by Carol Norton
CHAPTER IX. A RETURNED CALL
Fifteen minutes later as the delivery sleigh turned into the drive of theunpretentious Angel home, Betty Byrd, who sat near the window, declared:"Here come the boys." Then she uttered an exclamation of surprise.
"What is it, Betty?" the others asked, springing up and crowding abouther.
"Girls!" Doris exclaimed tragically. "Something terrible is just about tohappen. Alfred Morrison and his sister, Geraldine, are in the sleigh.What shall we do? Of course she will recognize us and more than likelyshe will be mad as a hornet, and we can't much blame her if she is."
The girls were filled with consternation, but before they could form aplan, the front door opened and Bob's cheery voice called: "Ho, Sis,where are you?" So of course Bertha had to go into the hall and heintroduced her to the haughty young damsel. Luckily, Geraldine could notsee very clearly, having just come in from the dazzling sunlight.
After laying aside her fur-lined coat, the unexpected guest was led intothe library, where six anxious maidens stood about the fireplace. Peggydeclared afterwards that she didn't see how Bertha ever got through theintroductions so calmly. She was just sure that she would have calledsomeone Matilda Jane Turnip.
Of course, Geraldine greeted Doris with utmost warmth and sat beside heras she exclaimed: "Oh, Miss Drexel, I had a letter from your cousinAdelaine this morning, and she was so eager to have me meet you. We arenext-door neighbors and have been the best of friends for years. I wonderwhy I never met you before."
"Probably because my mother is an invalid and we have been in Californiaand Florida so much of the time. I am ever so glad to know a friend ofAdelaine's. She is the dearest girl, isn't she?"
The two were seated apart by themselves and Doris dreaded the moment whentheir visitor should recognize them as the seven who had called upon herin milkmaid garb the day before. Once she did look very steadily atPeggy, and Doris, noticing this, hurriedly asked some question about hercity cousin, hoping to keep the guest's thoughts in safe channels.
At last Alfred arose, saying: "Well, Sister, if we are to visit the postoffice and then walk home before dark, we would better be going."
"Wait just one moment," Bertha urged. "Bob has gone out to hitch up ourtwo-seated sleigh. Oh, here he comes now."
A comfortable, roomy sleigh appeared and Jack said: "Miss Geraldine, mayI accompany you? Alfred and Bob may have the driver's seat?"
The girl smilingly consented and then bade each of the maidens a graciousfarewell. When the sleigh with its jingling bells and prancing horses wasout of sight, the girls sank down on their chairs and one and all utteredsome exclamation. Then Merry Lee said: "The question before the house is,did she recognize us?"
"I don't see how she could help recognizing Rose," Peggy said, to tease."She looks very much as she did as Jerusy."
That pretty maiden took the teasing good-naturedly, then tongues andneedles flew, until half an hour later when the boys returned. They werelaughing merrily when they entered the room and bent over the burning logto warm their hands. The girls looked up from their sewing and Peggyasked eagerly: "Tell us the worst! Did Geraldine recognize us?"
"Yes, she did," Bob declared. "She told Jack that she knew Peggy at once.She decided, however, that it had been a good lesson for her and shewished Jack to thank you all for having taught her that people may livein the country and not be backwoodsy or rubes."
"Well, I'm glad she forgives us!" Bertha declared. Then, when the boyshad again departed, she added: "But now, to return to the subject we werediscussing when we were interrupted. Peggy, have you and Doris found amystery yet for the Seven Sleuths to unravel?"
"Nary a mystery," Doris confessed, "but it isn't Saturday yet. Youremember we were to have a week."
"There might be some kind of a mystery connected with that old Welsleyhouse out on the lake road. If ever a place looked haunted, that onesurely does."
"Righto, my dear little Betty, but ghosts and mysteries are two differentthings. Some unhappy old man shot himself in that dismal farmhouse andnobody ever wanted to live there after that; and so it has just fallen topieces. But everybody knew the old man and just why he was so sad anddiscouraged, and so there isn't any mystery to it at all, at all."
"Where did the boys go?" Bertha looked up suspiciously. "Heavens, I hopethey aren't anywhere around. They might overhear us talking aboutmysteries and then our new name wouldn't be secret any more."
"They drove out of the yard; I saw them," Betty, still near the window,remarked.
"Jack had a book. Probably that one of Conan Doyle. Perhaps they're goingto return it."
Suddenly Bertha dropped her sewing and her eyes were bright "Say, girls,we've wondered a million times where the boys hold their secret meetings,but never once did we even suspect that it _might_ be in that dreadfulold Welsley place."
"Bertha Angel, I believe you're right. No one would ever interrupt them_there_." Peg shuddered.
"And what better meeting-place for a boys' detective club than an oldruin haunted by a ghost that had committed suicide!" Doris commented.
"Well," Merry sighed, "we're not likely to find out, since our dearparents will not permit us to prowl around at night unless the boys arealong to protect us."
Then Peggy had an idea. "Girls," she exclaimed, "we ought to have somekind of a party for Geraldine and Alfred. Let's have a moonlight skatingparty and a sleigh ride combined, and when we're out that way, let'ssuggest visiting the old ruin. If the boys refuse, we will know that theydon't want us to see what they have in there. If they agree to the plan,then we will know that is _not_ where they hold their secret meetings."
"Bright idea!"
"That will be a jolly lark!"
"Hope the haughty Geraldine knows how to skate."
"Ssh! Here come the boys to take us home. We mustn't let them suspect ourdeep-laid plans. We're some sleuths all right, I'll say."
When the two boys entered the room they found the girls, except thehostess, warmly wrapped and ready to be taken to their homes.
"Isn't the sunset going to be wonderful this evening?" Merry, in the opendoor, called over her shoulder. Then to the boys: "When is our next fullmoon? We girls thought we'd have our annual skating and sleigh ride partythen, and invite the newcomers."
"Great!" Jack cried. "It ought to be soon. What say, Bob?"
"Sure thing!" that ruddy-cheeked lad agreed. Then to the girl he wasassisting into the sleigh, he said in a low voice: "Rosie, may I have thefirst skate and the last, and all in between?"
"No whispering allowed," Merry warned as they climbed in, the girlssitting two and three deep.
The blizzard had disappeared as completely as though it never had been,but the high snowbanks that lined the road and reached to the windowsills of the houses remained to testify that it had been "some storm," asBob said.
"Well, we sure have it to thank for a week of good times instead ofschool," Merry declared. "I hope Miss Preen and Professor Lowsley enjoyedbeing snowed in together."
Much laughter greeted this remark, but Gertrude said rebukingly: "I thinkit's shabby of us to make fun of those two. Of course they _are_ sort ofqueer looking outside, but in their hearts and souls they may be justlike the rest of us."
"Trudie, dear, it wouldn't take a detective to know that _you_ are aminister's daughter," Merry remarked, then, as the sleigh was stopping infront of her home, she added: "Now, everybody decide what to take to theskating party. We'll find out about the moon and make our final planstomorrow. All of you come over to my house. Tra-la. Good night!"
