suddenly. - -"_Bermuda!_—I've been there! Oh, this is fine!" - -"Have _you_ been to Bermuda?" exclaimed Margaret and the twins, with -awe. "When?" - -"Last winter, with Father. He was ill, and we stayed six weeks. It was -heavenly!" - -"You lucky girl!" sighed Margaret. "But, go on! We must find out more, -right away!" - -Corinne took up the book and began anew: "'But since I did wilfully -abandon my home—aye!—and Grandfather, too, even though he does not -love me—'" - -"'Grandfather'?" interrupted Bess. "He can't be very old, if he has a -grandfather living!" - -"Doesn't seem likely," murmured Corinne, spelling out another word -under her breath, then continuing: - -"'—and did in venturesome manner contribute my aid to the plot -against my country, I must pay the price, I fear. I am watched -constantly. I take no walk abroad, even in the grounds, but I feel that -I am spied upon. The affection of Madame M. has changed to dislike. -She, too, suspects me. 'Tis hard for a lass of but sixteen—'" - -"_A lass!_" shouted all four. "And only _sixteen_!" - -"Oh, girls!" cried Corinne, rocking back and forth in her excitement. -"She's just like ourselves—only a year older than I am! What _can_ be -the trouble—or rather, what _could_ have been the trouble with the -poor little thing?" - -"Go on! go on!" ordered Margaret, with glistening eyes. "Let's find out!" - -Corinne snatched up the book again: "'to be alone and friendless in -a strange land and to feel so constantly in danger. But I must not -complain. I brought it on myself. As I have said, Madame M. no longer -appears to care for me. She was so cordial and affectionate at first, -partly for Aunt's sake, no doubt, and partly because she really seemed -to like me. But since the day when I spoke to Lady ——, at the time -her coach broke down, Madame M. has regarded me only with suspicion.'" - -"I wish I knew who 'Madame M.' was, and 'Lady Blank,'" put in Margaret. -"How mysterious she is—never writing out their full names!" - -"Perhaps she didn't dare," said Corinne. "You see, she says she's in -danger. But, oh!—listen to what she says next!—'There is something -which weighs right heavily on my conscience. 'Tis the matter of the -sapphire signet. But of that I will speak later.'" - -"_The sapphire signet!_" breathed the twins in a tone of hushed awe. -"Doesn't it sound rich and gorgeous and—and _mysterious_! What's a -'signet,' anyway?" - -"I think," explained Corinne, "that it's another name for a -seal—something with a monogram or crest or coat-of-arms, used to -stamp on sealing-wax. Father has one set in a ring—not a sapphire -though—just some ordinary stone with his monogram on. He never uses -it, but he told me once that in former times they were used a great -deal when letters were only sealed with wax. Oh! _what_ do you suppose -this matter of the sapphire signet is all about! Isn't it wildly -exciting? But, goodness!" glancing at her watch, "it's awfully late -again, and I must get home. The time goes so fast, and it takes so long -to puzzle all this out!" - -"I have an idea!" began Margaret, hesitatingly. "Suppose _I_ do the -puzzling out and write it down, now that Corinne has discovered the -way. I have so much time that I don't know what to do with, and this -would be so interesting! Then, when we meet again in a couple of days, -I could read it right off to you without any trouble. We could get on -so much faster!" - -"I think that's splendid!" agreed Corinne. "And much as I'm crazy to -find out right away what happens, I'd rather wait and hear a lot of it -read at once. Wouldn't you all?" - -"Yes, that's a good scheme," admitted Bess, "except for one thing. How -about Sarah? You'd have a hard time hiding this from her, Margaret, and -you know she simply mustn't find out!" For a moment they all looked -"stumped." The obstacle seemed almost insuperable, when Jess had a -brilliant idea. - -"Tell you what! We'll hide the thing in the bookcase, way back here -behind these old encyclopedias,—the account-book, the paper, and a -brand-new fat blank-book that I'll give you to do all the copying in. -You can tell Sarah to wheel you over to the bookcase because you want -to read. Then, when she's out of the way, you can work to your heart's -content. But do hide everything whenever you hear her coming!" - -"Oh, good! Just the thing! Sarah'll never suspect in the world!" -laughed Margaret. "And there's no difficulty about hearing her -coming—she weighs two hundred and fifty pounds!" - -"Well, that's settled then," said Corinne, "and I'll have to go. But -I'm coming day after to-morrow, if I can manage to wait. It's better -than the loveliest book I ever read! Good-by!" - -When she had gone, the three sisters sat and looked at one another with -an expression of sheer wonder on their faces. In one week, through the -agency of this same "queer," quiet girl, their absolutely uninteresting -and commonplace lives had been transformed into an unbelievable round -of mystery and discovery and romance. And the strange part of it was -that this same mystery had been lying here—right under their noses, so -to speak—all these years, and they had never even suspected it, while -she had been in the house scarcely half an hour and had run it straight -to earth! Some such thought was in Margaret's mind when she presently -exclaimed: - -"Isn't she just _wonderful_! I think she's the most interesting person -I ever met in my life!" - -"So do I!" echoed Jess. - -"Oh, I shall just dream of this all night!" whispered Margaret. "It's -the most thrilling thing I ever heard of—this puzzle-story—and the -best of it is, it's all our own. We discovered it! To-morrow you may -envy me, girls, for I'll be finding out—all about the sapphire signet, -_and_ what happened next!" - - - - -CHAPTER V - -"THE LASS OF RICHMOND HILL" - - -Two afternoons later, the three active members of the Antiquarian -Club rushed up the stoop of the Charlton Street house in a breathless -scurry. And Margaret awaited them in the parlor in a fever of no less -eager excitement. - -"Hurry, girls!" she cried when the first greetings were over. "I've -just got heaps to read to you! And some of it'll make you 'sit up and -take notice,' as Alexander says!" - -"Who's Alexander?" queried Corinne, curiously. - -"Oh, he's a boy-cousin who lives with us," Bess enlightened her. "He -was Mother's sister's child, and his parents are both dead now, so -Mother had him come here a year or two ago. He's twelve years old and -a perfect nuisance! He hates girls, so he generally keeps out of our -way. That's why you've never seen him. But, come on! I'm wild to hear -what's coming next! Margaret wouldn't tell us a single thing she's -found out." - -"Wait a minute before we begin," spoke up Corinne, "and let's just run -over what we've already discovered. It'll keep us from getting mixed -up. A young girl of sixteen has run away from her home in Bermuda, and -is in some place where she thinks her life is in danger. Before she -ran away, she did something to assist in some plot against her country -(which must be Bermuda), and probably that's one reason why she is in -danger. Maybe something's been discovered about it. She's staying with -a Madame M., and it seems to be a house of mystery. - -"One thing I have pretty well guessed, and probably so have you -all—that this must have happened a long time ago. Her language isn't -very—well, modern—sounds to me like stories I've read about old -England, and America too in former times. I think it's likely she's in -one of those two countries when she writes—probably England, because -she speaks of '_Madame M._' and '_Lady Blank_,' and those titles -don't somehow go with America. Then there's something strange about -a sapphire signet. But go on now, Margaret! Maybe you've discovered -something new!" - -Margaret smiled mysteriously. "Perhaps just a _few_ things!" she -admitted. "Here's where we left off. I've copied it all from the -beginning. You remember where she tells about explaining the signet -later? Now I'll go on: - - "There is something strange and evil about this house. I can trust - no one. Especially do I mistrust the steward. He hath a sleek smile - and ingratiating manners, but he is wicked to the heart of him. - He associates much with one Corbie, who keeps the tavern down the - road hard by the woods. Corbie has been to this house, and once was - closeted long with the steward. When he came forth to go, he gazed - hard at me as I stood on the lawn. It made me shudder for an hour - afterward." - -"That's the first name she has mentioned—'Corbie,'" interrupted -Corinne. "Let's remember it. Who knows but it may help us?" - -"There's another coming right away," added Margaret, "though I don't -know whether it will be of any help or not. - - "But one thing has happened lately to cheer me. Two nights ago I - went to my room, which does not look toward the river, but toward - the back of the house. I was minded to retire early, having naught - to occupy me through the long evening. Madame M. retires at nine, - but I never see her after the evening meal. She is usually in - conference with the steward, who has chief charge of the affairs of - this great house. She appears to place much confidence in him. But - that is not to the point. - - "I had opened my window and was leaning out a moment when I heard a - softly whistled tune, and knew that H. was there. For the tune he - ever whistles is 'The Lass of Richmond Hill,' which he declared, - when first he brought me here, was right appropriate to me now." - -"I wonder why?" queried Jess. - -"I can't imagine," answered Corinne; "'lass' she certainly is, but what -has 'Richmond Hill' to do with it? What _is_ 'Richmond Hill,' and where?" - -"Mother has a friend who lives in Richmond Hill, Long Island," ventured -Bess. - -"Oh, _that_ can't be it!" declared Corinne, scornfully. "That's only a -little new suburb that's hardly been in existence thirty years! It has -nothing whatever to do with this! And I wonder who 'H.' is, too. Well, -go on, Margaret." - -Margaret obediently continued: - - "At hearing him, my heart did beat gladly, for he is the one person - I have seen who reminds me of home. I leaned far out and called - to him softly, and presently he threw into my window a letter - weighted with a stone. It said he and his uncle had not been back - to Bermuda, nor would they dare to go for many a long day. One of - their traitorous sailors had divulged the plot, and the authorities - were wild only to lay hands on them. This they had learned in - roundabout fashion. They had been cruising along the coast lately, - and had had not a few adventures. They were sailing at midnight - for parts unknown. He did but come up hastily to see how I fared, - before they left. - - "In a moment I threw down an answering missive, telling of my - present plight, and begging that he and his uncle would take me - back to Bermuda should they ever be sailing there again. That was - all I had time for, since he knew he dared not linger. He went - away silently into the night. 'Twas brave of him to come, since he - knows it would be ill for him to be seen hereabout, now that so - much seems to have been discovered." - -[Illustration: "He gazed hard at me as I stood on the lawn"] - -Margaret paused here and half whispered: "Hold your breath now, girls! -We're coming to the _sapphire signet_!" Then she went on with the -reading: - - "I must now explain about the sapphire signet. Night after night I - lie awake and ask myself why I ever took it—why I was ever tempted - to add this mistake to the rest of my misdoings. At the time it - seemed no wrong,—nay, it seemed entirely _right_ that I should - take with me what Grandfather has so often said was mine, though - he deemed it safer not to allow me to have it in my keeping till I - should come of age. - - "'Tis such a pretty bauble—this wonderful blue stone larger than - my thumb-nail, with our family crest graved on it and set all - round the edge with tiny, sparkling diamonds. Grandfather told me - that the sapphire was once in a great ring, and from generation to - generation had been handed down to the eldest son of the family. - He said, moreover, that it ever should have remained a ring; that - 'twas a crime it should have been changed. But 'twas my mother's - whim that it should be taken from the ring, set round with - diamonds, and made into an ornament for her neck. He said that - once, when they were in London not long after their marriage, she - wheedled my father into having it changed, and came home to Bermuda - with the jewel hanging from a slender chain about her white throat. - And Grandfather was filled with wrath at her and never forgave her. - Had I been a boy, he says, he would have had the stone reset in a - ring. But since the only heir to it is a girl, he has allowed it to - remain thus, and once scornfully told me that 'twas 'as useless now - as I was,' and might as well so remain. - - "On rare occasions, Grandfather has let me wear it—once to a grand - tea-drinking at St. George's, where 'twas much admired. But mainly - he has kept it in his great strong box. It seemed no harm that - day for me to take it. The box stood invitingly open. The jewel - was really mine, and I possessed no other ornament. Even then I - realized that I might never see my home or Grandfather again. So I - took it—Heaven forgive me!—thinking it no wrong. But I have come - to feel differently since. In these long, lonely months, when I - have had so much time to think and to regret, I can see how this - act of mine must appear to Grandfather and to all who know me. - Even though it was in effect my own, it was still in his keeping, - and I should never have taken it without his consent. I dare not - even wonder what he must think of me, and I live only for the - opportunity to return home and place the signet in his hands. - - "From the very first I have never dared openly to wear the - beautiful thing; and since my conscience began to trouble me, I - have never wished to. Long since, I removed it from its velvet - riband and concealed it. Nor must I, even here, disclose where it - is hidden. To do so would be neither safe nor wise. Suffice it that - I will never more wear the bauble till I have restored it to its - rightful keeper, my grandfather." - -Margaret paused again, and there was a blissful sigh from all her -assembled listeners. - -"Isn't it the most fascinating thing—this sapphire signet business?" -exclaimed Corinne, at last. "I can just imagine how the poor girl -felt. She hadn't meant any harm in taking it—it had seemed perfectly -_right_. And then her conscience got to troubling her till she hadn't a -peaceful minute! But where in the world could she have hidden it? Does -it tell later on, Margaret?" - -"Not that I've discovered as yet, but there are a lot of other -interesting things—" - -"Go on, go on then!" chorused the waiting three, impatient of anything -that broke the thread of the story. - -"Well, the next seems to be written some time later, but I can't tell -how much. This is something like a diary, only she doesn't put down any -dates. She just seems to leave spaces between the different entries. -It's kind of confusing. Now she says: - - "A strange thing happened last night. At midnight I awoke. I heard - confused sounds on the road without. Carts creaking by, men shouting - and calling, women crying, and children screaming as with fright. - The sounds continued till near morning. An endless procession of - carts and coaches. 'Twould seem as though the whole city were in - flight. 'Twas odd to hear so much racket in this quiet region. - - "To-day the whole household is in agitation. Fear seems to have - seized on all. The servants are in a panic. Only the steward seems - undisturbed. Madame M. is calm in manner, but I can see that she is - much perturbed inwardly." - -"What in the world could have been happening?" demanded Bess. "She -speaks of the 'city.' I wonder what city, and what was the matter? Why -should every one be leaving it?" - -"I've been thinking all along that she was somewhere in England," -suggested Corinne, "though I can't imagine what part. Anyway—" - -"Wait!" cried Margaret. "Why don't you let me go on?" - -"That's so!" agreed Corinne. "It's foolish not to see what's coming -before we try to make sense of it. Go on!" - -Margaret continued. "Next she says: - - "Some of the servants left yesterday. I now know the cause. The - rebels are threatening to take possession of the city. Ships filled - with soldiers stand in the waters near by. 'Tis feared there will - be a great battle soon. Madame M. is very ill. She has taken to - her bed. I think great fear has made her so—and great anger. She - is being cared for by the housekeeper, Mistress Phœbe. I have come - to like Mistress Phœbe. She is the one soul who treats me with - kindness unfailing. She, too, hates the steward. She told me so. - She and the steward and one other servant are all that are left - here now. The rest have fled. Would that the steward had fled also! - He seems to have some urgent reason for remaining. He has had - another interview with Corbie, in this house." - -"Wait a minute!" interrupted Corinne, once more. "I have an idea. I -am going to put down on a paper every name she mentions, no matter -how insignificant, and see if they will lead us to any sort of a clue. -_Names_ are about the only clues for finding out things, when you come -to think of it!" She hunted in her bag for a pencil and notebook. Then -she continued: - -"Now, there's 'Bermuda'—that was the first, and the only real definite -thing we've discovered yet—and 'London.' Then there's 'Madame M.,' -which doesn't help much. And 'Lady Blank' is no good at all, nor -is 'H.' 'Corbie' may be useful, but I don't think Mistress Phœbe' -will—and that's all, I guess." - -"No, it isn't," contradicted Margaret. "You forgot the 'Lass of -Richmond Hill'!" - -"True enough! Of course that's only the name of a song, but I'll put it -down. Who knows but what it _may_ be the most important of all! I have -a book of old songs at home, and I have just a faint idea that there's -one of that name in it. I'll hunt it up to-night. But as usual, it's -late, and I must be hurrying along. Haven't you read about all you've -puzzled out, Margaret?" - -"I've done another entry," replied Margaret, slowly and mysteriously, -"and perhaps you'd better hear it. It may be worth your while!" - -"Oh, what is it?" cried Corinne, pausing in the act of adjusting her -hat. "Quick!" - -"Here it is: - - "Madame M. sent for me to-day. 'Tis the first time since she took - to her bed. She did so to give me this strange warning. These be - her very words: 'It is rumored that this house may soon be taken - possession of by rebels. If so, I wish you to have no communication - with any of them, Mistress Alison." - -There was an instant's silence. Then Corinne threw her hat on a chair -and exclaimed: - -"Hurrah! At _last_ we have this mysterious lassie's name! It's _Alison_! -That's the biggest discovery yet. Is there any more?" - -"Yes, one thing," answered Margaret, "the strangest of all. It's a later -entry and is only three words long—the first word twice underlined: - - "‗He‗ has come!" - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -A SURPRISE - - -The girls got together again on the following afternoon, for they could -not possibly have stretched their patience to the limit of another day! -Margaret had promised to work like a Trojan till they arrived and to -have much to read to them. It was with breathless interest that they -drew their chairs around her. - -"My! I couldn't study a thing, or keep my mind off this a single minute -to-day in school!" sighed Jess. "I guess I failed in every blessed -recitation." - -"Me too!" echoed Bess. "If this suspense doesn't come to an end soon, -I'll be a failure for the term!" - -"Same here!" agreed Corinne. "I do envy Margaret, for she at least can be -working at it all day and satisfying her curiosity. Have you discovered -much more, honey?" Margaret smiled her slow, mysterious smile. She was -certainly enjoying herself, in a brand-new fashion these days. And -between meetings she guarded her secrets like a veritable sphinx. - -"Something's happening right along!" she answered enigmatically. "But -I've rather a surprise for you to-day." - -"What is it?" they demanded in one voice. - -"I sha'n't tell you till we come to it!" was her maddening reply. -"Shall I go on now?" - -"Just a minute," said Corinne. "I want to say that I looked up that old -song last night. In this collection I have, there is given a little -history of each song. Now, 'The Lass of Richmond Hill' was written -about a young girl, a Miss Janson, who lived on Richmond Hill, which is -near the little town of Leybourne, in England. It was written way back -about 1770, and the song was said to be a favorite of King George the -Third. It was quite popular at the time. That's absolutely all about -it. Of course, it's possible that place may be the one where Alison -was, but somehow I don't feel very sure of it. I rather think that -what she says about 'Richmond Hill' must have some other connection. -Now go on, Margaret!" - -"Very well," began Margaret. "We left off with the words, '_He_ has -come!' _He_ seems to be a very mysterious person, and some one of great -importance evidently. She goes on to say: - - "The house has been put at his disposal. Not, however, by Madame - M., for she would gladly slam the door in his face were she able, - but she is still in bed, ill. He is very considerate, and does - naught to disturb or annoy her. His servants and men are all about, - but they do not molest any of the household. Phœbe remains the - housekeeper and caters for him. She adores him, as does her father, - so she tells me. - - "I have exchanged no words with him. I have only seen him as he - sits in the library or walks about the grounds. He is absent - much—away in the city, Phœbe says. He is handsome and grave and - stern, but I think he is kind and gentle. I long to speak with him, - but I dare not. I am too carefully watched. - - "The steward is still here, and frequents much Corbie's tavern. He - asked me yesterday a few questions about Bermuda. I did not care to - have speech with him so I cut him short. He gave me an ugly look as - he walked away." - -Margaret stopped here to say, "Now comes something exciting!" - -The listening three sighed ecstatically. - - "There have been strange doings in this house. I have now turned - spy myself. Last night at a late hour, when all the household was - asleep, I heard stealthy footsteps passing my door. The sound - was most unusual, for _he_ was away in the city, and there was - consequently no guard. When the footsteps were past, I rose, opened - my door, and peeped out. I saw the steward. He was tiptoeing softly - down the hall toward the stairs, a candle in his hand. A sudden - resolve seized me. I would follow him in the dark, and see what - he did. I felt sure he planned some evil. I seized a dark-colored - shawl, drew it round me, and, in the shadow, crept after the light - of his candle. - - "Down the stairs he went, and I felt sure he would pause on the - lower floor and perchance enter _his_ room to rifle it. I crouched - on the stair and held my breath, but he passed on and opened a door - which gives on the stone steps leading to the wine-cellar. Once he - glanced back suspiciously, then the door closed behind him. As soon - as I dared, I followed. Opening the door with the greatest caution, - I peered down. His back was toward me, and he was drinking from an - upturned bottle. In a moment he put the bottle back on its shelf - and stood long in thought. - - "I was about to conclude that this was all he had come for and that - my fears were for naught, when he turned aside, took a knife from - his pocket, and went toward the far end of the cellar, leaving the - stairway in heavy shadow. Taking advantage of this, I crept down - the steps and watched him from the shelter of one of the pillars - that supported the floor above. In a moment he stopped, raised his - hand, and felt along the great beam above his head. I noted 'twas - the second beam from the end. At a distance of about ten feet from - the wall he pushed his knife-blade into the timber, and, behold! - something like a small door fell open! - - "Into the aperture thus left he thrust his two hands, and drew - forth a small iron box. This he placed on the ground near the - candle, and pressing a spring, threw back the lid. It seemed to - be filled with papers, and with something else that shone in the - candle-light. The latter, I soon learned, was a mass of golden - coins, for he plunged in his hand, took out a fistful, and put them - in a small leather bag he carried. Then he closed the box, put it - back in the hollow space, and shut the door of the secret opening - in the beam. I stayed to see no more, but fled hastily to my room. - 'Tis all most strange. What hides he in this secret place? Whose - gold is that? What evil does he plot? - -"Isn't that the most exciting thing you ever heard?" demanded Margaret, -breaking off. - -"Frightfully exciting!" agreed every one. - -"It's like an adventure in a book—only better!" added Corinne. "But, -Margaret, is _that_ the surprise you had for us?" - -"No, it isn't! That's coming just a little later. The next entry says: - - "_She_ has come! _He_ seems most glad to have his lady with him - once more. I have not yet spoken with her. She has only passed me, - bowing with stately courtesy. I think she has forgotten how I once - spoke with her. No wonder. Her mind is filled with anxious care. - Madame M. is still confined to her bed, and knows not that _she_ is - here. I think Madame M. is truly right ill." - -"_She_ must be _his_ wife, I suppose," interrupted Bess. "I do wish -Alison would call 'em by their names! This is so confusing!" - -Margaret only stopped long enough to say: "Now, the surprise is coming. -This is the next entry: - - "_He_ passed me in the hall to-day and wished me a good morning - in his grave, courtly fashion. Then he inquired after the health - of Madame M., and offered to send her up some fruit that he had - just received for his table. I knew not what to say. I was right - embarrassed. For Madame M. will accept naught from him, and—" - -Margaret stopped short. - -"Go on, go on!" they chorused. - -"I can't!" she answered. - -"Why not?" they inquired in wonder. - -"Because that's _all there is_!" she replied quietly. "We've come to -the end. That's the surprise I had for you!" - -"Well, I never!" ejaculated Bess in disgust, picking up the old -account-book and examining it curiously. The back cover was missing, -and it was not difficult to conjecture that many pages might also be -lacking. - -"That's the _queerest_!" mused Corinne. "Of course, the book is -rather thin, but I hadn't imagined that we'd finish it so soon. Those -characters are large, and take up more room than plain writing, I -suppose. But, my gracious!" She got up and began pacing around the -room impatiently. "This is perfectly _maddening_! To have it leave off -in such a place, without a sign of explanation of it all! Where's the -other part of that book? Could it possibly be in the old trunk where -we found this? Let's go up and see!" - -"No use in doing that," said Jess, "because Sarah's done exactly what -she threatened to—locked the attic door and hid the key. But anyhow, -I remember distinctly that there wasn't a sign of anything else under -that false bottom. It was absolutely empty after this fell out. -Wherever the rest is, it isn't there!" - -"Well," exclaimed Corinne, coming to an abrupt pause in her impatient -tramping, "there's one thing I'm firmly determined upon! I sha'n't rest -day or night till I've found some sort of an explanation for all this! -Do the rest of you agree with me? It's the most fascinating mystery I -ever came across, outside of a story-book, and I'm bound I'm not going -to be stumped by any obstacles!" - -"We surely do agree with you!" echoed Margaret. "We're just as crazy as -you are to unravel it all. And what's an antiquarian club good for, I'd -like to know, if not for something just like this! That's our business -from now on!" - -"The motion's carried!" agreed Bess. "But how in the world are we going -to go about it? Somehow it seems as if we'd reached a stone wall a mile -high—no getting around it or over it!" - -"Then we'll tunnel _under_ it!" laughed Corinne. "But first of all, -there's a question I'd like to settle. Where did that old hair-trunk -come from? How did it get in this house? Who owned it before you did?" - -"I can answer that," replied Margaret, "for I asked Mother about it -the other night. I did it in a roundabout sort of way, so she wouldn't -suspect why I wanted to know or think it queer that I asked. She -said it belonged to Father. He told her once that a friend of his, a -sea-captain, had given it to him years ago. The captain said it was an -heirloom that had been in the family many years. An ancestor of his -had found it in a vessel that had been wrecked, and had been floating -around for several months—a 'derelict,' Mother called it. This old -captain said it was so handy and substantial that he had carried it -with him on all his voyages. But as he wasn't going to sail any more, -and hadn't any children to leave it to, he gave it to Father." - -"Well, at least it explains one thing—how this strange book came to -be in your house," mused Corinne. "But it doesn't help a bit about -unraveling the rest of the mystery, after all. Now, the next thing is -to go over all this writing carefully, and see if we can find anything -we've overlooked that might be a clue. Oh, girls, I wish you'd let me -show this to Father! He'd be _so_ interested, and perhaps he could help -us with it, too!" - -"Well, as far is I'm concerned, you're welcome to," answered Bess, -and Jess nodded her head vigorously in assent. But Margaret cried out -pleadingly: - -"Oh, no, no, Corinne! Don't do that yet! It would spoil all our lovely -secret society to have grown folks know about it. Let's wait awhile and -see what we can do ourselves. And then if we find we can't make any -headway, I'll consent to telling Corinne's father." - -She was so earnest and so pathetic in her appeal, that not one of the -others had the heart to deny her request, knowing, as they did, what -the little club and its absorbingly interesting secret meant to her -shut-in, circumscribed life. - -"Very well, honey! We will do just as you say!" agreed Corinne, giving -her a hug. "Now let's read this whole thing over, and see if we can -unearth a clue." - -They started once more at the beginning, reading slowly and -thoughtfully through the strange record till they came again to the -allusion "The Lass of Richmond Hill." Suddenly Margaret interrupted: - -"I've thought of something! I lay awake a good part of last night, -because my back was hurting me, and I had a chance to think of things -rather hard. And then, some things we unearthed to-day and what Corinne -found out about that old song made this idea pop into my head just -now. You remember she said the song was written about 1770 and was a -favorite of George the Third? That made me think of the Revolution. And -then I suddenly remembered what Alison had said about 'rebels.' Girls, -you can take my word for it—all this thing happened right here in -America, and during the Revolutionary War! Can't you see it?" - -Corinne sat up very straight for a moment. Then she burst out: - -"We're a pack of _lunatics_—all but Margaret. She's the only one -that's got a grain of common sense! Of _course_ it was during the -Revolution—every other word Alison says points to it! And that being -the case, the rest is easy! Good-by! I'm going straight home to look up -Revolutionary history!" - -And flinging on her hat and coat, without further ceremony of farewell, -she was off, leaving the three staring speechlessly after her! - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE DISCOVERIES CORINNE MADE - - -Corinne did not reappear for nearly a week. During all that time the -twins, who only saw her in school, reported that she would have nothing -to say to them outside of this statement: - -"Let me alone, girls, just for a while. I'm working hard at it. When -I've run to earth something worth while, I'll tell you, and we'll have -another meeting!" And that was absolutely all they could get from her. - -Meanwhile, Margaret was passing the slow days in a fever of impatience -and baffled expectation. Now that she no longer had her mind occupied -by puzzling out the curious old journal and could only sit and wait for -the results of Corinne's work, she grew terribly restless. So much so, -indeed, that the lynx-eyed Sarah, who watched her beloved charge like a -cat, made up her mind that Margaret was beginning to have symptoms of -a real fever. She prepared, therefore, a huge bowl of boneset tea to be -taken in instalments. - -Now, if there was any one thing under the sun that Margaret hated more -than another, it was boneset tea! And, moreover, in this case she knew -that there was absolutely no need of the remedy. But this she dared not -confide to Sarah lest she awaken fresh suspicion in that handmaiden's -already too suspicious mind. So she swallowed her bitter doses -uncomplainingly, and longed for Corinne's coming for more reasons than -one! - -And then at last, six days later, Corinne came flying home with the -twins one afternoon, and all three burst in unexpectedly on the -delighted Margaret. Corinne was armed with a load of volumes that were -plainly not school-books, and these she planked down on the floor -beside the invalid-chair with just one brief remark: - -"_I've got it!_" - -Questions and inquiries were hurled at her thick and fast, but not one -of them would she answer till all were seated about Margaret's chair -in the usual half-circle by the open fire. Then she began quietly, but -with much suppressed excitement in her voice: - -"Yes, girls, I've got it—at last! I'm going to tell you all about -it, and you're going to have the surprise of your lives! It took me a -long while before I struck just the right clue. I've spent about every -afternoon reading at the library near us. I even went up to the big one -at Forty-second Street yesterday. And every evening at home has found -me still digging at it. I've neglected my school work completely, and -have failed in everything this week; but I don't care! - -"Margaret's a trump! She put us all on the right track in the first -place by sensibly suggesting the Revolution. That was fine! But, of -course, the subject was a big one and concerned the whole thirteen -original colonies. In thinking it over, I decided that since Alison -came from Bermuda, the 'city' she keeps speaking of would most likely -be the _nearest_ one to Bermuda. On looking it up, I found the nearest -was Charleston, South Carolina. So I started in and hunted up every bit -of Revolutionary history I could find about Charleston, but never a -thing did I strike that helped a bit. - -"Then I gave that up and tried another city. As there didn't seem to be -any very likely places south of Charleston, I turned north and tried -Richmond, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Not a single thing in any one of -them that threw a ray of light on our troubles! Finally, I began on New -York—and hit it right away!" Her listeners gave a little jump. "Yes, -right here in old New York. And come to think of it, that _was_ the -most likely place, after all, and I might have saved myself all that -other bother, if only I'd used a little common sense!" - -"But how did you know right away that it was New York?" demanded -Margaret. - -"Why, the simplest thing in the world! Almost the first thing I came -across, in reading up about New York during the Revolution, was about a -place called—_Richmond Hill_!" - -"What? Where?" they all cried in one breath. - -"Yes, Richmond Hill! It was the name of a big mansion and estate -outside of the city, and was a very famous place in its time." - -"But how did you know it had anything to do with Alison?" they demanded -incredulously. - -"Well, just about twenty things pointed to it without a doubt. I'll -tell you all about it. In the first place, I read that this mansion was -built in 1760 by the paymaster-general of the British army, and his -name was—_Abraham Mortier_!" - -She stopped significantly, but no one seemed to catch her meaning till -Margaret suddenly cried: - -"Madame M.!" - -"Precisely!" said Corinne. "I wondered if you'd catch it. 'Madame M.' -must have been Madame Mortier, his wife, of course!" - -"But Alison didn't say anything about _Abraham_ Mortier," objected Bess. - -"That's just it,—she didn't, because Madame Mortier was then a widow. -Her husband died quite suddenly, just at the outbreak of the war. So -_that's_ accounted for. And don't you remember that Alison said Madame -M. allowed the steward to transact all the business of the household. -She wouldn't be doing that if her husband were alive! Well, except for -that, I couldn't find out another thing about the Mortiers. History -doesn't mention them again. But it tells a lot about other things we're -interested in. To begin with, after the siege of Boston, Washington -came to New York, and was there several months. Now then, while he was -in the city, he made his headquarters at—Richmond Hill! What does that -suggest to you?" - -Again they all looked blank for a moment, and once more Margaret was -first to catch the idea. - -"I've got it! Washington is the 'he' that Alison says so much about but -never names!" - -"Right!" cried Corinne. - -"How do you know?" clamored the less astute twins. - -"This way," explained Corinne, "Everything that Alison says about -'him' tallies with the descriptions of Washington—'grave, courteous, -stately, kindly, thoughtful.' There isn't a shadow of doubt! She speaks -of his servants and men and guards. Only a commander-in-chief would be -likely to have all that retinue." - -Suddenly Jess, who had been deep in thought, interrupted: "But, see -here! If it was Washington, why did Madame M. act so hateful about him? -Alison said if she hadn't been sick, she'd have gladly slammed the door -in his face. I don't understand it!" - -"Oh, that's _easy_! Madame Mortier was, without doubt, a _Tory_! -You know, New York was full of Tories at the time, and they hated -Washington and all the rebels like—like poison!" - -"But I still don't understand," insisted Jess, "how, if Madame Mortier -was a Tory and hated Washington so, he should come to be using her -house for his headquarters. I don't wonder she was furious!" - -"I thought of that too," said Corinne, "and it seemed strange to me; -but, from what I've read, I think it was this way: he had to have his -headquarters somewhere while he was in New York, and just at first he -had them way down in the lower part of the city, in the Kennedy house. -But later he wanted to get outside of the city for some reason; perhaps -it was on account of one of those plagues of smallpox or yellow fever -that were always breaking out there. Then, of course, there were so -few houses outside that he had to take anything he could find that was -suitable. So he chose Richmond Hill, and Lady Washington followed him -there later." - -"How do you know?" again demanded the ever-skeptical listeners. - -"Well, didn't Alison say, just toward the last, that 'his lady' had -come?" - -"True enough!" assented Jess. "And that makes me think of something -else. Was that the 'Lady Blank' she spoke of first, do you think?" - -"Without doubt, for she even says, 'I do not think she remembers me.' -But where or how she met her before, I haven't had time to work out. -Anyhow, it explains why Madame Mortier began to be suspicious of -Alison. Of course she would be if she was such a staunch Tory and found -Alison talking to the wife of her worst enemy! - -"But here's something very important, and it's the _real_ proof of the -whole thing. The rest was just rather easy guesswork. Do you know, -while Washington was at Richmond Hill, that summer of 1776, the Tories -in the city got up a big plot to kill him, blow up his fortifications, -massacre all his soldiers, and spoil everything for the Americans? -_And_—it very nearly was accomplished, only some one discovered it -and gave the whole thing away. _That's_ the plot, evidently, which was -brewing when Alison felt that something strange and mysterious was -going on. And here's my positive proof: one of the chief conspirators -in the plot was a man who kept a tavern near the edge of the woods -close to Washington's headquarters, and his name was—_Corbie_!" - -"Didn't we _say_ that name would be of great help?" cried Margaret, -excitedly. "Why, all this seems like a fairy story coming true! Is -there anything else, Corinne?" - -"Yes, there's one other thing. But before I tell you, I'm curious to -know why you haven't asked one question." - -"What?" - -"Why, the exact location of Richmond Hill. You haven't exhibited the -least curiosity about that!" - -"But you said it was outside of the city somewhere," put in Bess, "and -I suppose it was up around Fordham or West Farms, or even White Plains. -It must have been pretty far out." - -Corinne laughed. "Do you realize that the 'city' only extended to -about City Hall Park in those days? And all beyond that was out in the -country! No, Richmond Hill was _right here in Greenwich Village_!" - -They all stared at her in such frank amazement that she broke into a -giggle. - -"Perhaps you think that's rather astonishing, but I've something to -say that's even more so. I told you I'd give you the surprise of your -lives, and here it is: the exact spot where the Richmond Hill mansion -stood was—_just about where this house stands now_!" - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -BAFFLED! - - -If Corinne thought to create a sensation by her last disclosure, she -was gratified beyond her wildest expectations. It was not, however, -what they all _said_ (for they were rendered literally speechless by -surprise), but the way they _looked_ that caused her to go almost -into hysterics of laughter. If she had informed them that there was a -lighted bomb about to go off in the cellar, they could not have assumed -more open-mouthed, startled expressions! - -"Oh, don't look so stunned!" she panted, at length, weak with laughter. -"It won't hurt you!" - -"But—b-but—" stammered Margaret, and at last brought out the eternal -question, "how—how do you know?" - -"The way I know is this, and in order to explain it, I might as -well tell you the whole history of the place. It won't take long, -and it will make you understand better. We know how Richmond Hill -began, so I won't go over that. After the battle of Long Island and -Washington's retreat from New York, we don't hear a thing about it -till the end of the war. About that time it was the headquarters of -the British general, Sir Guy Carleton. After the war, when Washington -became President and New York the capital, Richmond Hill was taken by -Vice-President John Adams as his residence till the capital was removed -to Washington. - -"Then Aaron Burr took it, lived there a number of years, improved the -place a lot, and made the grounds very beautiful. I must tell you right -now that the place was a _hill_ at that time, about a hundred feet -high, and had a fine view over the Hudson. The river was nearer too, -just a few feet beyond Greenwich Street. That hardly seems possible, -for it's blocks farther off now. But in later years they filled it in -and made a lot more space to build on, and that has moved the river -banks farther away. Well, Burr lived here with his wife and a lovely -little daughter, Theodosia, till after he killed Hamilton in the duel. -Then he had to give the place up, and it was sold. - -"After that, a number of different people lived there till 1817. Then -the city began to reach up this way, and they decided to put regular -streets through here and make city blocks. Of course they couldn't -leave a high hill like that standing, so they leveled it and lowered -the house gradually to the street, and it stood somewhere right about -here. I can't make out the _very_ spot, for some books say it was on -the north side of Charlton Street, and others, on the south side. And -one even said it faced on Varick Street. But anyway, right near this -spot it stood; and as no one seemed to want such a big place for a -residence any more, it became a sort of hotel or tavern. - -"Then, some one else bought it and turned it into a theater, and for -several years it was called the Richmond Hill Theater. But it wasn't -very successful, so after a while it was sold again, and this time -became a menagerie and circus. Later it was turned into a tavern -again. But at last, in 1849, it was so old and rickety that they tore -it down and put up these nice little houses over the place where it -stood. That's all there is about it. Now are you convinced that I -wasn't crazy?" - -"It seems too wonderful to be true!" sighed Margaret. "To think we're -living right on the spot where all these strange things happened to -Alison! I can scarcely believe I'm not asleep and dreaming all this. -But, oh, there are so many questions I want to ask! For instance, I -can't yet understand how it was that if Madame Mortier was a Tory, -Washington could have his headquarters at her house. Couldn't she have -forbidden it?" - -"Why, it seems to be this way," answered Corinne. "In war time then, -as well as now, the army that was occupying a city could do about as -it pleased—used all the houses and food and so forth that it felt -inclined to, whether the things belonged to the enemy or not. Sometimes -they would pay the people for them, and sometimes they didn't—just -_took_ them. I suppose Washington had to have headquarters out of town -for some reason, and the only available place was Richmond Hill. He was -probably sorry enough to cause Madame Mortier any inconvenience, and -no doubt he offered her all reasonable compensation. For I read in one -book that Washington made it a rule that this should be done whenever -it was necessary to use any one's house or goods. If she didn't like -it, he couldn't help that. Matters were too serious for him to quibble -about such things. - -"That's my only explanation of your question, Margaret. But what -puzzles me even more is how did Alison come to be there at all? Who was -she? Why did she leave Bermuda, and what did she do before she left it -that caused her to be under suspicion?" - -As no one could throw any light on these mysteries, they all remained -silent a moment. Suddenly Jess, who had been turning the pages of the -blank-book in which Margaret had copied the journal, broke out with -this demand: - -"What _I'd_ like to know is the explanation of this: 'A strange thing -happened last night. At midnight I awoke. I heard confused sounds on -the road without—carts creaking by, men shouting, women crying, and -babies screaming.' Now what do you suppose it was all about?" - -"I think I can explain that," answered Corinne, who seemed literally -saturated with historical information since her recent researches. "In -February of 1776, while Washington was still besieging the British at -Boston, he sent General Lee down to New York to begin fortifying it. -Lee and his forces arrived in the city on the very day that Sir Henry -Clinton, the British commander, sailed into the harbor with a fleet of -vessels. Well, the city just about went into a panic, for every one -was certain there would be a big battle right off! And the histories -say just what Alison did—that they all began to pack up and move out -of the way as quick as they could, and all night the roads were filled -with carts, and coaches, and crying women and children. Every one was -scared to death! It proved to be a false alarm, for Clinton sailed -right off again, and Lee only tended to the business of fortifying. - -"But, you notice, Alison says that was when all the servants ran away -but two, and Madame Mortier got sick and went to bed. She must have -been sick a long time, for Washington didn't get there till April or -May, and she was still in bed then. Perhaps she was quite an old lady -and had had a severe shock. Maybe she was delicate anyway. And she -evidently must have heard that her house was to be made use of, because -she sent for Alison and warned her about it, and that she wasn't to -have any communication with the rebels. Madame Mortier must have been a -_Tartar_!" - -"But tell us more about the plot!" cried Margaret. "That's the main -thing, after all. How did they intend to kill Washington?" - -[Illustration: "Madame Mortier warned Allison that she wasn't to have -any communication with the rebels"] - -"Why, I read in one book that some one was to put poison in a dish -of peas, but somehow Washington was warned about it ahead of time -and didn't eat them, of course. But he learned all about the plot, -and he had a lot of the conspirators arrested. One of them was -courtmartialed and hanged, as a proof that such performances didn't -pay. I'm glad _somebody_ was punished for trying to do such an -abominable thing, anyway!" - -"Well, one thing I'm convinced of!" declared Bess. "That wicked old -steward had a lot to do with the scheme. Don't you think so?" - -"He certainly must have," agreed Corinne. "But what do you suppose he -was doing down there in the cellar when Alison saw him that night, and -why did he hide things in that place in the beam? And what part did -Alison take in the plot, anyway? Isn't it simply distracting that her -journal is torn off right there! And where _can_ the rest of it be, and -why was it torn at all? And why was this part saved so carefully? And -what became of the sapphire signet? Seems to me as though I'd go crazy -with all these unanswered questions pounding away in my brain!" - -Nobody having any solutions to offer, again they all sat quietly for a -while, till Margaret's eye happened to light on the pile of books that -Corinne had laid on the floor. - -"What are those, Corinne?" - -"Oh, they are some books on New York City history that I got out of the -library to read up. Each one has something about Richmond Hill in it. -And this one even has a picture of the house. See! here it is." - -They all crowded around her to look. "What a fine-looking place!" was -the general comment. And Bess added: - -"Does it seem possible that this shabby old neighborhood ever looked -like that delightful country-place!" - -"It was the most beautiful residence anywhere around New York for -a long while," said Corinne. "The grounds were fine too, and the -big gateway to the estate was right where the corner of Spring and -Macdougal streets is now. I thought you might like to read these books, -Margaret, so I brought them for you. But oh, girls!" she ended; "right -here and now I take the solemn determination that I will clear up this -mystery if it takes me the rest of my life! I'll never be content till -I know the explanation of it all. And, Margaret, I want you, if you -will, to make a copy of the journal for me—not the cipher, but the -plain English—so that I can refer to it whenever I want. Will you?" - -"Indeed I will!" agreed Margaret. "We'll all help you in every way -we can. And here's something else I've decided on. I'm going to -change your office in this Antiquarian Club, Corinne, from just plain -secretary to Chief Investigator!" - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -INTRODUCING ALEXANDER - - -The Antiquarian Club continued to meet two or three times a week, -but for some time the meetings were not enlivened with any further -discoveries. Corinne grew quieter and more uncommunicative, Margaret -restless and discontented. And as for the twins, now that the -excitement had subsided and nothing further on that order appeared -to be forthcoming, they became frankly bored with the proceedings of -their society and were claimed once more by their basket-ball and -tennis-playing companions. - -Several afternoons Corinne went alone to the Charlton Street house and -sat long with Margaret, going over and over the old account-book story. -For neither of them did interest in the matter ever wane. And even -though they appeared to have reached an insurmountable barrier, it -did not utterly discourage them. The mystery was always there, and the -unsolved riddle proved a constant lure. - -Then one day Corinne came in, accompanied by the twins, and all seemed -in rather high spirits. - -"What's the news?" demanded Margaret at once. "Have you discovered -something, Corinne?" - -"Yes, I have. And while it may not be of any _great_ help, at least -it's another link in the chain." - -The twins, once more condescending to interest themselves in the -affair, exclaimed: "Do tell us about it! We cut a basket-ball match to -come home this afternoon!" - -"Well, as I said, it isn't much, but it's something. Yesterday I was -up at the Forty-second Street Library, browsing around among the old -reference-books on New York City history, when I suddenly came across -this. You remember, several times Alison spoke about the housekeeper, -'Mistress Phœbe'? Well, I've found out who _she_ is!" - -"You have!" they chorused. - -"Yes, and I guess it's positive, for two books mention it. She was -Phœbe Fraunces, the daughter of Sam Fraunces who kept the famous -'Fraunces' Tavern.' The building, by the way, is still in existence -down on Pearl and Broad Streets. It has been restored to look just the -way it used to, and is the headquarters of the Sons of the Revolution. -Sam Fraunces was a fine man and a great admirer of Washington—" - -"Yes, Alison said so!" interposed Margaret, half under breath. - -"—and he was afterward the household steward for Washington when he -lived in New York as President. One book says Phœbe played quite a part -in the plot—preventing it, that is! That's all I found out, but it's -interesting." - -"It certainly is!" assented Bess, after a moment's thought, "and it's -just one more proof that we're on the right track. But still I don't -see that it helps very much in finding out what became of Alison, or -anything about her!" - -"No, it doesn't!" agreed Corinne ruefully. "And that's just where -it's so disappointing. But there's this about it. In a puzzle like -this, every little bit helps along. Sometimes, what really doesn't -seem to amount to anything at all, leads at last to the most important -discovery. For instance, that song—'The Lass of Richmond Hill.' _That_ -didn't impress us so much when we came across it, yet it really led to -all the discoveries we've made. I propose that this afternoon we go -over the whole thing again, just as carefully as we can, and see if -there isn't some little clue that we _may_ have constantly overlooked. -Of course, I've done that by myself dozens of times, and so has -Margaret. But four heads are better than one! Who knows but _this_ time -we may light on the very thing?" - -She was so hopeful and enthusiastic about it that they all settled down -to the work, reading over the old diary very slowly and discussing -every point that seemed to offer the least suggestion of a clue. They -had reached the entry which announced Washington's arrival, and were -hotly debating the question whether or not Madame Mortier could be -concerned in the plot against him, when suddenly they were electrified -by hearing the loud crow of a rooster, coming apparently from the -darkness at the far end of the room. (They had been talking and reading -by the light of the open fire only.) Every one jumped, and Margaret -caught her hand to her heart. But Bess instantly recovered herself, -darted across the room, dived behind the curtains, and returned -dragging into the circle a grinning, giggling small boy. - -"It's Alexander, of course!" was her brief remark. Her captive was -certainly an extraordinary-looking youngster! Wiry, and undersized -for his age (he was thirteen), he possessed a snub-nose, a shock of -brilliant red hair, and a quantity of freckles that literally "snowed -under" his grinning countenance. His appearance was rendered all the -more remarkable by the fact that he had cut a series of holes in an -old, round, soft hat, and his brilliant hair stuck straight up through -these in astonishing red bunches. Not one whit did he seem to resent -the publicity into which his recent exploit had brought him! Rather did -he appear to glory in the situation. - -"Aren't you ashamed to be eavesdropping behind the curtains?" demanded -Bess, shaking him by his collar, of which she still retained her hold. - -Alexander straightened himself and made this cryptic reply: - -"I don't get yer! But if yer mean piking off this chinning -contest,—no, I ain't!" - -At the foregoing remarkable explosion of slang, Corinne suddenly went -off into a peal of laughter. - -"Oh, Alexander, you're _rich_!" she exclaimed. "I'm glad to make your -acquaintance. Teach me some of that, will you!" - -The boy turned to her with an appreciative and understanding twinkle in -his eye: "Sure thing! I'll put you wise, any old time!" - -But Jess suddenly broke into this exchange of amenities. "Do you girls -realize what has happened? Alexander Corwin has been listening to all -the proceedings of our secret society, and now he knows just as much as -we do! Oh, I could _scalp_ you!" she ended, making a sudden dart at her -cousin, who, though still in the grasp of Bess, ducked and evaded her. -There had been unceasing warfare between Alexander and the twins ever -since he came to reside with them. He teased them unmercifully, and -they sought frantically, and always in vain, to retaliate. There seemed -nothing they could devise that affected him in the slightest. This, the -most recent outrage, constituted to them, therefore, the last straw! -Suddenly Margaret intervened: - -"Wait a minute! Maybe Alec wasn't _really_ trying to overhear what we -said. Perhaps he only meant to give us a scare. How about it, Alec?" - -"You got the right dope!" affirmed the young rascal. "D'ye think I'd -waste my valuable time listening to the chatter of a lot of Sadies? Nix -on that! I just crept in there to give the glad whoop and raise you out -of your chairs!" - -Alexander never teased Margaret. Her pathetic confinement to her -invalid-chair appealed to his rowdy little soul, and between them there -had always been an unspoken compact of peace. - -"But how much _did_ you hear?" reiterated Jess. - -"Well, I couldn't help getting wise to _some_!" admitted Alexander -wickedly, conscious that this same admission was gall and wormwood to -the souls of the twins. "Heard a lot of stuff about finding a book -in our attic, and George Washington, and a swell guy called Madame -something-or-other and some kind of a dinky sapphire thing, and a kid -called Alison. Say! she must have been _some_ girl! But, gosh!—you -needn't think I _wanted_ to hear it! I was only waiting for the chance -to give you the merry ha-ha!" - -Dismay fell once more on the circle. Bess had now released him, and he -stood upright, jammed his hands in his pockets, and grinned on them -with a curious mixture of triumph, defiance, and pure impishness. It -was Corinne who became suddenly inspired with a brilliant idea. - -"Look here, girls! I vote that we make Alexander a member of the club! -What do you say?" - -"Gee! I don't _want_ to be!" exclaimed the boy in a panic, making a -sudden dive to escape. - -"Oh, yes you would, if you knew all about it! Wouldn't he, Margaret? -It's just the kind of thing a boy would go crazy about. There's so much -_adventure_ in it!" - -At the word "adventure," Alexander pricked up his ears. - -"What's a lot of _girls_ got to do with adventures?" he inquired -skeptically. - -"Just wait till you hear!" declared Corinne, and Margaret seconded her -with: - -"Oh, dear, Alec, you'll just go wild over this! And it ought to have a -boy in it, too! Oughtn't it, girls?" But the twins remained obdurate. -To allow their declared enemy to share their most cherished secret -seemed to them the height of madness. But while Margaret was reasoning -with Alexander, Corinne whispered to them: - -"You'd better do it, I tell you! He knows too much already, and you -don't know but what he might give the whole thing away to Sarah -sometime!" And this final argument brought them speedily round to her -point of view. - -"All right!" they agreed. "Alexander, you can become a member of our -secret society if you want to, and Corinne will tell you all about it." - -And Alexander, his curiosity now thoroughly aroused, offered no further -objection to the honor thus thrust upon him. - -Corinne undertook to explain the whole matter to him, showed him -their discovery, explained how they had deciphered the code, and then -proceeded to read him the translation. His pat, slangy comments on it -often moved her to laughter, and when it came to the mention of the -song, he immediately wanted to hear it, for—it was Alexander's chief -merit—he loved music with the appreciation of a born musician. It -happened that among the books Corinne had brought Margaret was the -collection of old songs, containing the one in question. She hunted -this up now, and, going to the piano, played it over for him, while he -stood at her side whistling the air. - -"Say, I like that!" he commented when she had finished. "That's a great -old tune! The words are a back-number of course, but they go with it -fine!" He hummed it over again. - -"Isn't it queer!" exclaimed Corinne. "Alexander is the only one who has -exhibited the least interest in learning or even _hearing_ that song!" - -After this intermission, the story proceeded, the boy growing more and -more absorbed with every word. But when it came to the disclosure that -Richmond Hill had stood just about where they were now sitting, he -leaped to his feet with a whoop. - -"Say! Wouldn't that jolt you! Gee! I didn't have any hunch that you -girls had a thing like _this_ up your sleeve!" Then, with snapping -eyes, he settled down to hear the remainder of the tale. When Corinne -had finished, he sat cross-legged before the fire for several minutes, -chewing meditatively the cap he had riddled with air-holes. - -So long was he silent, that Margaret exclaimed, finally: "Well?" Then -he got up, stretched his legs, and inquired: "When you going to have -the next meeting of this joint?" - -"The day after to-morrow," answered Margaret, who was disappointed that -after all he did not seem to have any interested comments to make. "Why?" - -"Because," he answered in his remarkable jargon of slang, "you can ring -me in on the fest, and—I _may_ have a new piece of dope!" - -When the meaning of this remark had dawned on them, they all demanded -eagerly: "What? What? Can't you tell us, Alec?" - -"Nothing doing—till the day after to-morrow!" he called back as he -made a hasty exit down the hall. - -And after his departure they all agreed that they had possibly done -a rather good day's work in admitting the rowdy Alexander to the -Antiquarian Club! - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ALEXANDER TAKES HOLD - - -Two afternoons later all the girls were gathered in the parlor promptly -at three, but Alexander had not yet put in an appearance. He attended -the public school, which did not dismiss as early as high school, and -he would probably be at least three quarters of an hour late, as he -was usually kept in for misbehavior. During his absence, the girls -discussed him eagerly. - -"Do you know," vouchsafed Corinne, "I think he is the _cleverest_ -little rascal, and so comical that I want to laugh whenever I look at -him! How is it I've never seen him before?" - -"Why, the explanation is," answered Bess, "that he never stays in the -house afternoons if he can possibly help it. He's always out running -the streets or playing baseball in the vacant lots. But the other -day it was cold and damp, and Sarah discovered that he had a bad sore -throat and insisted that he stay indoors. He's rather afraid of Sarah, -though he does tease her frightfully. That's why he was around trying -hard to annoy us—he hadn't anything else to do!" - -"Well, he's a little trump, anyway!" insisted Corinne. "And did you -ever hear such a glorious collection of slang!" - -"Isn't it _awful_!" sighed Margaret. "Mother is terribly worried about -him and the way he talks. And yet she can't help laughing, herself, -sometimes, at the funny things he says. Really, he often seems to be -speaking in some foreign language that I can't understand a word of!" - -"What does he mean by 'dope,' anyway?" mused Corinne. "I can't imagine, -unless it's 'news' or 'information.' You just have to _construe_ his -remarks, as you do the Latin! I think we'll have to get a dictionary of -slang if he keeps on like this!" - -"But, oh, what _do_ you suppose he is finding out!" exclaimed -Margaret. "What can he possibly know that can have anything to do with -our secret?" - -"You never can tell!" said Bess. "He goes snooping around this -neighborhood in all sorts of places, and talks with all sorts of -people. Perhaps he _has_ stumbled on something, though I have my -doubts. But here he comes now!" - -Alexander entered the house, slamming the basement door and singing at -the top of his high sweet voice: - - "On Richmond Hill there lived a lass, - More bright than May-day morn!" - -After a preliminary scuffle and dispute with Sarah in the kitchen, -probably over the question of cake, he came galloping upstairs, and -burst in upon them with a military salute and: - -"Hullo, pals! Do I have to give the high sign and the grand salaam?" - -"Never mind that!" laughed Corinne. "Hurry up and tell us about this -wonderful thing you know. We're crazy to hear!" - -Alexander was visibly flattered, and drew a chair to the group by the -fire, with an air of great importance. - -"Well, it's this way," he began. "It hit me all of a sudden the other -day, that I had the dope on something that might be right in your line -o' goods. But I wasn't sure, and I wanted to nail it. Now I _have_ -nailed it—and it's O.K.!" - -"Tell us, quick! Quick!" cried Margaret. - -"Hey! put on the brakes a minute, kid!" he commented. "If you go so fast, -you'll bust your speedometer! Do you know where McCorkle's stable is?" - -All but Corinne nodded. For her enlightenment, he explained: "It's -around on Varick Street between Charlton and Van Dam, on this side of -the way." - -"It's a funny old place, isn't it!" interrupted Margaret. "Sarah -sometimes wheels me past it. The building looks awfully ramshackly. But -what about it? Surely it can't have anything to do with _our_ affair!" - -"Just you douse your sparker and save gasoline!" chuckled Alexander. -"Shows how much _you_ know about things! You _needed_ a man on this -job! As I was going to say, I know Tim Garrity pretty well—he has -charge of the horses. We're pretty good pals, and he gives me a whole -lot of interesting dope, off and on. Last summer he told me something -that stuck in my crop, but I didn't think of it again till the other -day. Then I thought I'd go and nail it for certain, before I told you -kids, and I got him to reel it off again yesterday. It's the dope, all -right! I saw it myself!" - -"For gracious sake, Alexander, don't keep us in suspense another -minute!" implored Corinne. "Tell us quick!" - -"All right! Now I'm going to shoot! You remember telling me about the -theater that old house was turned into? Well, Tim once told me that the -stable was built right over where an old theater had stood,—on the -very foundations,—and in the back, where the stalls are, you could see -a part of the old stage, the paintings on the beams, and frescoes—he -called 'em! He was quite proud of it!" - -The listening four were now sitting up straight and tense. He went on: - -"I didn't pay much 'tention to it at the time. Didn't interest me! -Rather be talking about baseball! But the other day, after all you told -me, I fell for it again. Yesterday I went round and made him tell me -all over again and show it to me, too. I guess we've hit the trail, -kids! It was there, all right! Funny old gilt do-dabs, and you could -just make out the shape of the stage, curved, the way they have 'em in -the theaters now." - -He stopped, and every one drew a long breath. - -"Alexander, you are certainly a trump!" sighed Corinne. "This is the -best discovery yet. But I'm surprised that the site of the house should -be on Varick Street. Most books said it faced on Charlton." - -And Bess added her say: - -"This is certainly awfully interesting, but I'm blest if I can see how -it's going to be of the slightest _help_!" - -"Say, you're what us baseball fans call a bonehead," and Alexander -chuckled derisively. "I'll bet Corinne's fallen for it already, without -being told!" - -"I confess, I don't see _just_ how it helps," admitted Corinne, -"unless—unless—there's some part of the old, original house left." - -"That's the line o' talk!" shouted the boy, triumphantly. "I knew you'd -hit the bull's-eye if any one did! There sure _is_ something of the old -house left, and that is—the _beams_ that supported the cellar ceiling! -They make the foundation of the stage!" - -This time Alexander certainly scored a sensation. - -"The beams—_the beams_!" cried Margaret. - -"Then there must be the one that had the secret hiding-place in it!" - -"Now you're talking!" remarked Alexander. - -"But did you _see_ it? Can you get _at_ it?" demanded Corinne. - -"There's where Central cuts you off! I examined the thing carefully, -and got Tim to tell me all he knew. But we found that the stable only -went part of the way through the old cellar of the house; the two ends -are cut off and underground—or at least they're behind the side walls -of the stable. Can you beat it?" - -"Then we can't get at it after all!" wailed Margaret, disappointed all -the more keenly for the high hope that had been raised. - -"Nope! We just can't get at it—as things stand now!" - -"Isn't there _any_ way you can think of, Alexander?" demanded Corinne. -"Think what we might find in that secret nook—gold, jewels, papers of -great value,—oh! this is exasperating! Can't you think of _some_ way?" - -Alexander, however, only appeared to lapse into deep reverie. - -"I haven't showed you my whole line o' goods yet!" he confessed, after -submitting them to an interval of soul-satisfying suspense. - -"You haven't—what?" echoed Corinne uncertainly. - -"Told you—all—I know!" he translated obligingly. - -"Well, for goodness' sake, go on! How you do tease!" - -"Here it is: in a few weeks they're goin' to begin to widen Varick -Street and put a subway through." - -They only gazed at him, after this statement, in uncomprehending -bewilderment. - -"You don't get me yet?" he went on. "Well, that means they're going to -do a good deal of altering." - -Still they appeared unenlightened. - -"Gee! but you four are _thick_!" he cried at last. "The only way they -can widen it is by tearing down all the houses on one side. And that's -just what they're going to do on _this_ side! McCorkle's stable has got -to go. Now are you on?" - -"Then—then—" stuttered Corinne. - -"_Then_ we can get at the secret beam!" announced Alexander in triumph. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -ALEXANDER SPRINGS A SURPRISE - - -It was with impatience indescribable that the members of the -Antiquarian Club awaited the demolition of McCorkle's stable. Now that -Alexander had enlightened them as to the approaching changes in Varick -Street, the girls watched with absorbing interest the slow, gradual -approach of the house-wrecking throng which had sometime before invaded -the upper portion of the street. For weeks they had been passing -unheeded the frenzied scene of tearing down, digging up, and general -destruction that had suddenly changed peaceful Varick Street into an -unsightly heap of ruin and scaffolding. It had meant nothing to them, -so absorbed were they in their own affairs. And now they found, quite -to their amazement, that it was going to have a very direct bearing on -these same affairs! - -House by house, block by block, it drew nearer. Every day that was -pleasant enough for Margaret to be out she commanded Sarah to wheel her -past the work of demolition, much to Sarah's disgust, who infinitely -preferred the quiet, sunny, unobstructed walks of peaceful Charlton -Street. Then, before turning the corner homeward, Margaret would beg -to be wheeled past McCorkle's stable, at which she would gaze hard and -rapturously as long as it was in sight. This also deeply annoyed and -bewildered Sarah. - -"Bedad!" she would exclaim impatiently, "it does beat me what ye see -in that dur-rty owld rookery! 'Tis fit only fur th' scrap-heap, and -ye look at it as if it was hung wid diamonds! What's got into ye -these days, Margie macushla! 'Tis that quare Corinne gur-rl that has -bewitched ye!" - -Margaret could easily see that Sarah was very, very jealous of her new -friend, so she would say nothing, but only smile her slow, mysterious -little smile. "That queer Corinne girl" had indeed bewitched her, and -had brought into her pain-ridden, colorless existence something worth -living for! But this, of course, she could not admit to Sarah. - -At last, one cold, blustery afternoon, the twins burst in with the -exciting information that the house-wrecking had actually commenced on -their own block, up at the King Street corner. After that the interest -became concentrated and intense. And by the time the little old -dormer-windowed shanty on their own corner was leveled to the ground, -they had reached the tiptoe of excitement. - -Fully two weeks before this McCorkle's stable had been vacated and left -ready for its destruction. And since then Alexander had spent much time -crawling around its foundations and examining it in every nook and -cranny. - -When the little building next to it came down, and the day before the -stable was to have its turn, the Antiquarian Club held an important -meeting, called at the request of Alexander. - -"This is going to be ticklish business!" he announced; "getting at -that beam, I mean. And I ain't so sure it's going to pan out all right, -either. Good thing to-morrow's Saturday, so I can be on the job all -day. But I've been laying my pipes pretty slick! I've got on the soft -side of a lot of those workmen, and the night-watchman loves me as if -I was his little nephew Willie! It's the night-watchman I'm depending -on most. He's agreed to let me in there to grub around any night I -want—so long as I don't do any damage. But, see here, you kids! Don't -be setting your hopes on me getting at anything to-morrow, 'cause -more'n likely they won't touch the foundation before next week!" - -The next day saw the demolition of McCorkle's stable. It being -Saturday, the Antiquarian Club was able to be present in full force (on -the opposite side of the street) to see it go. Margaret's chair was -wheeled by the twins and Corinne in turn. But Alexander, across the -street in the danger-zone, gyrated, imp-like, up and down the sidewalk -and was twenty times ousted from imminent peril by the half-indignant, -half-laughing workmen. - -Piece by piece the boards and bricks fell, story by story the old -building came down, till at last it was level with the very sidewalk, -and carts began to remove the debris. Then was visible the strange -thing that Alexander had long before told them about. - -"See! see!" he cried, running across to them and pointing back -excitedly. "There it is! Didn't I tell you so?" And looking toward the -back, they could plainly discern the queer, curved outline of the old -stage, with a few cracked and tarnished bits of gilt cornice still -clinging to it. - -"But when are they going to reach the beams underneath?" demanded -Margaret, in an excited whisper. - -"Not before Monday! At least, they can't get to uncovering the ones -_we_ want before then. The rest are almost bare now." - -"Oh! _how_ can we wait till Monday!" wailed Margaret. - -"I gave you the tip we might have to!" admonished Alexander. "You're -entirely too light and speedy! You ought to go into the house-wrecking -business yourself—then you'd see!" - -The interval between Saturday and Monday seemed simply interminable to -every one of the five. On Sunday, Alexander spent much time haunting -the ruins, Corinne was obliged to be in her own home, Mrs. Bronson -was visiting a sick friend, and Margaret and the twins, left alone, -whispered together most of the day about the impending event. - -"What _do_ you suppose we'll find in that beam?" Margaret would inquire -for the hundredth time. - -"Probably nothing!" Bess would reply, for she was always inclined to -look on the dark side of things. - -"Oh, that's not _possible_!" Margaret would retort. "_I_ think it may -be some important papers. I don't expect there'll be gold, or jewels, -or anything of that kind. But just suppose it was the _sapphire -signet_!" - -"Do you know, dear," said Jess, once, "I'd be pretty well satisfied if -we even found just the _hole_! That would show, at least, that Alison's -account was correct, and we had worked things out right, so far." - -"Yes, but it wouldn't help us out any with solving the mystery," -objected Margaret. "When do you suppose it will be get-at-able, anyway?" - -"Alexander says he's going to be there before school in the morning, -and again at noon, and in the afternoon too. He says he's almost -tempted to play hookey and be there all day! But I told him Sarah and -Mother would have a fit if he did! The club is to be all together here -in the afternoon, and he'll come right in and tell us the minute he -discovers anything." - -"Wouldn't it be simply awful," moaned Margaret, "if any one got in -ahead of us and looted the place in the beam!" - -"Alexander doesn't think that likely," declared Jess. "I asked him -about that, too, but he says it's probably so well concealed that -nobody would think of such a thing—unless the beam were to be chopped -up, and that won't happen for a good while yet." - -So they were all forced to possess their souls in patience till Monday -afternoon. Then, with fast-beating hearts, the girls gathered in the -Charlton Street parlor. Alexander, of course, was not with them, and -they did not expect him for some time. But, to their utter amazement, -he strolled in about three-thirty, hands in his pockets, whistling "The -Lass of Richmond Hill" as unconcernedly as though this were not the day -of days for the Antiquarian Club! - -"Good gracious, Alexander, what's wrong?" demanded Corinne. - -"Wrong? Nothing at all! Everything O. K., A., number one!" he replied -airily. - -"But why aren't you over at the stable as you said you'd be?" - -"Oh, I didn't think it worth while!" he answered indifferently, ambling -over to gaze out of the window. - -[Illustration: "I poked around it, top, bottom, and sides"] - -"But, Alec!" cried Margaret. "Have you gone back on us like this? And -after all you said! And you seemed so interested, too! I just can't -believe it of you!" Her great, beautiful gray eyes filled with sudden -tears, and Alexander, turning from the window, observed it. - -"Aw! turn off the weeps!" he exclaimed gruffly, but contritely. "Can't -you all take a bit of kidding? It _ain't_ worth while for me to be over -there any more—because I've found the beam already—and explored it!" - -At this astonishing revelation they sprang upon him literally in a -body—all but Margaret. - -"Oh, Alec! You _didn't_! When? Tell us all about it? What did you find? -How did you do it?" The questions rained thick and fast. - -"Well, just unhand me, and sit down, and I'll tell you all about it! -Saturday night I was crawling round a bit after the work was all over, -and only the night-watchman there. I found that the two beams on this -north end were really pretty well uncovered, in spots, and what was -left over them could be easily scraped off. It was mostly dirt and -loose mortar. I didn't have time to do anything that night, but I gave -the watchman the tip that I'd be back the next night and poke around -a bit. He likes me, and he thinks I'm collecting wood to build an -Indian wigwam in that vacant lot on Hudson Street. And us fellows _are_ -building one, too, so it's no lie!" Alexander, to do him justice, was -scrupulously truthful. - -"So I beat it out, last night, after borrowing the twins' door-key, so -I wouldn't have to wake up that lallypaloozer, Sarah, when I came in. -Of course I took a chance of not striking the right beam,—it might -be the one at the south end, for all I knew. However, I doped out the -one I thought it was, shoveled off the bricks and mortar softly, so's -not to attract attention, and measured off ten feet from the _west_ -end with a tape-line. You know the kid, Alison, said the steward stood -about ten feet from the wall of the house, along the beam. - -"Then I opened my big-bladed pocket-knife and poked and poked and poked -around it, top, bottom, and sides. But never a sign of an opening did -I find. After I'd been at the job about an hour, I gave it up and -scooted for the _east_ end of the beam, and began the same thing all -over. Nothing doing for about half an hour! Then all at once, my blade -slipped into a crack! I gave a hard pull, and—jumping Jupiter!—there -I was! The thing came open like a door on a rusty hinge, and there was -a hole about a foot and a half long! - -"You bet I didn't do a thing but shove my hand in and feel all around -in the hole! I didn't dare even to light a match, for fear a cop might -see me. Just then, all of a sudden, the watchman called out softly that -the roundsman was coming and I'd better beat it while the going was -good! I just had time to duck off that beam, crawl along the darkest -side of the wall, and sneak out as the roundsman came along and stood -talking to the watchman, as he always does, for about fifteen minutes. -I got into the house all hunky,—and that's why it ain't any use for -me to be there this afternoon!" he ended abruptly. - -"But, Alec, what did you _find_? Did you find _anything_?" demanded the -four in one breath. - -Alexander nodded impressively. "Yep! I found something all right!" Then -he suddenly took an object from under his coat and laid it carefully in -Margaret's lap. - -"I found _this_!" - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -THE MYSTERY UNRAVELS FURTHER - - -It would be useless to attempt describing the mingled sensations -with which the Antiquarian Club (all but Alexander) bent to examine -the latest "find." The twins, however, drew back in a moment with a -disappointed air and the disgusted query: - -"Is _that_ all! What in the world is it?" - -It certainly was neither gold nor jewels, nor, apparently, important -papers of any sort, and their interest waned at once. It _was_ paper of -some kind—dirty, mildewed, stained with time, and nibbled freely by -mice. But it bore no resemblance to the state documents, laden perhaps -with impressive seals, that the twins had vaguely expected to behold, -if, indeed, the find took that shape at all. But Margaret and Corinne -had been turning it over carefully. All of a sudden they uttered a -simultaneous little cry: - -"Oh, girls! Don't you know what it is?" - -"No!" declared the twins. - -"Why—_the other half of the diary_!" - -Then indeed did the twins give way to belated exultation in which -Alexander joined, for of course he had already discovered this. - -"Yes, it certainly is!" reasserted Corinne, examining it more closely. -"The book was evidently torn in two, and this half concealed in the -beam,—but for what earthly reason I can't imagine! I wonder if Alison -put it there herself?" - -"D'ye see anything queer about the first page?" inquired Alexander, -mysteriously. They bent again to examine it. The first page was the -most worn and stained and torn and least decipherable of all, because -it had been unprotected. There were the same characters of the cipher, -only very dimly discernible. But written diagonally across it, -evidently with something black and dull, possibly a piece of charcoal -or charred wood, were a few words in English. They were so faint that -they might have been taken merely for the traces of dark stains or -smudges had not one examined them closely. - -"Shall I put you wise to what they say?" suggested Alexander. - -"Oh, do!" they all cried. - -"Well, here it is: 'I am now assured you are a spy. This proves it. I -can make naught of it, but will hide it securely. Later I will denounce -you.' Wouldn't that jar you, now!" - -"Who _do_ you suppose wrote it?" demanded Corinne. - -"Could it have been Alison?" suggested Margaret. "Maybe she meant it -about the steward." - -"That's _my_ guess!" echoed Alexander. - -"But why did she write it in English, and with this charcoal or -whatever it is? And why did she hide it in that beam? And why was the -diary torn in two?" - -"You can search me!" Alexander remarked, shrugging his shoulders. - -"Wouldn't it be a good idea to find out by translating the rest?" -quietly suggested Bess, the practical. "No doubt she'll say something -in it that will put us on the right track." - -"Good business!" chuckled Alexander. "You've got some _sense_ in that -bean of yours, kid!" - -"I don't understand you!" retorted Bess, coldly. She thoroughly -disapproved of his slang, and was never amused by it as the rest often -were. - -"I should worry!" he responded unconcernedly, and turned to Margaret. -"Couldn't you dope out a bit of it now, kiddie? You've got the goods to -do it with." - -"No," interrupted Corinne, looking at her watch; "it's getting late, -and I must go. Let's give Margaret a couple of days to work it out, and -then we'll have a grand old meeting and solve the whole riddle—I hope!" - -Much as they longed to know the whole story at once, it was obvious -that Corinne's suggestion was most sensible. But before they separated, -they unanimously voted "Aye!" to another matter—that the discovery of -the contents of the secret beam was the most satisfactory thing that -had happened so far! - -Two days later they gathered around Margaret, keen for the exciting -revelations that they felt sure were awaiting them. Margaret had -resumed her sphinxlike attitude of mystery and would reveal no clue to -what she had discovered. When they were settled and quiet, Alexander -remarked: - -"Go ahead, kid! Shoot! Get it off your mind!" And smiling indulgently -on him, Margaret began: - -"You remember where we left off in the other half of the journal—a -sentence just stopped in the middle. It was this:—'For Madame M. will -accept naught from him and—' Now, on this first page, she completes -it. And, by the way, I had the _worst_ time puzzling out that first -page! It was so stained and faded and torn. Sometimes I wasn't even -sure I was getting it right. But I guess now I have it correct. She -goes on to finish: - - "—yet I scarce could tell him so. He must have guessed my - predicament, for he only smiled and said it was of no moment. An she - would not care for it, I might keep it for myself. 'Twas rarely kind - in him. I long to tell him about myself, but I dare not—not yet. - -"Then comes a break. Now she says: - - "His lady did pass me to-day, walking in the garden; and since the - high shrubbery screened us, I curtesied deeply to her. I scarce - dare notice her when any of the household are by. She looked at - me long, then spoke me fair, asking had she not met me before she - came here. I answered, yes, the day her coach broke down on the - road last year, and I helped to hold the frightened horses while - 'twas mended. She did thank me anew, and asked me what it was I - was about to tell her then, when Madame M. had dragged me suddenly - away. I replied that I dared not repeat it there, but would seek - some chance to speak with her alone when we did have more time and - were not observed. Then I heard footsteps approaching, and I fled - quickly away." - -"Wonder what it could have been that she was trying so hard to tell -Lady Washington!" sighed Corinne. "This doesn't grow any _less_ -mysterious, apparently! Go on, Margaret!" - -"Another break, then she says: - - "I have at last learned what is this wicked plot—" - -"Good business!" ejaculated Alexander. - - "'Tis through Mistress Phœbe I found it out. She has a lover who - is one of _his_ life-guard, and this lover she has had cause to - suspect is not entirely loyal to _him_. Last night she did ply him - with overmuch good malt brew, and in his befogged state she did - get him to babble the secret. Oh, it is a vile scheme! They are - planning to deliver the city out of _his_ hands. But that is not - the worst. They seek first of all to murder _him_, and in some - underhand, cowardly fashion. The manner of it is not decided yet. - Phœbe tells me her lover will remember no word of what he said to - her last night in his cups. But she intends to watch him right - closely. When she has learned the manner of the plotted murder, - _he_ must be warned." - -"Isn't this exciting!" exclaimed Corinne. - -"Bully! Hot stuff!" agreed Alexander. - -Margaret continued: "Now, another entry. - - "I have confided my story to Phœbe. She is well to be trusted, I - feel. She has promised to help me in my need. I am becoming right - fond of Phœbe. Corbie was here last night to see the steward. They - are both in the plot, we feel sure. After Corbie left, the steward - descended to the cellar. I did not dare to follow—I could only - guess that he went to his secret hiding-place. - -"Now another space. Then: - - "Phœbe had news to-day. Last night she did again muddle her lover - with much strong drink. And she did get him to confess that the - plot is near completion; that if all goes well, 'twill be put - in action four days from now. He also did acknowledge that they - intended to put him out of the way by poisoning something he ate. - But he knew nothing more definite. Phœbe says she dares not thus - befuddle him again. It is too dangerous, as he has shown that he - suspects he is babbling and has asked her since many searching - questions, to which she pretends guileless ignorance. We must - watch him. What if we should not be able to foil him and his vile - conspirators! - - "Madame M.'s health does not improve. Nay, she has dropped so low - that 'tis feared she will not live. Her physician did bleed her - yesterday, but 'twas of no avail. She recognizes me, but she will - have naught to say to me. In fact she is too weak to utter a word. - I am right sorry for her and grieve that she cannot forgive me, - though I have done no real wrong. I have sometimes thought she - must know of the plot, the vile plot that is to be enacted in this - house. But Phœbe declares she is innocent of that. Deep as her - hatred may be, she would never wink at such a crime." - -"Well, that settles _one_ question, anyhow!" interrupted Corinne. "Do -you remember how we discussed that?" - -"Yep! that was the day I butted in!" commented Alexander, in whimsical -recollection. "Fire away, kid!" - -Margaret continued: - - "Phœbe and I do despair of discovering by what means they plan to - carry out the plot. She dares no longer question her lover when - he is under the influence of wine. Nor does she yet dare denounce - him, lest the other conspirators escape unharmed. It would be - premature to do so till we know the exact facts. I have told her of - the steward and his secret hiding-place in the wine-cellar. If we - can do naught else, we will rifle that some time when he is away. - Perchance there may be information in it. - -"Then, here's the next entry: - - "It is midnight, and on the morrow the plot will be consummated. I - write this in much fear. Perchance it will be the last I shall ever - have opportunity to write. If such be the case, and my relations in - Bermuda do ever find this trunk and the diary in its false bottom, - and should they be able to decipher it, I want them to know that I, - Alison Trenham,—" - -"_Trenham!_" shouted the listening group. "Hurrah! at _last_ we know her -full name! That's dandy!" Margaret gave them little heed and went on: - - "—do grievously repent my folly in ever leaving my peaceful home; - that I beg Grandfather to forgive me if he can, and wish Aunt and - Betty to know that I love them always. Also, that H. and his uncle - were little to blame for their part in what happened before we left - Bermuda, and that I do not regret giving my assistance, for it was - a noble cause, even though our government did not approve. - - "To-night, Phœbe and I did raid the steward's secret hiding-place. - We waited till he had gone out, about ten o'clock, and from his - actions we made sure that he would be away long, for he went - straight to Corbie's tavern. But even so, we took a terrible risk. - Once in the cellar, our work was not difficult. I pointed out the - location of the spot, and we opened the beam as I had seen him do. - But our amazement was great when we found naught in it. He must - have removed every belonging, and that right recently. We were just - about to turn away when Phœbe declared she would look once more, - and she felt all about in it carefully. Her search was rewarded, - for far back in a crevice was stuck a small folded note. - - "We read it by the light of the candle, not at first daring to take - it away. It was from the governor, and said that on the morrow a - dose of poison should be put into a dish of peas prepared for _him_ - at his noonday meal. The poison would have no effect under an hour. - In the meantime, word should go forth, and the fortifications would - be seized. Everything was in readiness. That was all. The note had - plainly been forgotten by the steward when he removed his other - papers. We dared to keep it, on a second thought, since he would - probably think he had lost it elsewhere, if he missed it at all. So - we took it away with us. - - "Our plans are all laid. Phœbe will herself be in the kitchen - to-morrow at noon, and no doubt either her lover or the steward - will place the poison in the dish. Then I am to pass through the - kitchen at a certain moment, and Phœbe will request me to carry in - the dish and lay it before _him_. As I do so, I can whisper _him_ - a warning not to eat of it, saying I will explain later. If Phœbe - herself did this, she would be suspected at once, for she never - goes into the dining-room to serve. But she will choose a moment - when no retainer of his happens to be in the kitchen, and send me - with it instead. God grant that the plans do not go wrong. _He_ - will suffer, and our own lives will be in great danger should we - fail or be discovered. - - "We have arranged that, when I go to him later to disclose what we - know, I shall also tell him my own story and throw myself on the - protection of him and his good lady. For I fear it will then be no - longer safe for me to remain here as I am now. That is all. God has - us in His hands. I await the morrow with untold trembling. - - "Should it be thought strange that in writing this journal I have - given few _names_ and so made the identities hard to guess, I - must explain that I have ever been in great fear of this being - discovered—nay, even deciphered. I bethought me that the fewer - names I used, the less incriminating this might be to myself and - all concerned. As I read it over now, I feel that it was but a poor - makeshift, at best. However that may be, I trust that it may some - day get back to my dear ones in Bermuda, should aught evil befall - me. _They_ will understand. - - "The hour grows late and I must retire, though I feel little able - to sleep. But one thing more I must disclose ere I bring this - journal to an end,—the hiding-place of the sapphire signet. Should - it befall that I never return to my home nor see my relatives - again, it would be only right that they be informed where the - jewel may be found, and that I meant no evil in taking it from - Grandfather. Also, I do earnestly beseech any soul who shall - perchance sometime long in the future find and decipher this - record, that he or she will search for the signet in the place that - I have indicated. And should they find it still there hidden, I - pray that they will make an effort to return it to any of my family - or connections who may still exist. - - "I have concealed the sapphire signet in—" - -Margaret came to a dead stop. "Girls—and Alexander—that's absolutely -_all_ there is!" - -So tense had been the interest that they could not believe their -ears when Margaret made this announcement. Alexander was the first -to recover his power of speech. Thumping the floor indignantly, he -delivered himself thus: - -"Suffering cats! _Can_ you beat it!" - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -ALEXANDER ENGAGES IN SOME HISTORICAL RESEARCH - - -When the chorus of surprise and bewilderment and indignation had at -last subsided, they fell to discussing in its every detail this new -phase of the journal and its abrupt ending. - -"I tell you," announced Alexander, thumping a sofa-cushion to emphasize -his remark, "something _happened_ to that kid just as she got to the -last,—something happened, sure as wash-day! And it wasn't anything -pleasant, either! Do you get me?" - -"You must be right!" agreed Corinne. "When you think of what _was_ -going to happen the next day, and the danger she was in, and the fact -that this journal is torn in two, and all that, I'm positive something -terrible must have taken place just then. Poor little Alison! How are -we _ever_ going to know what it was, or whether she ever got out of -it all right and got back home! If the end of the other half of the -journal was maddening, this is about forty-five times worse! I feel as -if I'd go absolutely _crazy_ if this mystery isn't cleared up!" - -"There's one thing you must remember," suggested the practical Bess. -"History tells us that the poison plot was discovered in time and -didn't do Washington any harm; and that Phœbe Fraunces gave him the -warning, and he just cleared up the whole thing, and hanged the worst -one of the conspirators,—whoever he might be! Now, if that's the case, -don't you think we could take it for granted that Alison's affairs -turned out all right, too?" - -"Not necessarily!" retorted Corinne. "Remember, also, that Washington -didn't know anything about her, and that that horrid steward had been -watching her and plotting about her; and so had Corbie, too. Who knows -but what they took her and carried her off before the thing was to take -place, in order to have her out of the way!" - -"And there's another thing," added Margaret. "Do you remember what I -told you Mother said about that trunk of hers? It was found floating -around in an old wreck. Now how did it get there? If there was a wreck -and she was on it, she was probably drowned and never got back to -Bermuda alive. But how did she come to be on a vessel with her trunk if -she had been captured by the steward? Did he put her there?" - -"Maybe she wasn't on that vessel at all!" was the contribution Jess -made to the problem. "Somebody else may have taken possession of her -trunk for all you can tell. A trunk is something _anybody_ can use!" - -"But did you ever hear of such a maddening thing as that journal -breaking off just the minute she was going to tell where she'd hidden -the signet!" exclaimed Corinne in thorough exasperation. "Why couldn't -it have gone on just a second longer—at least till she'd had time -for a tiny hint! And, see here! Do you realize that she was actually -talking to _us_ (though she didn't know it) when she begs the person -who finds and deciphers this journal in the future to find the signet -and return it to her people?" - -"Why, that's _so_!" cried Margaret in a tone of hushed awe. "It didn't -strike me at first. She's actually speaking to _us_—for we _must_ be -the first ones who have read this journal! Isn't it amazing!" - -"You don't know whether we are or not," contradicted Bess, with her -usual cold common sense. "Lots of people may have seen it before we -did, and found the signet, too." - -"I don't think it's likely," argued Corinne, coming to Margaret's -defense. "And besides, how could they find the signet when she didn't -even have a chance to tell where it was! No, I feel quite sure we're -the first; but how are we ever going to know where she hid it? And even -if we _did_ know, would we be able to find it after the changes that -have come in all these years?" - -"Then too," put in Jess, "there's a chance that Alison got out of the -trouble all right, anyhow, and took the signet back to her grandfather -herself. How are you going to tell?" - -"There's one thing you all seem to have forgotten," suggested -Alexander. "And it's the biggest boost of the whole outfit! We are wise -to her last name—_Trenham_. Now you, Corinne,—you've been down there -to that little old joint, Bermuda. Did you ever hear of any one by the -name of Trenham?" - -"No, I didn't. Of course, I never inquired particularly, not knowing -anything about this, then. But I never heard that name. There's a very -common one on the island that's a good deal like it—Trimmingham—but -that doesn't help much. It probably isn't the same, though the English -do have the funniest way of shortening their names and pronouncing them -in queer ways!" - -"Wrong trail!" exclaimed Alexander, briefly. Then, suddenly turning to -Margaret, he added: - -"Here, kiddie! Hand me that journal-thing you've doped out. I want -to give it the once-over!" He studied it thoughtfully for several -minutes, tugging viciously the while at a long lock of red hair that -always hung over his eyes. The rest all kept very quiet, watching him -expectantly. Presently he issued his ultimatum: - -"There's one other piece of business that you all seem to have pretty -well given the cold shoulder—this song and dance about some plot in -Bermuda that the Alison kid says she was mixed up in. Have you ever -thought of doping that out?" - -"No, we haven't," admitted Corinne. "I did think once of hunting it up, -but the whole thing was so awfully vague that there didn't seem to be -any use. What could you hunt up, anyway? You'd have to read up a lot -of Bermuda history, and even then you probably wouldn't strike a thing -that had any bearing on it!" - -"You never can tell!" remarked the boy, wisely. "Me for this job, -from now on! Where's that library joint you get all your books from, -Corinne? Little Alexander's going to join the army of high-brows!" - -"You can take my card and use it, Alexander, or I'll get you the books -myself," Corinne kindly offered. - -"Thanks awfully, but nothing doing!" he returned. "This kid gets right -on the job himself when he strikes the trail. All I want to know is how -you break into the place. If you put me wise to _that_, yours truly -will do the rest!" - - -In the course of the next few days, Alexander became a duly enrolled -member of the nearest public library, and his family was edified -to behold him deeply immersed in the most unusual occupation of -literary and historical research. As he ordinarily touched no volume -of any nature except his school-books (and these only under severe -compulsion!), the spectacle was all the more amazing. Baseball and -other absorbing occupations of his street life were temporarily -forgotten. He would lie for hours flat on his stomach on the couch, his -heels in the air, pushing back his rebellious lock of hair, and mulling -over the various odd volumes he had brought home from the library. -At intervals he could be heard ejaculating: "Gee!" "Hot stuff!" and -remarks of a similar nature. - -But of his discoveries, if indeed he had made any, he would have -nothing to say, conceding only that, when he had found anything of -interest, a meeting of the Antiquarian Club should be called, and he -would then make his disclosures in proper business form. This was -absolutely all they could draw from him. The twins reported to Corinne -at school that Alexander was certainly doing (for him!) a remarkable -amount of reading; and it was not all about Bermuda, either, as they -had discovered from the titles of his books. American history also -figured in his list, and other volumes whose bearing on the subject -they could not even guess. They also expressed their wonder at the -curious change they had noticed in his manner toward them. - -"Oh, Alexander's _all right_!" Corinne assured them. "You've always -misjudged that little fellow, girls! He's got heaps of good in him! Of -course, he's a little rough and slangy, and a terrible tease, but most -boys _are_, at his age; and some are lots worse. He's a gentleman at -heart, though. You can tell that by the way he treats Margaret. He's -always just as gentle with her! But you've never taken him right. You -get awfully annoyed when he teases you, and that's just exactly what he -wants; it tickles him to pieces to see you get mad! If you'd only take -him up good-naturedly and give him as good as he gives you, you'd find -yourselves getting along heaps better!" - -"That's exactly what you do, I guess!" remarked Bess, ruefully. "And I -can see that he thinks you're fine. He said the other night that you -were 'some good sport,' and that's praise—from him! I'm going to try -and act differently toward him from now on. But, oh! his language is so -dreadful and slangy! It irritates me to pieces, and I just can't help -snapping at him when he talks that way!" - -"Do you know," said Corinne, "I've noticed a queer thing about him. -When he's very much in earnest and forgets himself completely, -especially in this mystery business, he hardly uses any slang at -all,—just talks like any one else! I believe he'll grow out of all -that, later, when he's learned that it isn't the way the worth-while -people talk. But he's bright—bright as a steel trap; and think where -we should have been in this affair if it hadn't been for him!" - -Meanwhile, all unconscious that he was a subject of such animated -discussion, Alexander was pursuing his researches in grim earnest; and -at length, in the course of a week or so, he announced that a meeting -might be called and he would make his report. When they had gathered -expectantly the following afternoon, he came in with an armful of books -and settled down on the floor before the open fire. - -"Now, don't go boosting your hopes sky-high!" he remarked, noting the -tense expectancy of their attitudes. "I ain't doped out anything so -very wonderful—" - -"Oh, _haven't_ you, Alexander?" exclaimed Margaret, disappointedly. "I -thought you must have found something _great_, the way you've been -grunting and chuckling and talking to yourself all this time when you -read in the evenings!" - -"Sorry to give you the cold shower, kiddie! I've done the best I could; -and if I was chuckling and grunting, it was because I'd struck some -ripping hot stuff in the way of adventures. Say! that Bermuda history -is _some_ little jig-time! I started to wade through it, thinking -it'd be as dry as tinder, and you can knock me down with a plate of -pancakes, but it was rich! Started right in with the greatest old -shipwreck, when old Admiral Somers and his men got chucked off on this -uninhabited island! Gee! it was as good as 'Robinson Crusoe,' that -we're reading about in school. Then they had a rip-snorting old mutiny, -and started in to build another ship, and all that sort of thing! And -later on, after they'd gone home to England and come back and settled -in a colony there, they started up some witchcraft, and ducked a lot of -gabby dames and hung some more, and—" - -"But, Alexander," interrupted the impatient Margaret, "you can tell us -all about that some other time. What _I_ want to know is, did you find -out _anything_ that seemed to be connected with our mystery?" - -"That's right, kid! We'll get down to business, and do our spieling -afterward. Well, I didn't strike a blooming thing that seemed to be -even a forty-second cousin to our affairs till I got down to the year -1775; and then I hit the trail of a piker called Governor Bruère, who -was the reigning high Mogul in Bermuda just then. He was some pill, -too, you can take it from me! And everybody seemed to hate him like -poison, he was such a grouch. Well, it was just about the time when -the Revolution busted out in the U. S. Washington was up there around -Boston, keeping the British on the jump. But he was scared stiff, -because gunpowder was so short. There were only about nine rounds left -for each American soldier. But they were chucking a good bluff, and of -course the British weren't wise to it. - -"Just about then, somebody put Washington on to the fact that down in -Bermuda there was a whole mint of gunpowder concealed somewhere in the -government grounds, and it wouldn't be so hard to get hold of it. At -the same time, too, the Bermudians were pretty nearly starving, because -they got all their food supplies from America, and since the war broke -out, England had cut them off at the meter. So Washington doped it out -that here was a good chance to make an exchange. He sent a couple of -fellers to tell the Bermudians that, if they'd give him that powder, -he'd send them a whole outfit of eats. And you'll admit that was square -enough! - -"But wouldn't this jar you! When they got there, they found the -whole place up in the air and the governor sizzling around like a -cannon-cracker, because some one had got in ahead of them, stole the -powder, and carted it off to America! They just turned tail and beat -it for home and mother as quick as they could, before the governor got -wind of their business! So long as Washington got the powder, they -should worry! - -"But the how of it was like this: a fellow named Captain Ord,—or some -say it was one called George Tucker, but most think it was Ord,—had it -all fixed up with some Bermudian friends that he should get the powder -on the q. t., load it on board his ship, and beat it while the going -was good. The powder-magazine was in the government grounds at a dump -called St. George's, and Governor Bruère always slept with the keys -under his pillow. Well, some smooth guy managed to swipe those keys one -dark night, and they rolled down no end of barrels to a place called -Tobacco Rocks, loaded 'em on whale-boats, and rowed out with 'em to -the ship that was anchored off Mangrove Bay, wherever that may be, and -Captain Ord was off with it before morning. Well, you can take it from -me that, when Bruère got wise to what had happened, he went up in the -air! He was a hot sketch, and he made it warm for the Bermudians; but -it didn't do any good, as nobody knew much about the business—or if -they did, they wouldn't tell! - -"Anyhow, Washington got his powder, and it's on record that afterward -he sent a heap of swell eats down to pay for it! Gee! wouldn't I like -to have been in on that fun though—the night they swiped the loot!" - -"But, Alexander, I don't see what all this has got to do with Alison!" -cried Margaret. "There's nothing in it about a girl, or the least thing -that concerns her!" - -"That's just where I knew you'd throw me down!" remarked Alexander. -"I told you to begin with that I hadn't found anything positive about -it, didn't I? Well, this is the _only thing_ that even passed it on -the other side of the gangway! That Alison kid keeps talking about a -plot in Bermuda and something that happened that the government didn't -cotton to, and there isn't another blooming hook to hang your hat on -but that, unless it's something that isn't spoken of or known about in -history. Then there's one other reason. She speaks of some one called -H., and his uncle, and his uncle's ship, and how they were afraid to go -back to Bermuda because one of the sailors had turned piker and given -way on them. Of course, it's all guesswork! And what in thunder a kid -like Alison could have to do with such a piece of work, beats me! But -there you are! I'm done!" - -There was considerable disappointment in the Antiquarian Club, when -Alexander had ceased, that nothing more definite had been unearthed -by him. It seemed highly unlikely to them all that this strange -little historical incident could have any bearing on the affairs of -the mysterious "lass" whose secret they had stumbled upon. None but -himself appeared to put any faith in the connection between the two, -and they discussed it for a time hotly. At last Corinne, perceiving -that Alexander was becoming piqued that his efforts were not more -appreciated, declared: - -"I think you've done splendidly, Alec, in discovering anything at all, -among such a lot of uncertain stuff; and perhaps we'll come across -something later that will make us sure. But you seem to have been -reading quite a pile of books. Are they all about Bermuda?" - -"Nope! Not on your tintype! There are precious few about Bermuda alone, -anyway. So after I'd chewed up what there was, I took to doping out -American history, and I came across some hot stuff there, too! The main -guy over there in the library advised me to read Washington Irving's -'Life of George Washington' when I told her I was tracking down -American history. And say, that's going some, too—in spots! I fell -over something last night that'll make you all put on the glad smile—I -found out the name of the feller that was soft on Phœbe!" - -"Oh, what is it?" they shouted in a satisfying chorus. - -"Thomas Hickey!" announced Alexander, proudly. - -"But how do you know?" - -"'Cause that's the name of the feller Washington hung! It was a member -of his life-guard who was one of the conspirators!" - -"Alexander, you're _some_ trump!" declared Corinne. "In all my -browsing, I never came across _that_!" - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -A BELATED DISCOVERY AND A SOLEMN - -CONCLAVE - - -During the month following Alexander's researches into history, no -further progress was made in solving the mystery that absorbed the -Antiquarian Club. The Christmas holidays came and went, and the severer -winter weather held the city in such a grip that often, for days on -a stretch, Margaret could not be wheeled out in her chair. Under the -combined strain of confinement to the house and lack of any further -stimulating excitement, she grew very restless and just a wee bit -unhappy. The girls and Alexander were very busy with their midwinter -examinations, and could not give much time to other interests, even -such absorbing ones as the long-ago Alison and her fate. - -But, with the beginning of February, matters improved. The weather -moderated, to begin with, the sun shone daily, and Margaret could again -enjoy her outing of an hour in the sunny part of each early afternoon. -The others also, released from the grind of much study and "cramming -for exams," had leisure at last to give to the club-meetings, which -they now held regularly three times a week. Alexander was not always -with them, for the claims of hockey and skating and coasting often -proved too much for his boyish soul to resist. But, for the most part, -he managed to be on hand at least once a week, for his interest in the -mystery was still very great. - -They grew into the habit of reporting, at these meetings, any even -slight discoveries they had happened to make, in their reading or in -any other manner, that had the slightest bearing on the subject. Thus, -Corinne contributed the following, that she had gleaned in looking over -a history of New York City: in referring to Abraham Mortier, some one -had once remarked that the expression "Laugh and grow fat!" did not -apply to him, since, although he was very jolly, he was so thin that -the wind could blow him away! - -"That's interesting, but of course it doesn't help _us_ much!" Corinne -added apologetically. "But I thought anything about the Mortiers -would be well to know. I'll warrant Madame Mortier was just the -opposite—very fat and solemn!" - -Alexander contributed the information that Thomas Hickey was hanged at -a spot about where the corner of Grand Street and the Bowery is now. -And so deep was his interest in this gruesome affair that he even made -an excursion across the city one afternoon to visit the site! - -Margaret found a description of Richmond Hill, written by Mrs. John -Adams during her residence there, in which she described at much length -the beauty and attractiveness of the spot. Only the twins, who read -but little, made no additions to the stock of information. This they -apologized for by saying that they were no hand at such things, and -about everything had been discovered already, anyhow! - -Then Corinne invented another form of entertainment. This was that -each member of the Antiquarian Club should, after due thought and -consideration, invent an explanation of his or her own for the curious -break in Alison's journal and her probable fate. The game proved an -exceedingly diverting one, and every member took a separate meeting -and expounded the particular solution that appealed to his or her -imagination. - -Corinne herself wove a romantic tale about Alison's having been -captured that very night by the steward and Corbie while she was -writing, how they carried her off, journal and all, and later fought -over her book and tore it in two; how Alison was rescued by the -mysterious "H." just in the nick of time, and was taken away to -Bermuda to marry him and live happily ever after! But the mystery of -the two halves of the journal and their strange hiding-places and the -whereabouts of the sapphire signet she admitted she couldn't explain -and didn't try to! - -Alexander invented a lurid tale of Thomas Hickey discovering Alison -in the act of writing her journal, tearing it in two in snatching it -from her, and retaining the latter half. Phœbe then helped Alison to -escape with her trunk and the other half and embark on some vessel -that was later overhauled by pirates and scuttled, and Alison was made -to "walk the plank"! This horrible ending so affected Margaret that -she cried herself almost sick over it. And Alexander thereat was so -conscience-stricken that he determined henceforth to keep his inventive -powers under better control. - -Margaret herself advanced the theory that, for some reason, Alison and -Phœbe suddenly determined to tear the journal in two and each keep half -of it as evidence in case anything should go amiss. That Phœbe hid her -half in the beam, and Alison put hers in the trunk. Then they went and -denounced the plot to Washington, and he was so grateful that he sent -Alison right home to Bermuda, where she lived happily, having taken -the signet with her, and giving away the trunk to some relative and -forgetting all about the journal in the bottom. It was the relative -who was shipwrecked and abandoned the trunk! - -Again the twins, who had no gift of imagination, refused to offer -any solution, though they were highly interested in the tales of the -others. They both declared that they could think of absolutely no -explanation, so what was the use of their trying? And on these grounds -the others excused them. So the month passed, and then one day Margaret -announced that she herself had made a discovery, and proceeded to tell -of it. - -"It all came about through Sarah wanting to wheel me over through -Macdougal Street to-day and down Spring Street, because she had an -important errand there. You know we _never_ go through Macdougal -Street, because it's so narrow and not nearly as nice and clean and -sunny as our own and Varick Street. I actually don't think I've been -over that way for three or four years! Well, just as we were passing -a house between this block and Van Dam, I looked up at it, and what -do you think I saw?—the brass sign near the front door—"Richmond -Hill House"! I couldn't imagine for a moment what it meant. But I -asked Sarah if she knew what the place was, and she said it was a -settlement-house, with a day-nursery and clubs for the children and -things like that in it. - -"I asked why it was called that name, and she said she didn't -know—thought it was a silly one and didn't mean anything. But _I_ -knew—though I didn't say so! Somebody who knows about history has -called it that because it stands almost on the grounds where Richmond -Hill used to be. But oh, girls! think how much trouble and wondering -and hunting it would have saved us, if we'd only known about that house -at first! It would have suggested the thing to us right away!" - -"Huh!" remarked Alexander, disgustedly. "_I_ knew about that old joint -right along—ever since I lived here! _I_ could have told you a thing -or two, if you'd only consulted yours truly sooner!" - -"Well, never mind!" said Corinne, soothingly. "Maybe we _did_ get at -things in a roundabout, clumsy fashion; but we got there, just the -same, and we had a good time doing it, too! But now I've something -brand-new to say, and I want you all to listen very attentively. This -is a matter that needs a lot of careful consideration. We've about come -to the end of our rope, as far as making any further progress with this -mystery is concerned. We've been having a lot of fun and entertainment -out of it, of course, with these stories of our own, and all that sort -of thing. But we're not 'getting any forrarder,' as Dickens says; and -do you know, I'm beginning to think that perhaps we're not doing just -right in keeping this all to ourselves!" - -Here Margaret started and gave her a reproachful look. Corinne put an -arm over the invalid girl's shoulder and continued: - -"Honey dear, I know you think I'm playing the traitor, and trying to -spoil our delightful secret society, but I'm really not; and if you'll -hear me to the end, I believe you'll feel the same as I do. I've been -doing a lot of hard thinking about this matter lately. Perhaps you -haven't realized it, but I am certain that this old journal we've found -is really a very valuable thing—not only valuable in the way of money -(for many people would pay a great deal for a genuine old document like -this), but also in the way of historical information. We're keeping to -ourselves something that might really throw light on the past history -of our city. - -"Now, of course, I'm not _certain_ about this, but I'd like to have the -opinion of some grown person who really knows. And I've thought of a -plan by which we could do this, and at the same time keep our secret -society _almost_ the same as it is now. It's this: I would like you -all—and especially Margaret—to consent to my telling my father all -about this, and, if he is willing (and I'm certain he will be), we can -let him become a member of our Antiquarian Club. In that way, you see, -we won't be breaking up our society—we will just be adding another -member!" - -"But he's a _grown_ person!" objected Margaret, trying hard to keep the -tears from rising. "And he wouldn't care a _bit_ about a thing like -this! And we'd feel so strange and—and awkward to have an older person -in it!" - -"Oh, but you don't _know_ my father!" laughed Corinne. "To be sure, -he's a _grown_ person, but I never met any one who was more like a -_boy_ in his manner and interests and sympathies! Why, he's actually -more _boyish_ than lots of the young fellows in high school. He is -deeply interested in young folks and their affairs; and if he weren't -such an awfully busy man, he'd spend most of his time being with them. -He and I are _such_ chums! You ought to see us together when he's away -on a vacation! He romps around with me as though he were only sixteen, -and everything that interests me just absorbs him too. I believe you've -thought, because I said he loved books and history and _old_ things, -that he's a regular old fogey that goes around stoop-shouldered and -spectacled! He isn't a bit like that!" - -"I got you, Steve!" ejaculated Alexander. "He must be _some_ good -sport! I vote we ring him in on this!" - -Margaret, however, still looked only half convinced. - -"But, if he's so busy," she ventured, "I don't see how he's ever going -to find time to attend these meetings—even if he wanted to!" - -"Of course," Corinne responded, "it would be impossible for him to get -to our meetings, as a rule, but I know that he would be glad to hear -all about them from me, and sometimes, on holidays, he'd be delighted -to just get together with us all. And, what's more, I know he'd always -have some interesting thing that he'd propose doing—something probably -that we've never thought of!" - -Margaret had, by this time, almost completely melted, but she had one -further objection to offer: - -"But, Corinne, he doesn't _know_ us—not a thing about us, and he'd -feel awfully strange and queer too, getting acquainted with a lot of -brand-new young folks he's never even heard of before!" - -And again Corinne had her answer, even for this. - -"Wrong again, Honey!" she laughed. "Talk about his not _knowing -anything_ about you! Well, do you suppose for one wild minute that -I've never told him about these loveliest friends I ever had? Why, -every evening he and I talk for at least a couple of hours about every -blessed thing that interests us. I've given him your whole history, -described you all in every detail, told him how much I come here, and -that we had an important secret society. The only thing I _haven't_ -told him is the secret! But I've done something else that I hope you -won't mind—I've let him know that I was very anxious to have him -admitted as a member, and that the secret was something he'd probably -find _very_ interesting. And, do you know, he's just crazy to be -allowed in it, and is only waiting for the time when I'll come home -some day bringing him the high permission of its dear president!" - -Then, at last, did Margaret capitulate. How, indeed, could she hold out -after having been presented with such an alluring picture of the latest -member-to-be! Truth to tell, the desire was awakened in her heart -to meet this delightful father, who was so young in spirit that his -daughter considered him a "chum"! She gave her full consent that he was -to be told everything that night, and Corinne departed in high feather. -When she had gone, Margaret turned to the rest. - -"It must be lovely," she sighed, "to have a father like that!" - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -SARAH TAKES A HAND IN THE GAME - - -Corinne came rushing home with the girls next day. Margaret, who rather -expected her, had been waiting in considerable impatience, and not a -little secret dread, for her arrival. - -"Girls," she panted, throwing aside her wraps, "it's all right! I had -the loveliest time telling Father all about it last night! You've no -idea how perfectly _absorbed_ he was in the story! He was like a boy -listening to a pirate yarn! I read him all the translation of the -journal that Margaret made me, and he was just about wild when it came -to the end so abruptly. He thought, with me, that it was best not to -take the original from here, because you never can tell what accident -might happen to it, carrying it around, but he says he ought to see it -at once. - -"And, do you know, he said we'd done very clever work indeed, in -puzzling out what we had of this mystery all by ourselves! I was so -proud! And he said, also, that Alexander deserves special credit for -the work he did in finding the secret beam. It isn't every boy who -would have had such a good idea. He says Alexander is going to make -a bright man, and a prosperous one, too, some day! Where is that -youngster, by the way? I want to tell him!" - -"Oh, he hasn't come in yet!" exclaimed Margaret, hastily returning to -the main subject. "But tell us, Corinne, what else did your father say?" - -"Well, I haven't half told you yet! To begin with, he says that we -have really stumbled on something very valuable indeed—just as I told -you! This journal ought to make one of the most interesting additions -to the curiosities of history that have come to light in many a long -day. And he says he shouldn't wonder but what it would be very valuable -from the money side, too. There are people and institutions that will -pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for rare manuscripts like that, -if they're genuine! And there's no doubt but that this is genuine, all -right! And he says we _may_ be able to think out where the signet was -hidden, too. - -"But, first of all, he wants very much to see the journal, and, of -course, he must come here for that. He wanted to come and call on your -mother some afternoon very soon. But I told him that was not possible, -because your mother is away at business all day, and anyway, your -mother wasn't a member of the club, and perhaps you wouldn't want to -explain the whole thing to her just yet. So he said he would telephone -to her to ask if he might stop in here with me some afternoon; and he -called her up this morning about it. She said she would be very glad -to have her girls meet the father of such a dear friend of theirs. -Wasn't that lovely of her? If you all are agreeable, he's coming day -after to-morrow, because he happens to have that afternoon free. He -will meet the twins and myself at high school, walk down with us, and -be initiated into the Antiquarian Club. He says that being shown that -wonderful journal ought to constitute a sufficient initiation ceremony, -and I agreed with him! Now, what do you say?" - -Margaret agreed unhesitatingly, yet in her secret soul she was filled -with just the same consternation that she always felt in being called -upon to meet a stranger. But she tried to school herself to the ordeal -by reminding herself how easy it had been to make the acquaintance of -Corinne. The father of so lovely and wonderful a girl ought surely to -be no more difficult to meet. Corinne had brought light and pleasure -and manifold interest into her drab little existence. Might not the -father do the same? Thus she argued with herself as the time slipped -by, till at length the day itself dawned that was to bring a new factor -into her life. - -"Wheel my chair over to the bookcase, please, Sarah!" she commanded -that afternoon, when she had been made ready to receive company in the -parlor. "I'll read, I guess, till the girls come. Corinne may bring -her father to-day, so could you have something kind of nice to eat, -Sarah dear?" The woman gave her an odd look. - -"Always that Corinne!" she grunted jealously. "Ye be fair daffy over -that gur-rl, I do believe! An' now her father's comin' wid her! Why is -she bringin' him? I ain't got refreshments fur the likes of them!" She -muttered and growled herself out of the parlor, but her remarks gave -Margaret no uneasiness. Too well she knew that, though Sarah might fuss -and fume over some imagined imposition, she would ascend later with the -daintiest of trays and serve the same maligned company with food fit -for the gods! So Margaret contentedly settled herself to wait and pass -the time by giving the curious old journal one further inspection. - -Meanwhile, the day's session at high school came to an end, and, at the -gate, Corinne and the twins found Mr. Cameron awaiting them. Whatever -mental picture the twins may have had of Corinne's father, they found -it very little like the reality. At once they were captivated by his -twinkling blue eyes, his crisply curling, slightly gray hair, his -friendly smile, and the thoroughly charming way he had of crinkling up -his eyes when he laughed. They liked, too, his big, deep voice, his -fine, tall, athletic-looking frame (and they wondered how he could be -ill so often, when he _looked_ so robust), and the jolly way he had -of laughing at his own or other people's remarks. No longer did they -wonder at his being such a chum of his daughter's, for before they -had gone three blocks, he had become as interested in their accounts -of basket-ball as though that game were the chief occupation of his -existence. - -But it was when he came to talking of their wonderful mystery that he -showed to his best advantage, in their eyes. Alexander himself could -not have exhibited a more thrilling interest in the whole affair than -did Mr. Cameron. And as they proceeded down Varick Street, he branched -off into talking of other historical associations connected with the -neighborhood; told the most fascinating little anecdotes, pointed out -hitherto unnoticed nooks and corners of odd shape and architecture, -and explained the probable reasons for their existence. So enthralling -was his conversation that they reached their own corner almost before -they noticed it. Just as they turned down the street, however, they -encountered Alexander. After the renewed introduction, Mr. Cameron -voted that they all have a look at the former site of McCorkle's -stable, and that Alexander should point out the exact location of the -secret beam, long since removed to give place to iron subway-girders. - -This naturally captured the heart of Alexander, and before they -returned to the house, he was fairly ready to worship, in his boyish -manner, this remarkable specimen of a grown man who seemed equally -interested in baseball, Indian wigwam-building, hockey, skating, and -boy affairs of all descriptions. But Alexander would sooner have been -torn limb from limb than confess this worship to the girls! - -At last they all approached the house, went up the stoop, and waited -while Bess opened the door with her latch-key. The girls thought it -rather strange that Margaret was not sitting in the window, waiting to -wave to them as she always did, but they concluded that she must have -had a fit of shyness, because of the new visitor, and had remained -behind the curtains. In the hall they called gaily to her, and were -again a little surprised to hear no response. Then they all entered the -parlor. - -To their utter astonishment they beheld Margaret, huddled in her chair -by the bookcase, her eyes wide and frightened, her face bearing plainly -the marks of recent tears. - -"What is it, Honey?" cried Corinne, the first to spring forward. "Are -you feeling ill?" - -"No," murmured Margaret, almost inaudibly. - -"Well, here's father!" went on Corinne. "You must welcome the latest -member of the Antiquarian Club, Miss President! And don't be afraid -of him, for he knows you very well!" Corinne said this in a tone of -forced gaiety, thinking that perhaps Margaret was really frightened -at the prospect of meeting a stranger. Her father shook the little -outstretched hand cordially, said some pleasant things of a general -nature, and then plunged at once into the important subject of the day. - -"Now you must initiate me, Miss Margaret! Show me this wonderful -thing you clever people have unearthed! I want to see it so badly -that I could hardly sleep last night with expectation, and that's no -exaggeration! It's the real truth!" - -To the utter astonishment of every one, Margaret burst suddenly into -wild tears. - -"It's gone! It's gone!" she sobbed. "It isn't there any more!" - -"What do you mean, Honey?" cried Corinne, rushing to her and trying -vainly to hush the child's hysterical weeping. "It can't be gone! -What's happened to it?" - -At this the sobbing came with renewed violence, and it was several -minutes before Margaret was able to whisper the one word: - -"_Sarah!_" - -"What about her? Do you want her to come up?" inquired Bess. Margaret -frantically shook her head. - -"Childie," said Corinne at last, very gently, "try to calm yourself and -tell us what has happened. You'll be ill if you keep on like this!" - -After a moment, Margaret straightened herself, with a great effort -stopped the sobbing, and spoke: - -"I know I'm a silly to act like this, but a terrible thing has -happened. _The journal is gone!_ I looked for it in its usual place -this afternoon, and—it wasn't there! I hadn't taken it out for several -days, and I knew the rest of you hadn't either. I couldn't imagine what -had become of it, and I didn't like to ask directly, of course. So I -called Sarah up and asked her if she'd been cleaning the bookcase, -because I missed something. She gave me just one queer look. Then she -said no, she hadn't been cleaning, but if I was looking for that old -rubbish I kept back there, I needn't look any more, because she'd -taken it all out and—_burned it up_!" Margaret sobbed afresh at the -memory. - -"_Burned it up!_" shouted every one in a chorus of consternation. - -"But why under the sun should she _do_ such a thing?" demanded Corinne, -indignantly. "Even if it weren't valuable, it seems to me simply cruel -in her to destroy anything she knew you were interested in and prized! -I can't understand it!" - -"Did she say anything else?" asked Bess. - -"No," added Margaret, "She just stalked out of the room and downstairs. -She seemed awfully mad about something. And I was so stunned I couldn't -say a thing. But I just sat and cried and cried till you all came in." - -"This all seems very extraordinary!" began Mr. Cameron. "And it is -the more so to me, because I have always understood Corinne to say -that Sarah was devoted to all of you, especially to Miss Margaret. -As Corinne suggests, it would appear simply wanton cruelty in her to -deliberately destroy anything she knew her favorite prized. Maybe -there is something we haven't understood. Perhaps the woman hasn't -really burned the thing up—is only trying to tease you. Would there be -any objection to our seeing her, and perhaps putting a few questions?" - -"None at all!" declared Bess, though she secretly felt that there might -be many. And with some very uncomfortable qualms, she rang the bell -that Margaret always kept by her side. In two minutes they heard the -heavy footsteps of Sarah on the basement stairs, and in two more she -had opened the parlor door and stood before them. - -"Is anything the matter?" she inquired as her hostile glance swept the -room and its occupants. But they all noticed that her manner lacked its -usual assurance, and that she was decidedly ill at ease. - -"We were wondering if you could explain what became of Miss Margaret's -papers and blank-books," began Mr. Cameron, constituting himself -spokesman. "She tells me you have removed them. They are rather -interesting, and I had come to-day on purpose to see them." - -At this Sarah uncorked the vials of her wrath. - -[Illustration: "You must welcome the latest member of the Antiquarian -Club, Miss President!"] - -"Ye do well to be askin' afther them dur-rty owld bits of paper -filled so full wid ger-rms they was probably fightin' to hang on! I -told her I'd bur-rned them up, an' I told the truth. If she don't get -the typhoid-new-mon-i-ay, it won't be fur want of hangin' over them -mouldy rags day afther day! I been watchin' her, an' don't ye fergit -it! She ain't been well this month past—ever fur her. I guess she -ain't told ye I'm up wid her the better part of every night wid the -pain in her back! Even the docther don't know what's the matter wid -her, she's ailin' so much worse lately. I ain't watched her all her -life fur nuthin', an' I been watchin' her closer than ever lately, -though she didn't guess it. I usually come up them stairs like a -rhinoceros-horse—I know that! But I _can_ come up pretty soft when -I choose—an' take the time! I seen her draggin' these things out -from behind the books, an' shovin' 'em back if she thought any one -was comin', an' breakin' her poor back bendin' over 'em, studyin' -'em's though they wus made of gold! An' I says to meself, this has -got to stop! So I jest took 'em out the other day an' burned up the -whole clamjamfray of 'em. An' ye kin say what ye like about their -bein' interestin',—I don't believe it! The dur-rty, disgustin' owld -rubbish!" And with this final shot, Sarah turned and tramped heavily -out of the room, leaving an astonished and speechless group behind her. - -The remaining time that Corinne and her father were there was spent -in comforting Margaret. There was no denying that Sarah had finally, -definitely, and fatally ruined every hope they had cherished of -disclosing to the world a new and startling historical discovery. And -Mr. Cameron was more bitterly disappointed than he dared to show. But -he tried to cheer Margaret as best he could, and when he came to go, he -left her with this pleasant consolation: - -"Never mind about the original journal now. That's gone, and no good -ever did come of crying over spilt milk! Remember that the mystery -remains, just as good as ever it was, and it is still the business of -the Antiquarian Club to solve it! I, the latest member, am just as -interested as the rest of you. _Some day_—mark my words!—we're going -to fit the pieces of this puzzle together!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET - - -Margaret was far from well, even for her. For two weeks she had been -ailing, and appeared weak and listless. Corinne was not very much -surprised on coming in one afternoon to find her no longer in her -wheel-chair by the parlor window, but upstairs in bed in her room on -the second floor. This had never happened before since the day that -Corinne had first visited the little house in Charlton Street, and her -heart misgave her as she climbed the stairs with the twins. But she -entered the room, assuming a cheerfulness she was far from feeling. - -"Taking a vacation in bed, Honey? Well, I don't blame you, in such -wretched weather! It was sleeting and freezing as I came in, and the -walking is simply abominable. How cozy you are here with another open -fire! You seem to have one in every room. I wish _we_ did!" - -Margaret greeted her with something of her old animation, but presently -relapsed into listlessness again. Corinne chatted on for a time, as -though nothing out of the ordinary were the matter: - -"I've got some news from the latest member of the Antiquarian Club! -He has a proposition to make. He says that when the first nice -spring weather comes, he's going to invite the club to a series of -'antiquarian outings.' They're to take place every pleasant Saturday -afternoon. He will have a big, comfy automobile come here, and we're -all to pile in,—Margaret in the comfiest place of all,—and we're -going to 'do' old New York—the real, historic parts, I mean. One day -we'll take a run up to Van Cortlandt Manor, and see that place, which -was Washington's headquarters at one time. Then another day we'll do -the lower part of the city, and have lunch at Fraunces' Tavern. And, -oh! he's planned a lot of things like that. It's going to be great -fun, I tell you!" - -But Margaret failed to be roused to any extent even by this delightful -prospect, though the twins were thoroughly enthusiastic. At last, -when Bess and Jess had gone downstairs to investigate the refreshment -proposition, Corinne determined to fathom, if possible, the curious -apathy that seemed so new to Margaret. - -"Honey, dear," she crooned, sitting on the bed-side and putting her -face down by Margaret, "something's bothering you, and I want you to -tell me what it is! Something's troubling your mind. Can't you tell me -about it, dear, even if you haven't any one else?" - -Margaret raised herself on her elbow and faced Corinne. "Yes, something -_is_ bothering me," she acknowledged, "and no one but you has seemed to -notice it. But I'm going to tell you, Corinne, because I love you, and -I haven't any secrets from you. I'm just worried _sick_ because that -journal was destroyed! It was my fault. I'm responsible for it all! It -might have been very valuable, and been sold for a good deal of money. -And that would have helped Mother a lot, because we're not very well -off, and she has to work awfully hard!" - -"But, Margaret," exclaimed Corinne, "this is all nonsense! Of course, -it's unfortunate that the thing happened, but you can't even blame -Sarah, for _she_ didn't know it was anything of value, and she thought -she was acting for the best, and saving you from getting sick. -_Nobody's_ to blame! It's just one of those unlucky things that happen -sometimes. It isn't as if you or any one else had been _careless_ about -it!" - -"But you don't understand me!" insisted Margaret. "It _was_ my fault, -because I kept insisting that this thing should be a secret, and nobody -else was to be told. It was terribly foolish—I can see that plainly -now! And I never should have kept such a valuable thing in such an -insecure place. We ought to have shown it at once to your father and -let him keep it. Oh, I'll never forgive myself—never, never!" She -turned her face into the pillows and lay a long time silent,—not -crying, but just in an apathy of self-reproach. - -Corinne, meanwhile, argued and pleaded and consoled—in vain. Margaret -would neither look up nor respond. And at last, in despair, she -exclaimed: - -"Margaret, I want to tell you something Father said last night. It may -make you feel better about this very thing. He said that even though -the original journal was destroyed, that didn't alter the fact that -we youngsters had made a most remarkable 'find,' and had discovered a -mystery that was well worth tracking to its finish. He says he's proud -to be a member of the Antiquarian Club, and hopes you haven't let any -one else into the secret. He wants it kept quiet till we've fathomed -the riddle, if we ever do! You _haven't_ told any one yet, have you?" - -Margaret raised her head, at this, with a faint spark of interest. -"No, I haven't even told Mother," she said, "because I hated to have -her know how near we'd been to finding something valuable, and then -disappointing her by saying it was lost. Of course, we've told her all -about your father's visit, and she thought he was so kind to take such -an interest in us. She said she supposed it was for _your_ sake. Sarah -has never said another word, even to me, about the things she burned -up. I think she's half ashamed of it, and yet feels that she really -did right in taking away something that she supposed was hurting me. -She's awfully worried because I don't seem so well, and she's almost -killing herself taking care of me and doing all her other work, too. -But, Corinne, did your father say he'd _really_ like this all kept a -secret still? That's awfully nice of him, and makes what _I_ did seem -not quite so foolish! I believe I'll feel a little better about it from -now on!" - -Margaret certainly appeared to improve in spirits after this interview, -but still her bodily strength did not return, and day after day she -remained confined to her bed. Her mother and Sarah grew almost ill -themselves with anxiety about her. The doctor said it was the drain of -the winter on her frail system, and prescribed a strong tonic, but even -this did not seem to have the desired effect. But Corinne came in one -day with news that actually brought a tint of pale pink to the little -invalid's white cheeks. - -"Father's been doing some tall _thinking_ lately," she announced, "and -this is the result. He wants me to submit the matter to the Antiquarian -Club for due consideration, and would like every member present when I -do so. Where are the others?" - -The twins and Alexander were promptly gathered into Margaret's room, -and Corinne continued: - -"This is what Father's been puzzling over. He says that sapphire -signet must have been a very valuable thing, and it ought to be found, -if there's the slightest possibility of finding it. He knows a lot -about precious stones and their history, and he says that a _sapphire_ -signet, especially an old one, is a very rare thing. The reason is -that sapphires are so hard that it's very difficult to engrave them, -and so signets were not very often made of them. So, if this signet -were found, it would probably be worth a great deal of money. But, more -than that, he thinks we owe it as a duty to the memory of little Alison -to make some _effort_, at least, to find it and restore it to her -descendants or family, if she has any left." - -"That's what I've always thought, too!" murmured Margaret, -parenthetically. - -"Well, he says he's been doing some '_Sherlock Holmes_' thinking, -and trying to imagine where she could possibly have concealed that -trinket. He doesn't think she kept it hidden about herself anywhere. -She would probably have thought that too dangerous, for she might have -been searched. And he can't bring himself to think that she concealed -it anywhere about the house or in the grounds,—there would have been -such slight chance, in such a case, of it ever getting back to Bermuda, -or her relatives ever having a chance to find it. But he did wonder -whether it might have been hidden in the secret beam with the other -half of the journal. You would surely have found it, then, wouldn't -you, Alexander?" - -"Bet your life!" replied that youngster, promptly. "If that dinky -little do-dab had been in there, yours truly would have cabbaged it all -right! I knew well enough it was my last chance at _that_ old dump, and -I clawed over every square inch of it a dozen times before I rung off. -No sirree! it wasn't _there_, and you can take your Uncle Dudley's word -for it!" - -"Then we'll count that out," went on Corinne. "Father didn't think -there was much likelihood of it—only a remote possibility. Then there -remain only two other possibilities, and he thinks the most likely one -was—the old leather covers of the journal!" - -"Oh, why did we never think of it ourselves!" cried Margaret excitedly. -Then, a moment later, with the droop of disappointment to her mouth: -"But if that's so, then it's gone forever—thanks to Sarah! She had a -red-hot fire that day, I know, and the thing would have dropped in the -ashes and never been found in the world!" - -"But how could the signet have been hidden in the cover?" queried Bess, -skeptically. "It must have been rather bulky, and _we_ never saw any -evidence of such a thing!" - -"No," corrected Corinne, "Father says the signet was probably rather -flat, and if Alison was at all clever, she could easily have slid it -under the lining of one of the covers (which were very thick, if you -remember) and pasted it up so it would never be noticed. He says he's -known of stranger things than that being done. Anyhow, he thinks that -is the place in which she would have been most likely to hide it. And -if she did, of course, we have no hope of ever finding it now. But -there's one other possibility—and that's our 'last chance'!" - -"Oh, what _is_ it?" they all demanded, as she came to a provoking pause. - -"_The little hair-trunk!_" - -Margaret raised herself in bed and shouted feebly, "Hurrah!" and then -added, "But how in the world are we ever to get at it?" - -"That's just the point!" added Corinne. "He says we must devise a -way of getting at that trunk, somehow, and since you all are better -acquainted with Sarah and her vagaries than he is, he leaves it to -you to concoct some plan. If you can't think of _any_ other way, we'd -better tell your mother, and have her order Sarah to unlock the attic. -But of course that would spoil our secret society, and we won't try -that except as a last resort." - -"I have an idea!" cried Margaret, suddenly. "I'll ask Mother to-night -about the trunk, and beg her to let me have it to keep some of my books -and things in, because I've taken a fancy to it. I'm sure she won't -refuse me. And if she orders Sarah to let me have the trunk, Sarah'll -just have to do it!" - -They all agreed that the plan looked exceedingly hopeful, and Corinne -left for home with the assurance that the trunk would soon be theirs to -search from end to end. - -But when Margaret came to talk it over with her mother that night, she -met with an unexpected objection. - -"Dear heart," said Mrs. Bronson, "you know that I'd do everything in -my power to grant you any reasonable wish, but don't you see that your -request is a rather inconvenient one at present? You know that you -haven't been really well for some time, and Sarah has been working -very, very hard taking care of you days—and nights too, often. She's -very tired now and has been rather ill-humored lately. Now, I don't -know just what she keeps in that little trunk, but I'm perfectly sure -that, if I ask her to empty it and change things about in the attic, -she won't take it very pleasantly and _may_ make an awful fuss! And we -can't afford to have her get upset and leave just now, can we, dear?" - -Margaret ruefully agreed, and had to be satisfied with her mother's -assurance that perhaps, when she got better, and household matters had -smoothed out, Sarah might be approached on the subject. - -But this arrangement did not at all suit the rest of the Antiquarian -Club when they held a solemn council next day. - -"Suffering Simpson!" exploded Alexander. "If we wait for that hunk o' -misery, Sarah, to get in a good humor, we'll wait until horse-radish -tastes good on your ice-cream! Nix on _that_!" - -"Well, What are we going to do, then?" demanded the others, -despairingly. - -"Just you leave it to yours truly!" announced Alexander. "I've got a -little scheme!" - -"Quick! Tell us what it is!" - -Alexander gave an impudent wink, and remarked casually: "I'm going to -nose out where Sarah keeps the key to the attic!" - -"Splendid!" cried Corinne. "And what then?" - -"_Then_—" he finished dramatically, "we're going to have a grand old -meeting of the club some day when she's out, and rip the stuffing out -of that trunk!" - -It had seemed a simple thing, when Alexander announced his plan, and -every one supposed it would soon be accomplished. But it turned out -to be a harder task than even he had anticipated. With infinite -caution he searched Sarah's room and all her belongings when he knew -she was safe in the kitchen, and the twins aided him by keeping guard -on the stairs. But the key was not there. Next, one night when all -the household was abed, he crept down and inspected every shelf and -cubbyhole and possible or impossible receptacle in the kitchen and -pantry. Neither was it there. Margaret declared that she knew Sarah did -not carry it in her pocket, nor did she appear to have anything hanging -round her neck. - -"Then that lallypaloozer must have _swallowed_ it!" affirmed Alexander, -angrily. "But I'll make one more grand hunt in her room this afternoon, -if the twins will help me out by watching the stairs. Maybe I -overlooked something!" - -[Illustration: He began to tap the inside of the trunk all over, -carefully, with the handle of his penknife] - -Half an hour later he burst into Margaret's room with a whoop. "Call a -meeting of the whole club for next Thursday afternoon—it's Sarah's day -out!" he whispered jubilantly. "I found it!" - -"Oh, where, where?" demanded Margaret, scarcely believing it could be -true. - -"_In the toe of one of her old shoes!_" - - -On the last Thursday afternoon of each month it was Sarah's custom -to go out by herself for three or four hours, leaving the house and -Margaret in charge of the twins. This was the only outing she ever -took. On the day in question it was understood that Corinne and her -father (who insisted on being present at this important meeting) should -arrive at three-thirty—after Sarah had gone, or she might, on seeing -them, change her mind and stay home! Alexander was then to filch the -key from her shoe, open the attic, and, with the help of the twins, -carry the trunk down to Margaret's room. - -Everything worked smoothly. Sarah departed as usual, Mr. Cameron -and Corinne arrived, tingling with excitement, Alexander opened the -attic, and the wonderful old trunk was at last deposited in triumph -before Margaret's bed. They turned out the family's summer flannels -carefully, that no spot or wrinkle on them might in the future disturb -the equilibrium of the uncertain Sarah, and examined the false bottom -with an actual thrill to think that here, in this very spot, poor -frightened little Alison was wont to conceal the telltale journal. - -But when the false bottom was removed, there appeared no trace of a -jewel (as they had all secretly hoped there might be) nor any crack -or crevice where it might be concealed. The old-fashioned lining was -absolutely intact. Margaret gave a little sigh of disappointment, but -Mr. Cameron remarked: - -"Don't be discouraged! We haven't finished yet!" And he began to tap -the inside of the trunk all over, carefully, with the handle of his -penknife. Then, suddenly, they beheld him open the knife and skilfully -slip up the figured lining far in one corner. In another second he had -inserted his fingers in the opening and was feeling about eagerly. The -next moment he laid something in Margaret's lap, with just this quiet -remark: - -"At last, Miss President! _The sapphire signet!_" - -There was an instant of amazed silence. Then, at an indistinct sound -from downstairs, Bess uttered a horrified cry: - -"Merciful goodness! Sarah's come back already! What _shall_ we do!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -IN WHICH SARAH CHANGES HER MIND - - -It was indeed Sarah! The sound of her latch-key in the basement door -was unmistakable. What could have induced her to return when she had -been away scarcely more than an hour, they could not imagine, unless -it was her anxiety on Margaret's account. At any rate, there she was, -and a panic of consternation seized them all. Even the wonderful signet -was forgotten in the stress of the moment. Strangely enough, it was -Margaret who first regained her poise and grasped the situation. - -"Quick!" she whispered. "Corinne and Jess, get those things back in the -trunk—any old way! Bess, you go out and call down to ask her what's -the matter. Maybe she isn't coming up just yet!" - -They got to work in frantic haste, and Bess went out in the hall to -make her inquiries of Sarah. - -"What's the trouble, Sarah? You're back very early!" they heard her -ask. And an answering voice from the basement stairs responded: - -"Sure 'tis rare unhealthy weather fur this time of year! 'Twas so -war-rm I nearly roasted in me heavy coat—and we not out of winter yet! -I come back fur me lighter cape. 'Tis hangin' in the attic!" - -"We're lost!" muttered Mr. Cameron as Bess rushed in, despair written -all over her face. "Can't any one think of something to keep her -downstairs for five minutes?" - -And this time it was Alexander who came to the rescue. - -"Just watch your Uncle Dudley!" he whispered, as he ambled with -apparent unconcern out of the room. "If you hear me call her down, give -that trunk the boost to the attic as soon as you can, and put the key -back in her shoe." - -They heard him leisurely descending the stairs, and Sarah's massive -tread approaching nearer and nearer. At one point there came sounds as -of a slight scuffle, and muttered remarks of "Spalpeen!" and "I'll fix -you yet, young man!" Then Alexander passed on, whistling derisively, -and Sarah's heavy feet began the ascent of the second-story flight. -Up and up she came, and still nothing happened. Hope died out in the -listening group, for they were sure now that, whatever Alexander might -do, it would be too late to avert the catastrophe. Sarah had, indeed, -just planted a broad foot on the top step when they heard Alexander's -shrill voice calling from the basement: - -"Oh, Sarah! Sarah! Come quick! There's something afire in the kitchen!" - -"Saints save us!" They heard her exclaim, and she turned to descend -with a speed of which they had never dreamed her capable. - -"Do you think it's anything _serious_?" whispered Jess to Mr. Cameron. -"Oughtn't we go down, too?" - -"No indeed!" he laughed. "I guess we can trust Alexander. Fortunately, -the trunk is very light, so you girls can get it upstairs while I -listen in the hall to see if they need help below." - -In five minutes the three girls had the trunk safely back in its place, -and the key restored, and were back in Margaret's room, panting from -exertion and breathless excitement. But it was at least a quarter of an -hour before Alexander came up again, chuckling and smoke-blackened. - -"Well, this is one time when we put it all over the lallypaloozer!" he -exclaimed jubilantly. "I got that pail of glue I keep in the yard to -paste kites with, and put it on the gas-stove as if I was going to heat -it. Then I accidentally-on-purpose dropped a lighted match into that -big tin thing where Sarah keeps the waste paper and scraps. It made a -big blaze, but I knew it couldn't hurt anything, 'cause it's tin all -around it. But I raised a hullabaloo like you'd thought the Woolworth -Building was going up in blue smoke! It fetched her down, all right, -and I figure it'll keep her there a good spell! The gas-stove's all -smoky, and she's cleaning it up and growling like a bear, so I beat it -up here!" - -Then at last, with their minds relieved, did they have their first -opportunity to consider their wonderful "find," and they all crowded -around Margaret, in whose little white palm it lay. The gold setting at -the back was tarnished quite black, but the jewel itself was apparently -unchanged. They gave an involuntary gasp as they examined it, for it -was even more beautiful than they had imagined. The flat sapphire -itself was as large as a big Lima bean, flawless, and curiously -engraved with the old-English letter "T," and a crest above it, looking -like two eagles holding a sword. The surrounding diamonds were tiny, -but finely cut and still brilliant. - -"Isn't it almost unbelievable," half whispered Margaret, at last, "to -think that right here in my hand I hold the very jewel that cost poor -Alison so much pain and trouble! And, oh! to think, besides, that it -never got back to Bermuda, after all, and probably she didn't either. -It makes me, feel just—sad—somehow!" - -"But what are we going to do with it?" demanded Corinne. - -Mr. Cameron had been examining the jewel with all the ardor of a -genuine lover of antiques. He now spoke very quietly: - -"There's only one thing to do, and it's a solemn duty imposed on us by -the writer of that poor little journal you found. We must make every -effort to discover whether the Trenhams in Bermuda have any descendants -or relatives existing to-day. No matter how distant they may be, the -signet must be returned to them, for it was Alison's wish. If we should -find none, that is another matter. I believe the jewel would then be -rightly counted the property of—the Bronsons of Charlton Street!" - -The Bronson contingent there present gasped in chorus! - -"But how shall we go about hunting up the descendants of the Trenhams?" -questioned Corinne. "That'll be a big piece of work, won't it?" - -"It probably will, and perhaps a very complicated one, besides," agreed -Mr. Cameron. "We had better start our investigations with the Bermuda -records, and I'll write down there to the authorities asking how I -can get hold of data about the family history. The matter must be -dealt with very carefully, because it is really no light affair. I am -convinced, even in this hasty examination, that the signet is very rare -and of very considerable value, not only because of the stone itself, -but of its antiquity. It must not be lightly given away. Its ownership -must be proved beyond a doubt. I expect to be extremely busy for the -next three or four weeks, and may have little time to give to this -matter. But after that, when business slackens, I can give this the -attention it deserves. Meantime, I think perhaps it had better be kept -in my safe-deposit box at the bank, where it will be absolutely safe. -We won't trust _this_, at least, to Sarah's tender mercies!" - -Suddenly Corinne cried out in perplexity: "But this makes our mystery -deeper than ever! Do you realize it, folks? What became of poor little -Alison, after all? And why were her trunk and her jewel and half her -journal found floating about in a wrecked vessel?" - -"I tell you, she had to 'walk the plank'!" reiterated Alexander. "I -said so before, and now I believe it! It'd make a gorgeous old pirate -yarn!" - -"She didn't! She didn't!" wailed Margaret. "I won't believe such a -thing!" - -"Never mind what happened—just yet!" interrupted Mr. Cameron, -soothingly. "The Antiquarian Club's going to find out the truth some -time—I'm convinced of that!" - - -It was two weeks later, about the middle of March, when Corinne came in -to see Margaret one afternoon with considerable suppressed excitement -in her manner. Margaret was still confined to her bed, and, though -scarcely so listless as she had seemed at first, she was undoubtedly -weaker. Corinne's visits were now her mainstay of pleasure and -interest, and she welcomed the girl with a glad little cry. - -"I've got news for you, Honey!" said Corinne, laying her usual offering -of flowers and fresh fruit on the bed. - -"What?" cried Margaret, eagerly. - -"Well, you mustn't be surprised, but Father hasn't been a bit well -again, lately. The weather's awfully hard on him, and his business has -rushed him, too, and he's all run down. So in a couple of weeks he's -going to take a vacation and go down to Bermuda again. It did him a lot -of good last time. He'll stay at least a month, and longer if he feels -like it." - -"Isn't that nice!" cried Margaret, with great interest. "I'm awfully -sorry he doesn't feel well, but I'm glad he can go to such a lovely -place and get better. You'll miss him though, won't you, Corinne, -because you seem to be with him such a lot,—more than most girls are -with their fathers!" - -"No," said Corinne, slowly, "I won't miss him, because—I'm going with -him!" - -Margaret stared at her a moment wide-eyed, and her chin quivered—just -a mere trifle. But she braced up with a visible effort and exclaimed: - -"Oh, Corinne! how lovely! You certainly are a lucky girl!" Then the -chin began to quiver harder, and all at once poor little Margaret -completely lost control of herself, and buried her head in the pillow, -sobbing: - -"Oh, I _am_ glad! I really am glad for you, Corinne! Don't mind this! -Only it just seemed as though I _couldn't_ live without you for so -long!" - -Corinne gathered the sobbing form in her arms and crooned to her: "You -won't have to, dearie, for—_you're going along, too_!" - -Margaret sprang back from her embrace, pushed the tangled curls from -her eyes, and gazed at Corinne as though her friend had suddenly gone -crazy. - -"_What?_" was the only word she could utter. - -"Now, just you let me explain it all," began Corinne, soothingly, -settling down on the bed beside her. "And don't you get so excited, -because it isn't good for you. I'll tell you the whole story. It was -like this. After Father found it was best to go to Bermuda, he made -up his mind that Aunt Katharine and I might as well go, too, because -he hates to go alone. And, of course, I was crazy to go, but just one -thing kept me from being _entirely_ delighted, and that was—_you_! I -hated to leave you, because I love you, and also because you are not at -all well just now. Father and I have both been very anxious about you. -So we got to talking it over, and suddenly he said: 'Why not invite -Margaret to come along with you as your guest! The trip might do her a -great deal of good, and I know you two are growing as inseparable as a -pair of Siamese twins!' - -"Well, you can just warrant I was delighted, for I knew Father'd never -make such a suggestion unless _he_ really wanted you, too! He said he -would call on your mother at her place of business, and see if she -would consent, and also on your doctor, to see if he thought the trip -would be advisable. I begged him to make them keep it a secret, so -that, if everything went well, I could surprise you with the news when -it was all settled. I hated to have you disappointed in case the doctor -thought it wasn't wise, or your mother felt that she couldn't consent -to your going. - -"Your mother was awfully surprised, of course, and for a while she -almost refused, because she felt it to be too much for Father to do. -But when she found that it was going to do you so much good, and how -terribly I wanted you, she gave in. And you needn't worry about being -taken care of and having everything done for you that Sarah does. _I'm_ -going to do that! It's to be my job, being your lady's maid, and won't -I enjoy it! Aunt Katharine will help too, when necessary. She's lovely -and kind and gentle, and you're going to like her a lot! - -"Honey, we sail a week from next Wednesday, and I can hardly wait for -the time to come!" - - -There was surprise and rejoicing in the Charlton Street house that -night when Mrs. Bronson arrived and the great secret became public -property. Mrs. Bronson admitted that she had known about it for -several days, and was having a pretty outfit of traveling clothes made -for Margaret. The twins were frankly delighted, for they had been -themselves experiencing much secret anxiety on account of Margaret's -precarious health, as indeed had all the household. Alexander gave an -Indian war-whoop that was ear-splitting and performed the acrobatic -feat of standing on his head in the middle of the parlor floor for -three minutes unassisted! The extraordinary racket brought an indignant -Sarah up from the kitchen to investigate. - -But it was when Sarah heard the news that consternation fell upon the -happy household. She placed both hands on her massive hips, threw back -her head, squared her shoulders, and announced: - -"If Margie puts one fut aboard that rampagin' ship, I go out of this -house, never to retur-rn!" - -Now, when the autocratic Sarah made a statement of this nature, it -was time for the family to tremble! Mrs. Bronson argued, pleaded, -commanded—in vain. Sarah could no more be budged from her position -than the Rock of Gibraltar. Urged to state her reasons, she would -offer but two. And these were that, about forty years ago, she herself -had come over from Ireland in a truly "rampagin'" ship, and never -again would she trust herself or any one she held dear to the mercies -of the ocean. Arguments that ship-building had made some progress -and traveling was safer since those days had absolutely no effect on -her—in fact, she refused to believe them! - -Her second reason was that Margaret had been in her care ever since -she was born, and no one else knew so well what to do for the delicate -child. She was firmly convinced that it would be the death of her -beloved charge to be removed from her oversight. At last the distracted -Mrs. Bronson laid the matter aside for the night, the girls retired to -bed in tears and indignation, and Alexander dared to shake his fist -at the broad back of Sarah departing to the kitchen. Only Margaret -remained in ignorance of the impending disaster, and fell asleep happy -beyond words. - -The next day Mrs. Bronson sent a request to Mr. Cameron to call that -evening, for she felt that the situation must be explained to him. It -would be a serious matter if Sarah kept her word—as she doubtless -had every intention of doing. It also was important, for the sake of -Margaret's health, that she should get away and have this wonderful -change. Mrs. Bronson was a sorely troubled woman as she explained the -circumstances to her visitor. Mr. Cameron sat in deep thought for a few -moments. Then he said: - -"Could you have your housekeeper come up here for a few minutes and -allow me to see her alone?" - -Mrs. Bronson declared that it was entirely possible, summoned Sarah, -who arrived full of hostile intent, introduced her to the visitor, and -went upstairs, leaving them together for a while. Margaret had by this -time learned of the trouble, and was nervous and anxious and feverish. -Corinne, who had come with her father, was sitting with her, trying to -assure her that she need not worry. But the assurance rang hollow in -her own ears. She, too, knew Sarah! - -Presently they were surprised to hear her heavy footsteps coming -upstairs. They passed the door and entered Mrs. Bronson's room. Then, -in a moment, they returned, halted, and a singularly changed Sarah -stood in the doorway. - -"Yer father's goin' now, Miss Corinne, and he wants ye," she announced -in a strangely meek, quiet voice. "I'll be back in two minutes to fix -me child for the night. We got to get her in good shape before she -takes that rampagin' ship for Bermudy!" - -That was all, but she actually _smiled_—a weak, apologetic little -smile—before she vanished from the doorway! - -The girls stared at each other in complete bewilderment. Never had they -witnessed a change more astonishing. - -"Well, doesn't that beat everything!" exclaimed Margaret. "What could -have happened to Sarah?" - -"I don't know," answered Corinne, "except that Father's had a talk with -her. He told me, coming over, that your mother had called him up to-day -on the telephone, explained some of the trouble, and asked him to call -to-night. He said he himself was going to have an interview with Sarah, -and I told him it probably wouldn't do any good. But he said he had -something that he thought would convince her ladyship pretty speedily. -But he also said I was _not_ to ask him what it was! Some time he might -tell me, but not at present. Isn't that mysterious! I really didn't -think he'd succeed. He evidently has! Hurrah!" - -"But what _can_ he have said to Sarah that would make her change around -so!" marveled Margaret. - -"I'm sure I can't imagine!" cried Corinne. "But never you mind, honey -dear! A week from next Friday we step off on the island that was -Alison's home! And nothing else matters!" - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -TWO SURPRISES - - -"It seems awfully queer to me," remarked Bess, sitting in the Charlton -Street parlor one afternoon in May, reading a recently received letter -with a foreign postmark, "that Margaret says absolutely nothing at all, -lately, about whether they've done any work in hunting up clues to the -sapphire signet mystery!" - -"Neither does Corinne," added Jess, looking over a similarly marked -letter that she held. "They've neither one mentioned the subject -since they sent up that snap-shot of the Tobacco Rocks some weeks -ago. Corinne said then that they'd driven to see them one day, and -she had 'snapped' them for our special benefit, because Alexander had -discovered that it was from there the stolen gunpowder was shipped. I -don't think they had much, if anything, to do with _our_ affair, so I -wasn't so much interested in them. I never felt at all convinced that -those two happenings had any connection whatever." - -"Nor I, either!" agreed Bess. "I wonder whether they _have_ looked up -anything about Alison, or whether they've been having such a good time -that they've forgotten it completely! My! but I envy them! Here we are -in this mussy, foggy, chilly, wretched city,—grubbing along at high, -without even time to have a game of basket-ball, lately! And listen to -what Margaret says of their surroundings: - -"'You never saw such blue, blue water in your life! And the weather's -so warm that Corinne and her father have been in bathing several times! -I never saw any one _swim_ before! Corinne swims beautifully! It is -so lovely in this place that I'm sure Heaven couldn't be any more -beautiful. I begin to feel so much stronger! I'm out every day and all -of the day! Isn't that wonderful—for me! Mr. Cameron says he feels -like a new being, too. We are going to stay two weeks longer, because -it's doing us all so much good.'" - -"Bless her heart!" cried Jess. "I'm just the gladdest girl that ever -was because she could go and is getting on so well. Do you know, I -believe she'd have died pretty soon if she'd kept on as she was the -last of the winter! I felt perfectly certain then, that she wasn't -going to live, though I never told a soul! I was absolutely in despair -about her!" - -"Same here!" echoed Bess. "I was going through some mental tortures, -too, but I wasn't bothering any one else with them! Corinne and her -father just saved Margaret's life, _I_ believe. But here's something -queer in her letter! I just came to it. She ends by saying: - -"'We have _two surprises_ for you, but you are not to know a thing -about them till we get home! Oh, I can just see you _wiggling_ with -impatience to know what they are! But it's useless for you to beg; not -a word will we whisper till we land in America!' - -"Now _what_ do you make of that?" demanded the bewildered Bess. - - -The day came at last, when the travelers were expected to land once -more on their native shores. To the twins it had seemed an interminable -age—the more so since the intended absence of a month had lengthened -itself to ten long weeks. It had taken longer to restore Mr. Cameron's -health than he had imagined, and, besides, Margaret had improved so -perceptibly that they decided to stretch the time of the trip to the -limit. - -They had sailed away on a stormy day in March. They were expected back -on the rarest kind of a day in June, and the entire Charlton Street -household was assembled at the pier to meet the incoming steamer. This -had been the request of Mr. Cameron himself, who had written to Mrs. -Bronson that, for a sufficient reason, he wished every one of them to -be there, including Sarah. - -It was four o'clock on a golden afternoon when the _Bermudian_ came -steaming slowly up the river, picking her stately course among the -heavy ferry-boats and darting tugs that blocked the way. Alexander, -from a perilous perch on one end of the pier, announced its coming -with a whooping and a waving of his cap, at which Sarah muttered awful -remarks, sounding like "Let him drown if he falls over—the young -spalpeen!" With beating hearts they scanned the decks as the vessel -drew close to the side, and the twins quickly picked out Corinne and -her father waving from the side. But of Margaret they could discern not -a sign, and an awful dread seized them that she must be too ill to be -with the others. - -By a special permit, obtained through Mr. Cameron, they had been -admitted within the custom-house lines to the very gangway entrance -itself. After maddening delays the vessel was at last made fast, the -gangways adjusted, and the throngs began to come ashore. It was toward -the last that the ones they were waiting for so anxiously appeared at -the top, and then it was only Corinne and her father and aunt who came -down. - -"But, oh! where is _Margaret_?" cried Bess, as Corinne rushed to -embrace her. "Why isn't she with you?" - -"Oh, she'll be along in a minute!" announced Corinne, unconcernedly. -Then suddenly she turned, and said quietly: - -"Look!" - -They turned at her command, and glanced upward expecting to see their -sister in her usual wheel-chair. Instead, there at the top of the -gangway—_stood_ Margaret, rosy, plump, and browned by the sun! And -under her arms were a pair of _crutches_! When she saw her own family -below, she blew them a kiss, adjusted her crutches, and proceeded down -the gangway alone, haltingly, it is true, but refusing the assistance -of the anxious steward who hovered behind her! - -To the members of her family, who never in all their lives had beheld -her on her feet, the sight was almost overwhelming. The twins and their -mother were actually too stunned to speak, and Alexander relieved -himself only by a low-muttered, "_Can_ you beat it!"—his favorite -expression of surprise. But it was Sarah who did the most astonishing -thing. She tore up the gangway, snatched Margaret when she was but -half-way down, and bore her back, crutches and all, to the group below, -crying: - -"Me little darlint! It's true! It's true! I didn't believe it!" - - -The Charlton Street house was a scene that night of such festivity and -rejoicing as it had probably never known before in all its history. -Corinne and her father and aunt had accompanied the Bronsons home, and -stayed to a feast that Sarah had evolved in some sudden and mysterious -manner, for she had been away from the house all of the afternoon. But -Sarah was an adept at such bits of necromancy. Then, when the older -folks were still talking hard and fast, the five young people drew -apart by themselves, and Jess said: - -"Now, for goodness' sake, explain the whole business again! My brain is -so bewildered I can't seem to understand it all yet!" - -It was Corinne who tried to straighten out the tangle. She told how, -before they started on their trip, her father had suddenly become -possessed with the idea that perhaps something could be done to help -Margaret's trouble if only the right physician could be found. It -happened that he was personally acquainted with a doctor famous for -his success in this very kind of case and who also usually spent a -few weeks at that season of the year in Bermuda. If Margaret could -be helped by any one in the world, Mr. Cameron felt sure it would be -by this surgeon. So he privately made up his mind that the famous -specialist should be consulted as soon as they got there. But of this -he said not a word to any one, lest it should only be a cause of -disappointment in case no good was accomplished. - -Corinne laughed, however, when she said there was one exception to -this. On the night when Sarah had issued her awful ultimatum, Mr. -Cameron made up his mind that the only way to influence her was to tell -her, privately, his hopes for Margaret. This he did, and it had the -remarkable effect that had so bewildered them. This, also, was the -reason why Sarah seemed the least surprised and had said such strange -things that day at the pier. - -The doctor had been consulted soon after they reached Bermuda and when -Margaret had grown a little stronger. His verdict was that with a -certain kind of treatment there was a slight hope that she might some -day recover the use of her limbs. This treatment she had had during the -whole of their stay, with the wonderful result that, two weeks before -their return, Margaret took her first steps with the crutches. The -specialist himself was returning to New York shortly and would continue -his work with her. He was now almost positive that she might, in the -course of time, even discard her crutches and walk alone, on her two -feet, unassisted, like the rest of ordinary humanity. It was a treat to -watch the beaming happiness on Margaret's face while Corinne rehearsed -this tale. It spoke more eloquently than any words she could have -uttered. - -"Well, that's your big surprise!" sighed Bess, contentedly. "And it -certainly is a monster one! Now what's the other? You know you wrote -that there were two!" - -"The other's almost as big!" exclaimed Margaret, her eyes snapping with -eagerness. "We've found out the _whole_ history of Alison, and solved -every bit of the mystery!" - -"_No!_" cried three of the listeners in astonishment. "Honestly? Tell -us—right away! We thought you'd forgotten all about it!" - -"No," said Margaret, "I'm not going to tell you just now. To-morrow -we'll have a big old meeting of the Antiquarian Club, and we'll give -the entire account then! Not a minute before!" - -"But did you find the owner of the sapphire signet?" they clamored. - -And to this, also, the provoking Margaret would only lay her finger on -her lips, and smile, and murmur, "_To-morrow!_" - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE MISSING LINKS - - -"So you thought that because we were having such a good time in -Bermuda, we had forgotten all about the mystery!" laughed Margaret, the -next afternoon, at the grand assembly of the Antiquarian Club. They -were all gathered in the Charlton Street parlor—all but Mr. Cameron. -He had, indeed, fully expected to be present, not intending to go to -his office till the following day. But unexpected business had called -him there, after all, so he could only send his hearty regrets to the -meeting of the club. It seemed like old times for the young folks to be -together again in this familiar room. The only wonderful difference was -in Margaret. No longer was she ensconced in her accustomed wheel-chair, -but in a big "comfy" armchair, with her cherished crutches leaning -against its arm. No longer did she seem a wan, frail, delicate little -invalid, but a brown, rosy, plump, and increasingly energetic young -person. But the sweetness of her smile and the shy, trusting expression -of her big gray eyes had not changed. - -"Yes, I know you all must have thought we'd forgotten it," she went on; -"but we hadn't—not for a minute! Only, for several weeks, we didn't -seem to make any progress with it at all. We used to inquire of every -native Bermudian we met if he or she had ever heard of any one living -there by the name of Trenham; but no one seemed to have any ideas at -all about it. They'd say they hadn't heard of the name themselves, but -would always refer you to some one else, who would turn out to know as -little as they did! It was awfully discouraging! Finally, Mr. Cameron -suggested that the only way would probably be to go around to all the -different parish churches and consult the old parish registers for -the lists of births and marriages and deaths. He thought the name had -probably died out long ago, and perhaps no relatives or descendants -remained, or were even remembered. - -"Well, this seemed a big piece of work, of course, and none of us -felt quite like attempting it just then, for Mr. Cameron wasn't yet -a bit well himself, and I was having treatments every day with the -big doctor in Hamilton. So we decided to put it off for a while. And -then—meantime—a very unexpected thing happened! - -"You know, we were staying at a big hotel about four miles from -Hamilton, near Harrington Sound. Mr. Cameron likes it there because -it's out of the city, well away from everything distracting, like -the things going on in Hamilton. Part of this hotel is big and new, -but another section, where the dining-room is, has been standing for -over two hundred years. You can see how old it is by its very looks, -and we heard that it was really the old homestead of the proprietor's -ancestors. - -"The housekeeper is a dear, kindly lady, and we got rather well -acquainted with her, because often we had to ask her for different -and rather unusual things for me. She was just lovely to me, always, -and after a while we had some long, interesting talks with her about -Bermuda and the different families living there. And once she took us -up to her own apartments, in the old part of the house, and showed us -a collection of the most wonderful old furniture and antiques that had -been in her own and her husband's families since way, way back. Corinne -and her father went just wild over them, for you know how they love -antiques! - -"Well, one day we thought we'd ask _her_ if she'd ever heard of any one -on the island by the name of Trenham. She said no, she hadn't, but, if -we were interested to find out, she'd take us over to the South Shore -to see a very old lady there who knew lots and lots about Bermuda -history and former people. She said she was driving to Hamilton that -morning on some business, but would first take us over to the Jewell -Farm, introduce us to old Mrs. Jewell, go on to Hamilton, and come -back to get us later. She declared that the old lady would be delighted -to have us come, because she was blind now and had very little to -entertain her, and she loved to talk to people. - -"This seemed too good a chance to lose, and Corinne and I accepted at -once. Mr. Cameron had gone off on a fishing-trip, so he couldn't be -included. We piled into the big, comfy carriage, and you ought to see -that great, strapping driver lift me in and out and carry me around! -Well, we got to the Jewell Farm over on the South Shore, and, oh, -folks! how I wish you could all see that place! It's simply the most -charming old house—two hundred and fifty years old!—set high on a -hill overlooking that marvelous blue ocean, with a garden all around -it that is like the things you dream about! We took some pictures of -the house and garden which I'll show you later, but they don't do it -anything like justice. You can only get a faint idea of its _real_ -beauty! - -"And the whole house, inside, was filled with the dearest old-time -furniture! It nearly set Corinne crazy! But never mind about all that -now—we must come to the _best_ part! The driver carried me in, and we -were introduced to the sweetest old lady you ever saw! She was nearly -ninety-five, with snow-white hair; and a dainty lace cap over it. Her -eyes were pretty and blue, and you'd hardly guess, to look at her, -that she couldn't see a thing. If she'd known us all her life, she -couldn't have received us more cordially, or seemed less surprised to -have complete strangers landed on her without any warning. She made us -feel at home and acquainted right away, and after a few moments the -housekeeper left us alone with her and went on to Hamilton. - -"We didn't like to introduce the subject we were most interested in -right away, so we chatted with her about her lovely old home, and the -furniture in it, and its history. After a while, though, when we could -bring it in naturally, we asked her if she had ever known any one by -the name of Trenham in Bermuda. She gave the most curious little -start, but only said very quietly: - -"'I would like to know why you ask? Whom do you know of that name?' -Well, Corinne and I looked at each other and I saw we were agreed that -it was time to make a bold move, so I said right out that we were very -much interested in some one who lived in Bermuda a long while ago and -whose name was Alison Trenham. - -"Folks, if I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget the strange -expression that came over that old lady's face when I spoke that name! -For a minute or two she didn't answer—just sat quietly thinking. Then -at last she said, still very quietly: - -"'Yes, I know the name! I have heard of only one Alison Trenham in my -life, and that was—_my grandmother_!'" - -There was a gasp and a start from her listeners, and Margaret laughed -as she continued: - -"You'd just better believe _we_ jumped, too! And I thought Corinne's -eyes would pop out of her head—she looked so startled! I just -couldn't help smiling to myself at her expression, though I was so deep -in other things. Then I said: - -"'Well, Mrs. Jewell, since you _do_ know an Alison Trenham, and she -was your own grandmother, I guess we'd just better tell you our whole -story. For the two Alisons _may_ turn out to be the same!' Then, as -quickly as I could, I told her all about finding the trunk and the -journal, and our Antiquarian Club, and all the discoveries we made -afterward, and how we'd come to a snag and could get no further. I even -told her how Sarah had burned the original journal. But I didn't say a -word about the sapphire signet—just then. I wish you could have seen -the expression on her face all the time I was talking! It was as though -she were listening to a story so strange that she couldn't believe a -word of it! I ended by begging her, please, if she could throw the -least light on our mystery, to oblige us by doing so, as it was the -chief aim of our Antiquarian Club to find the key to the riddle! - -"She was silent a long time after I had finished—so long that we were -beginning to think she must have fallen asleep, for she had covered her -eyes with her hand, and was leaning her elbow on the arm of the chair. -But suddenly she spoke, saying very low: - -"'All this seems like a dream to me! You children have stumbled upon -a secret that I supposed no mortal would ever discover in this world! -The ways of chance are very mysterious! Yes, it is the same Alison; -and since you know so much, I am going to tell you the rest of the -story, though she made me solemnly promise, when I was a young girl, -that I would never tell a soul. That is why I was hesitating. But I -feel certain that, were she to know these circumstances, she would have -no real objection to your knowing the whole story. It can harm no one -now—least of all herself! - -"'As I told you, she was my grandmother. I was born in 1820, and she -was then a woman sixty years old. My own mother and father died in my -infancy, and left me to her care. This was her home, this same old -farm, and I came here to live with her. We are a long-lived race, here -in Bermuda, and she lived on to be almost ninety-five, as I myself am -doing! A few years before she died she told me that she had something -on her conscience that she would like to tell me, because she felt -that she would die happier, knowing that she had not kept the secret -unconfessed to the end. She made me promise I would never disclose -it, as some of it had once been of political consequence, and she had -always feared its discovery.' - -"And now, folks, I'm going to tell you the story of Alison in my own -words, because I can't remember all of hers!" ended Margaret. Then she -re-settled herself in her big chair and began anew, very much flattered -by the breathless attention of her auditors. - -[Illustration: "For a minute or two she didn't answer"] - -"Alison Trenham lived on this same old farm with her grandfather, -Archibald Trenham. Her parents had both been lost at sea when she was -little, and that's why she was living with him. He was a queer, crabby -sort of an old man, and had never loved Alison because he was so -disappointed she hadn't been a boy. She was a big, beautiful-looking, -athletic girl, and he had had her taught to ride, and swim, and sail -a boat, and do most of the things boys generally do, besides learning -to read and write and some Latin and French. It was his whim that she -should be educated like a boy, even if she wasn't one. - -"But she was restless and discontented and headstrong, and hated her -life there with her grandfather, and wanted the worst way to go away -from Bermuda altogether and see some of the world. She had an aunt, a -Madame Pennington, living down at Flatts (that's right where our hotel -was), and a cousin Betty, and she was very fond of them both. The aunt -was like a mother to her, and spoiled her a lot. Well, Alison confided -to her aunt that she wanted to go away from Bermuda, but that her -grandfather wouldn't hear of it. And she said she was so crazy to go -that sometime she was going to run away! - -"The aunt was very much shocked, but finally Alison begged her so hard -that she consented to write to a friend of hers in New York, a Madame -Mortier, and get her to invite Alison up there for a long visit. Madame -Mortier wrote back that she would be delighted to have Alison come, -especially as her husband had just lately died and she was very lonely. -So that much was arranged, and Alison was delighted. But the difficulty -was to get away from Bermuda without her grandfather knowing, for -he would never have consented. Alison discovered a way out of this -herself, and here comes the exciting part! Alexander, you were _right_, -after all, as you'll see in a moment!" - -"Oh, your Uncle Dudley's right sometimes," grumbled that irrepressible -youngster, trying to conceal his satisfaction. - -"Now, to go on. One day Alison happened to meet, quite unexpectedly, a -neighbor of theirs, a young fellow named Harrington Ord—" - -"_'H'!_" shouted the listening ones, simultaneously. - -"Yes, you're right! that was 'H'! He had been away on a cruise with -his uncle, George Ord, in his uncle's ship, the _Lady_. Harrington -said they had only touched at St. George's for a day or so to take on -a cargo of salt, and would then be off again for America. Then Alison -saw her chance. She begged Harrington to ask his uncle if she might be -taken aboard to go with them without letting her grandfather know. She -knew the uncle and her grandfather had some standing quarrel between -them, and that George Ord would not be sorry to do anything to get -the best of the old man. Harrington hesitated about it, then finally -confided to her the news that his uncle was engaged in a strange plot—" - -"The gunpowder!" exclaimed the audience. - -"Yes, the very thing! Alexander was exactly right in his guess! George -Ord was planning to steal the gunpowder the very next night, and all -the details were arranged except one thing, and that was puzzling them -all dreadfully. It was this: the governor slept with the keys of the -magazine under his pillow, and how to get at them without disturbing -him, nobody could think. Some one had suggested putting a heavy -sleeping-powder in his food, but that was all but impossible, as no -one knew any of his servants or could get into his kitchen. Harrington -had the powder in his pocket, and, at his wits' end, he showed it to -Alison. She had an idea right away. She told him to give it to her, and -she would see that it got to its proper destination all right, if, in -return, his uncle would take her secretly to America. - -"He declared that his uncle would be only too delighted to reward her -in that way, and everything was arranged. She was to go next day to her -aunt's as if for a week's visit. That same afternoon she would take a -little cat-boat and sail by herself up to St. George's, and be taken -aboard the _Lady_ at sundown, as she was setting sail, and when no one -was observing. But first she intended to stop at the governor's mansion -and make a call on his niece, whom she knew rather well. - -"Everything went off like clockwork! Her grandfather suspected nothing. -She got to her aunt's and bade her good-by, sailed up to St. George's -in her little dinghy, called on the governor's niece, and, before she -left, went down to the kitchen to see the colored cook Dinah, who was -a sister of her grandfather's cook and was rather fond of Alison. -She found, just as she had expected, that Dinah was preparing the -governor's little afternoon snack of cake and a glass of wine. When -Dinah wasn't looking, she quietly dropped the powder in the wine, and -the game was won! Later, as she went out, she saw him drinking it. - -"Well, the governor slept like a log that night, and you all know how -successful the rest of the scheme was! Captain Ord was so grateful to -Alison that he couldn't do enough for her. He landed in New York, and -Harrington escorted her to Richmond Hill, the home of Madame Mortier. -The old song, 'The Lass of Richmond Hill,' was very popular just -then, and Harrington kept teasing Alison by whistling and singing it -constantly, and saying _she_ was now that 'lass'! - -"Madame Mortier was lovely to her at first, and seemed delighted to -have her there. But Alison didn't have a very lively time, because -Madame Mortier lived a very secluded and quiet life, and her house was -way off from the city, and she never went anywhere. And Alison found -out, too, that she was a strict Tory, and hated Washington and the -rebels, and felt very bitter about the war that was just commencing. -Now, Alison had heard a lot about Washington from Captain Ord and -Harrington, who both admired him terrifically, and she herself had -begun to feel a great respect for the rebel leader. But when she spoke -in praise of him, one day, Madame Mortier just 'jumped on her,' as -Alexander would say, and almost went crazy denouncing him. - -"Well, by and by Alison began to feel dreadfully lonely and homesick, -and just longed to go back to Bermuda, and wished she'd never come -away! But getting back was more difficult than coming to New York. She -didn't like to tell Madame Mortier she was tired of her and wanted -to leave, for she had been invited to stay a year, at least, as a -companion to the old lady. Then something happened that changed the -whole face of affairs for her—two things, in fact! - -"A sailor from Captain Ord's ship turned traitor some months after the -gunpowder affair, and in Corbie's tavern let it all out and told how -Alison had been mixed up in the plot,—or at least, that he suspected -she was, for he didn't actually know about her drugging the governor. -This got round to the steward, whom we all know about, and finally was -hinted at by him to Madame Mortier. She began to treat poor Alison very -coldly and suspiciously, without, however, telling her the real reason. -She evidently thought Alison was some kind of a spy! And Alison never -guessed the reason till Harrington gave her the hint that night under -her window. - -"Anyhow, that was when she first began to feel uneasy, and as if things -had changed in the house and she was not altogether safe there. But -the climax came when one stormy winter day she and Madame Mortier were -driving home along Greenwich road and saw ahead of them a coach whose -wheel had come off and whose horses were snorting and kicking with -fright. The driver could seem to do nothing with them. Alison got out, -rushed to the horses, and held them steady till they quieted down. She -knew horses well and just how to treat them. Then, while the wheel was -being adjusted, she spoke to the occupant of the coach, who proved to -be none other than Lady Washington! - -"She was traveling through the city on her way from Virginia to -her husband's camp outside Boston when the accident happened. She -congratulated Alison on her skill with horses, and asked her about -herself. Alison was just beginning to tell her about Bermuda and how -she longed to go back, when Madame Mortier, who had just learned about -the occupant of the broken coach, rushed up and dragged her bodily -away! And then things got worse and worse! - -"Now, there's no need of telling you all that happened after that -because we know it; so I'll skip at once to the night of that last -entry in the journal, and explain how it came to be so mysteriously -broken off. While Alison was sitting there writing, she suddenly heard -again the mysterious footsteps, just as she had that time before. She -was horribly nervous, but she suspected something wrong and crept -to the door and opened it to peep out. And there, sure enough, was -the steward, come back from Corbie's tavern, and evidently going -down to the cellar again! Alison was scared to death, but, almost -unconsciously, she found herself creeping after him, her journal still -in her hand. - -"Suddenly on the stairs something made him turn—and he saw her! Before -she could cry out he made one leap and clapped his hand over her mouth. -Then with the other he tried to get hold of the journal. She began to -struggle and twist, and try to keep it away from him, and he whispered -that if she made a sound he would kill her right there! Still she kept -struggling, but at last he got hold of it and gave it a wrench. Of -course it came in half, and at the same moment she got free from him -and ran like mad to her own room and locked herself in. - -"She hid the half of the journal she had kept hold of in the bottom of -her trunk, and stayed for hours shivering with fright and listening at -the door. Then, at last, not hearing anything more, she crept out, and -rushed to Phœbe's room, and told her all about it. They decided that -it was best to wait no longer, but tell the whole thing to Washington -at early dawn, and let him take matters into his own hands. They had -the interview, and Washington acted on the matter at once. He got his -life-guard, Thomas Hickey, made him confess the whole thing, and then -sent out and had every one of the conspirators arrested. Strangely -enough, the steward was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared -completely, and was never seen or heard of again. He had probably -thought it wise to take flight in the night. Alison always thought, -too, that he was intending to run away when he did, anyhow, without -warning any one, because he had appropriated a lot of the gold and -money that was to be used in paying the conspirators. That was what he -had kept hidden in the beam, and he had removed it all that very night, -preparatory to making off with it. - -"Early that morning, Washington sent Phœbe back to the city to stay with -her father, as she would be safer there. And as he thought the house no -longer a safe place for his wife, either, he arranged to despatch her at -once with a strong escort to Philadelphia. Alison had told him her own -story, explained how she aided in the gunpowder plot, and begged him to -send her back to Bermuda if he could. He was so grateful to her for the -assistance which she had twice given that he told her he would send her -to Philadelphia with Lady Washington, and there would arrange that she -should sail for her home as soon as was possible. - -"So Alison packed her little trunk, and without even bidding Madame -Mortier good-by (for of course she didn't dare see her) she left that -morning with Lady Washington, and never again in all her life looked -upon Richmond Hill. In Philadelphia she was fortunate enough to catch a -vessel sailing at once for Bermuda, but before she got to her home one -other accident was to happen to her. The ship ran into a terrific storm -and was completely dismasted. It almost foundered, but, after drifting -around helplessly for more than a week, the passengers and crew were at -last rescued by another vessel, leaving all their belongings behind on -the wreck, and finally were landed in Bermuda. - -"She went straight to her aunt first, for she did not dare go to her -grandfather, thinking he had never forgiven her for running away. But -her aunt told her that her grandfather, though terribly angry with her -at first, was now very, very ill, and kept constantly calling for her. -So she returned to him and was forgiven, and nursed him tenderly till -he died, leaving her the fine old farm. A few years later she married -Harrington Ord, for he had always admired and loved her. He died, in -later years, by falling from the mast of the vessel of which he was -captain, and Alison was left alone with one daughter, who also married, -after a time, and it was _her_ daughter, old Mrs. Jewell, who told us -the story. Alison lived all her life in secret terror lest her part in -the gunpowder plot should ever be discovered by the Bermudians, for she -felt that she had been disloyal to her country in the part she played. -Yet she never wholly regretted it, because of the intense admiration -she always felt for Washington, and her gratitude to him for his timely -rescue of her. Madame Mortier died soon after her departure, and never -knew about the defeat of her beloved Tories. - -"So that is the end of the story, folks, and I guess I've explained -everything!" - -"No, you haven't!" said Alexander promptly. "What about that half of -the diary that we found in the beam! Put us wise to that!" - -"Well, of course, that's one of the things we can't be absolutely -certain about, but can only guess at. The steward had gone off with -that half, and Alison never saw it again. She always wondered what -became of it. We think, though, that the steward must have come back -that night looking for the slip of paper that he had forgotten or lost. -He evidently thought it might be left in his hiding-place, and was on -the way to hunt it up. Then he had the encounter with Alison, and got -hold of that half of her diary. He must have taken it to the cellar, -examined it hurriedly, written on it that mysterious sentence, and -thrown it into the opening where he hid his things. Probably he looked -for his paper, and, not finding it, thought he'd dropped it elsewhere. -We think likely he didn't suspect that any one had discovered the place -in the beam. That's the only explanation that seems possible." - -"Yes," objected Alexander, still unconvinced, "but how came it to -remain there all that time untouched? Didn't they go and search the -beam afterward? Didn't any one else ever know about it?" - -"No, it seems that Phœbe and Alison, in their hurry that morning, did -not think to tell Washington where they had found the paper. They -didn't have time—everything had to be done so quickly. They just gave -it to him and told who the conspirators were. Then Phœbe was sent -right off, and Alison went away, too, and, of course, nobody else ever -knew about it or suspected it. So it lay through all the years till -Alexander unearthed it! Isn't it too wonderful!" - -"Then that gink of a steward must have beat it out for keeps!" -commented Alexander. "Guess he didn't think it'd be healthy for him to -shine about those parts again, after he'd got away with all the swag! -He was _some_ pippin, he was!" - -"Well," ended Margaret, "now you know all the mystery and the history -of Alison Trenham, and I hope you're satisfied!" - -"_Satisfied!_" ejaculated Bess, sitting up very straight. "When you -haven't said one word about the _sapphire signet_—the most important -thing of all? I guess _not_!" - -"I was wondering when you'd begin to be curious about that," commented -Margaret, with her tantalizing smile. "Since you seem a little anxious -on the subject, I'll go on with the second half of the story. Well, as -I've hinted, we didn't say a word about the signet to the old lady, -and she didn't mention it in her account either. But when she had -finished, Corinne asked her if there was anything else she knew of that -had troubled Alison's mind—whether she'd ever heard her grandmother -speak of something she'd lost. And at that Mrs. Jewell looked awfully -surprised, and said no, her grandmother had never spoken of anything -else, and what did we mean? - -"Then we told her all about the signet, and how we'd found it, and how -valuable it was, and how we wanted above everything to return it to -Alison's descendant, and were so glad we'd found her at last. Well, if -you'll believe me, Mrs. Jewell looked simply stunned for a while, as if -she couldn't trust her senses! And we had the hardest time convincing -her that the signet was really hers and she must take it. She insisted -it ought to be ours, since we had found it. But finally we managed to -convince her that she was its rightful owner, and told her that Mr. -Cameron would get it from the safe at the hotel and bring it over to -her the next day." - -"But why do you suppose Alison never told her about it?" interrupted -Jess. - -"That's just what we all couldn't fathom for a while, till at last Mrs. -Jewell explained it in this way. Of course, when Alison was shipwrecked -and rescued, she naturally supposed her trunk went down to the bottom -of the ocean with the wreck. She told her grandmother that they had had -to cling to the decks for several days, and never dared to go down to -the cabins, for most of them were full of water. So she couldn't get at -her trunk to take out anything. We think that when she realized that -the signet was lost forever, and after her grandfather had forgiven her -for everything (including that, no doubt), she just forgot all about -the matter and either didn't think of it again, or else didn't want -to. What troubled her most was the fear that the second half of her -journal would sometime be discovered and deciphered, and she, perhaps, -be considered a traitor for twice giving aid to Washington. - -"But now listen to the best part of the story, which comes last! We had -asked Mrs. Jewell to say nothing just yet about what we'd told her, and -when the housekeeper came back for us, the old lady bade us good-by as -calmly as though we hadn't just given her the surprise of her life. -But on the drive to the hotel we asked a few questions about her and -found out, to our astonishment, that old Mrs. Jewell was really in -very straitened circumstances. For years she had supported herself by -doing the most beautiful lacework, and had earned enough to live on. -But since her blindness came, her money had gradually disappeared, and -she had had to borrow on the farm and the lovely old furniture. The -housekeeper said she was afraid it wouldn't be long before she would -lose everything. Every one was so sorry for her and wanted to help, but -she was very proud and would accept nothing from them. No one could -imagine what she would do when she was homeless. - -"It set us thinking hard, of course, and we told Mr. Cameron about -it that night. He only said we must leave it to him, and he'd think -out a scheme. Next day we three drove over there with the signet, and -placed it in old Mrs. Jewell's hands. And right then and there Mr. -Cameron told her that, if she cared to sell it to him, he'd be only -too delighted to buy it. And he offered her enough to keep her living -comfortably for the rest of her days. - -"You should have seen that poor old lady's face! She begged and -protested that he should not give so much, that she could not accept -it. But he assured her that he knew positively it was the real value of -the signet, and to prove it, read her a letter he'd received from some -authority in such things. She gave in at last, and we left her with -that big, fat check in her hands—the happiest woman in all Bermuda!" - -"But what has become of the sapphire signet?" demanded her listeners, -as Margaret paused. - -"Here it is!" said Corinne, quietly, and she pulled from under the -neck of her dress a thin golden chain. There on the end dangled the -wonderful sapphire signet, more beautiful than ever since it had been -cleaned and polished. - -"Father has given it to me, and I'm going to keep it always, in memory -of the long-ago Alison and the strange way we stumbled on her mystery. -I shall not wear it all the time, for it's too rare and valuable to -run the risk of losing. But I put it on to-day in honor of the most -satisfactory meeting the Antiquarian Club ever held!" - - -It was about noon of a day a week or two later that Corinne and -Margaret stood together at the open window of the Charlton Street -parlor. A light breeze flapped the awnings to and fro, a warm midday -sun shone on the pavements outside, and the droning sound of busy -Varick Street came distantly to them as they stood looking out. The -twins were still at high school, but Corinne had not returned there, -as she was expecting to study up during the summer and in the autumn -pass the examinations she was now missing. So, during these idle days, -she spent the greater part of her time with Margaret. Since their long -Bermuda weeks together, they had grown into even closer intimacy, and -sisters could not have loved each other with deeper devotion. - -Leaning on her crutches, Margaret idly plucked the dead leaves from -a geranium in the window-box, and Corinne stood twisting one of the -younger girl's dark curls around her finger. Presently she said: - -"Father had a letter from old Mrs. Jewell this morning. She says words -would be impossible to describe how happy she is. She thinks it just -marvelous that we girls were led to do what we did, for she was in -desperate straits when we first came. She declares she would never have -accepted it as a charity, but it was really help from her own dead -kindred sent through us. She considers it an absolute _miracle_!" - -"Isn't it strange!" began Margaret. "That's the exact word Mother used -last night when we were talking it over. She said it all seemed like a -miracle to her—the way you came into our lives, and walked straight to -the heart of the mystery that very first day; the way we worked it all -out and restored what was her own to Alison's granddaughter just in the -nick of time; and best of all, what's happened to me!" - -"Well, I wasn't left out in the miracle way, either," laughed Corinne; -"for I've had the loveliest adventure imaginable, and made the very -dearest friend of all my life!" She squeezed Margaret's hand, and the -two girls looked for one long, understanding moment into each other's -eyes. After a quiet interval Corinne spoke again: - -"Margaret, there's something I never told you! No one but Father knows -it. But I'm going to tell you now. Do you know what I plan to be when I -am older?" - -Margaret looked up at her in quick interest, and said: "No! Tell me!" - -"Well, it's my ambition to be a writer. Father says I have some gift in -that direction, and I am constantly practising at it. But, after I've -learned how and can really write what people might like to read, the -first story I'm going to tell is the one about Alison Trenham and the -wonderful way she helped to rescue Washington at the time he was in -such danger!" - -"Oh, that's perfectly splendid!" cried Margaret. "I wish I could do -something like that, but I'm afraid it isn't in me. Shall I tell you -_my_ chief ambition, Corinne? I want to get so strong that I can join a -basket-ball team—and beat the twins at it!" - -"Bless your heart, Honey!" exclaimed Corinne, "you're going to be the -_captain_ of that team, I'll be willing to wager!" - -Just at that moment Alexander came swinging down the street on his -way home to luncheon, whistling the tune that had come to be such a -momentous one in their lives. Margaret smiled as she heard it, and -suddenly turned to her friend: - -"Corinne, I want you to promise me something! When you come to write -the story of Alison, I want you to call it 'The Lass of Richmond Hill'! -I think that would be the most appropriate title for it. Will you?" - -Corinne thought it over a moment, then she said, slowly: "Yes, I think -you 're right! I promise to call it—'The Lass of Richmond Hill'!" - - - THE END - - - - -Transcriber's Note - - Apparent typographical errors have been repaired. - - Pg. 78: ‗He‗ symbolizes a double-underline. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Sapphire Signet, by Augusta Huiell Seaman - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET *** - -***** This file should be named 55964-0.txt or 55964-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/9/6/55964/ - -Produced by Larry B. 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