by Carol Norton
CHAPTER XXV. PUZZLED AGAIN
As soon as their breakfast was over, Dories asked her Aunt if she werewilling that the girls go to Siquaw Center for the mail. "I always get aletter from Mother on the Friday morning train," was the excuse she gave,"and, of course, I am simply wild to hear what she will have to saytoday; that is, if she does know about--well, about what you told us thatfather's lawyer had written."
Miss Moore was glad to be alone, for she had had a sleepless night. Shehad long dreamed that, perhaps, when she became acquainted with herniece, that young person might be able to influence the stubborn motherto accept the home that the old woman had offered, and that peace mightagain be restored to the lonely, repentant heart. But now, just as thatdream seemed about to be fulfilled, the mother was placed in a positionof complete independence, and so, of course, she would never be willingto share the home of her husband's great-aunt. The desolate loneliness ofthe years ahead, however few they might be, depressed the old womangreatly. Dories, seeing tears in the grey eyes, stooped impulsively, and,for the second time, she kissed her great-aunt. "If you will let me, I'mcoming to visit you often," she whispered, as though she had read heraunt's thoughts. Then away the two girls went.
It was a glorious morning and they skipped along as fast as they could onthe sandy road. Mrs. Strait, with a baby on one arm, was tending thegeneral store and post office when the girls entered. No one else was insight.
"Good morning, Mrs. Strait. Is there any mail for Miss Dories Moore?"that young maiden inquired.
"Yeah, thar is, an' a picher card for tother young miss," was the welcomereply.
Dories fairly pounced on the letter that was handed her. "Good, it _is_from Mother! I am almost sure that she will want me to come home," sheexclaimed gleefully. But when the message had been read, Dories looked upwith a puzzled expression. "How queer!" she said. "Mother doesn't say onething about the stock; not even that she has heard about it, but she doessay that she and Brother are leaving today on a business journey and thatshe may not write again for some time. I'll read you what she says at theend: 'Daughter dear, if your Aunt Jane wishes to return to Boston beforeyou again hear from me, I would like you to remain with her until I sendfor you. Peter is standing at my elbow begging me to tell you that he isgoing to travel on a train just as you did. I judge from your lettersthat you and Nann are having an interesting time after all, but, ofcourse, you would be happy, I am sure, anywhere with Nann!'" Dorieslooked up questioningly. "Don't you think it is very strange that Mothershould go somewhere and not tell me where or why?"
Nann laughed. "Maybe she thought that she would add another mystery tothose we are trying to solve," she suggested, but Dories shook her head."No, that wasn't Mother's reason. Perhaps--O, well, what's the use ofguessing? Who was your card from?"
"Dad, of course. I judge that he will be glad when his daughter returns.O, Dori," Nann interrupted herself to exclaim, "do look at that pair ofblack eyes peering at us out of that bundle!" She nodded toward the baby,wrapped in a blanket, that had been placed in a basket on the counter.
The girls leaned over the little creature, who actually tried to talk tothem but ended its chatter with a cracked little crow. "He ain't a mitelike Gib," the pleased mother told them. "The rest of us is sandycomplected, but this un is black as a crow, an' jest as jolly all thetime as yo'uns see him now."
"What is the little fellow's name, Mrs. Strait?" Nann asked.
The woman looked anxiously toward the door; then said in a low voice:"I'm wantin' to give the little critter a Christian name--Moses, Jacop,or the like, but his Pa is set on the notion of namin' 'em all aftergeography straits, an' I ain't one to hold out about nothin'." Shesighed. "But it's long past time to christen the poor little mite."
Nann and Dories tried hard not to let their mirth show in their faces.The older girl inquired: "Why hasn't he been christened, Mrs. Strait?Can't you decide on a name?"
"Wall, yo' see it's this a-way," the gaunt, angular woman explained. "Gibdidn't fetch home his geography books, an' school don't open up till snowfalls in these here parts. So baby'll have to wait, I reckon, bein' asGib don't recollect no strait names." Then, with hope lighting her plainface, the woman asked: "Do you girls know any of them geography names?"
Dories and Nann looked at each other blankly. "Why, there is Magellan,"one said. "And Dover," the other supplemented.
Mrs. Strait looked pleased. "Seems like that thar Dover one ought to doas wall as any. Please to write it down so's Pa kin see it an' tother unalong side of it."
The girls left the store as soon as they could, fearing that they wouldhave to laugh, and they did not want to hurt the mother's feelings, andso, after purchasing some chocolate bars, they darted away without havinglearned where Gib was.
"Not that it matters," Nann said when they were nearing the beach. "Hewon't come over, probably, until tomorrow morning with Dick."
"But Dick said he would arrive on Friday," Dories reminded her friend.
"Yes, I know, but if he leaves Boston after school is out in theafternoon, he won't get there until evening."
"They might come over then," Dories insisted. A few moments later, asthey were nearing the cabin, she added: "There is no appetizing aroma togreet us today. Aunt Jane is probably still in bed." Then, turning towardNann, the younger girl said earnestly: "Truly, I feel so sorry for her.She seems heartbroken to think that Mother and Peter and I will not needto share her home. I believe she fretted about it all night; she lookedso hollow-eyed and sick this morning."
Dories was right. The old woman was still in bed, and when her niece wentin to see what she wanted, Miss Moore said: "Will you girls mind so verymuch if we go home on Monday. I am not feeling at all well, and, if I amin Boston I can send for a doctor. Here I might die before one couldreach me."
"Of course we want to go whenever you wish," Dories declared. She did notmention what her mother had written. There would be time enough later.
Out in the kitchen Dories talked it over with Nann. "You'll be sorry togo before you solve the mystery of the old ruin, won't you?" the youngergirl asked.
Nann whirled about, eyes laughing, stove poker upheld. "I'll prophesythat the mystery will all be solved before our train leaves on Mondaymorning," she said merrily.
After her lunch, which this time truly was of toast and tea, Miss Mooresaid that she felt as though she could sleep all the afternoon if shewere left alone, and so Dories and Nann donned their bright-colored tamsand sweater-coats, as there was a cool wind, and went out on the beachwondering where they would go and what they would do. "Let's visit thepunt and see that nothing has happened to it," Dories suggested.
They soon reached the end of the sandy road. Nann glanced casually in thedirection of Siquaw, then stopped and, narrowing her eyes, she gazedsteadily into the distance for a long moment. "Don't you see a movingobject coming this way?" she inquired.
Dories nodded as she declared: "It's old Spindly, of course, and Isuppose Gib is on it. I wonder why he is coming over at this hour. Itisn't later than two, is it?"
"Not that even." Dories glanced at her wrist-watch as she spoke. Foranother long moment they stood watching the object grow larger. Not untilit was plain to them that it was the old white horse with two riders didthey permit their delight to be expressed. "Dick has come! He must havearrived on the noon train. It must be a holiday!" Dories exclaimed, andNann added, "Or at least Dick has proclaimed it one." Then they bothwaved for the boys, having observed them from afar, were swinging theircaps.
"Isn't it great that I could come today?" was Dick's first remark afterthe greetings had been exchanged. "Class having exams and I was exempt."
Nann's eyes glowed. "Isn't that splendid, Dick? I know what that means.Your daily average was so high you were excused from the test."
The city boy flushed. "Well, it wasn't my fault. It's an easy subject forme. I'm wild about history and I don't seem able to forget anything th
atI read." Then, smiling at the country boy, he added: "Gib, here, tells methat you haven't visited the old ruin since I left. That was mighty niceof you. I've been thinking so much about that mysterious airplane chapthis past week, it's a wonder I could get any of my lessons right."
"Isn't it the queerest thing?" Nann said. "That airplane hasn't been seenor heard since you left."
"I ain't so sure." Gib had removed his cap and was scratching one ear ashe did when puzzled. "Pa 'n' me both thought we heard a hummin' onenight, but 'twas far off, sort o'. I reckon'd, like's not, that pilotfellar lit his boat way out in the water and slid back in quiet-like."
Dick, much interested, nodded. "He could have done that, you know. He mayrealize that there are people on the point and he may not wish to havehis movements observed." Then eagerly: "Can you girls go right now? Thetide is just right and we wanted to give that old dining-room a thoroughoverhauling, you know."
"Yes, we can go. Aunt Jane is going to sleep all of the afternoon." Thenimpulsively Dories turned toward the red-headed boy. "Gib," she exclaimedcontritely, "I'm just ever so sorry that I called Aunt Jane queer orcross. Something happened this week which has proved that she is verydifferent in her heart from what we supposed her to be. She has just beenachingly lonely for years, and some family affairs which, of course,would interest no one but ourselves, have made her shut herself away fromeveryone. I'm ever so sorry for her, and I know that from now on I'mgoing to love her just dearly."
"So am I," Nann said very quietly. "I wish we had realized that all thistime Miss Moore has been hungering for us to love and be kind to her. Wegirls sometimes forget that elderly people have much the same feelingsthat we have."
"I know," Dick agreed as they walked four abreast toward the creek wherethe punt was hid, "I have an old grandmother who is always so happy whenwe youngsters include her in our good times." Then he added in a changedtone: "Hurray! There's the old punt! Now, all aboard!" Ever chivalrous,Dick held out a hand to each girl, but it was to Nann that he said withconviction: "This is the day that we are to solve the mystery."
