Billie Bradley at Three Towers Hall; Or, Leading a Needed Rebellion

by Janet D. Wheeler

  CHAPTER XIX

  ROBBED!

  For days the girls could think of little else than the initiation intothe "Ghost Club" and their startling meeting with the "Codfish."Whenever they could get together between classes or at noon or beforethey went to bed, these were the topics of conversation. And of these,the "Codfish" held first place.

  "He must be a real burglar," Connie said during one of these gatherings.

  "Of course he was," said Rose, looking a little bored. "Respectable mendon't sneak around places at all hours of the night."

  "But what in the world did he want?" Laura asked wonderingly. "Youwouldn't think he'd come out from the woods at all--especially whenthere's such a bright moon. He might be sure some one would see him."

  "Oh, I don't know," said Billie thoughtfully. "He probably knows therules of Three Towers and that the girls are all supposed to be in bedbefore ten o'clock, and I suppose he felt safe enough. We _should_ havebeen in bed, you know," she added, dimpling mischievously.

  "But I wonder what he was sneaking around Three Towers for," Laura wenton, unwilling to change the subject. For to Laura, mysteries were thevery breath of life.

  "Maybe he's waiting for a chance to rob us," said Vi in an awed littlevoice, and the girls shuddered.

  "Well, I hope he changes his mind," said Nellie Bane anxiously. "I neverdid like burglars very much."

  But as the days went by and nothing further happened, the mystery of the"Codfish" was pushed a little into the background.

  In the first place, the chums were having the time of their lives in the"Ghost Club," and proud as could be of having been chosen formembership.

  The only one who was not particularly happy was Rose Belser. Of courseshe had not wanted the girls in the club at first. But the rest of theclub did want them, and she was afraid that if she was the only one whovoted against them it would make her unpopular with the rest.

  Then, too, she reasoned with herself, if she hoped to get even withBillie, the only thing was to have her around until she saw her chance.

  And all the time the "Twin Dill Pickles" were getting so obnoxious thatmore than once the girls were upon the point of revolt. From day to dayit was only Miss Race, the mathematics teacher, who stood between themand open rebellion.

  For Miss Race was a staunch friend of the girls, and in her heartdisliked Miss Ada and Miss Cora as much as they did. Whenever things gota little bit too bad, Miss Race would have a secret conversation withMiss Walters, who in her turn would have a little talk with the two MissDills. Then for the space of a day or two the girls would havecomparative comfort.

  However, in spite of all efforts on the part of Miss Race, conditionswere steadily growing worse for the girls.

  Things went on very much the same, without much change one way oranother, while autumn merged into winter and the snow began to fly.

  There was a good deal of snow the early part of that winter, andsledding parties became more and more frequent. There was a splendidhill for coasting near Three Towers, and here the girls gathered almostevery afternoon after classes.

  Sometimes, very often in fact, there were boys, too, brothers andfriends of the girls, boys who attended Boxton Military Academy. It wasgreat sport, even more thrilling than rowing or canoeing had been, sothat when Lake Molata froze over the girls were joyful at the prospectof more fun. There would be skating, and Billie Bradley and her twoespecial friends were splendid skaters.

  Before long the lake was full of joyful, shouting boys and girlswhenever the weather was fine. And as for Chet and Teddy and Ferd, theywalked the mile from Boxton Academy almost every afternoon.

  "Let's have a race," Billie suggested one day, skating up to a group ofher chums. Her cheeks were rosy with wind and exercise, and her brownhair had escaped in little curling strands about her ears.

  Teddy, looking up at her, thought that she looked like the picture of agirl on a magazine cover that he had seen not so very long before.

  "All right," he said, doing a fancy step on the ice that almost landedhim on his nose. "Shall we take partners? Yes we shall. Billie, will yoube mine?"

  The rest of the girls giggled--all but Rose, who had taken a greatliking to handsome Teddy and did not at all fancy the way he alwayssingled out Billie, "the little cat"--and Billie made a face at Teddy.

  "I'll think about it," she teased, then drew the boys and girls aroundher while she outlined the course of the race. "Now," she said, "we'llskate straight ahead till we come to where the lake takes that suddenbend. Then we'll double, and whoever passes the big maple tree firstwill win. Who's going in this race?"

  It seemed that nearly everybody wanted to--everybody who could get apartner, that is--and in a minute or two a score of merry young figureswere flying over the ice in a gallant effort to make the turn and getback to the old maple first.

  It was a pretty scene, at least Caroline Brant thought so. But RoseBelser, sitting close beside her, scraping her skates along the iceuntil she made two ugly little ridges in it, did not agree with her.

  There was Billie, taking the center of the stage again as usual, andthere was Caroline looking after her with a smile. Well, Caroline couldsmile. She had never been the most popular girl at Three Towers,although most of the girls did like her, at that. Billie wasn't taking_her_ place. And she dug still more viciously at the ice.

  "Better not do that," said Caroline, bringing her eyes back from theflying figures and looking at the ugly ridges Rose had made. "Somebody'sapt to tumble over them and get hurt."

  "I wish they would," said Rose savagely, then added with a mean littlesmile that suddenly reminded Caroline of Amanda Peabody: "I supposeBillie would like to fall so that Teddy Jordon would have a chance topick her up."

  "Rose, stop saying such things!" Caroline said. But further speech wasprevented when a girl's voice hailed them excitedly. They turned to seeNellie Bane running toward them at full speed.

  "Girls, the most awful thing has happened!" she panted when she camewithin speaking distance. "Miss Race was coming home from town a fewminutes ago, and suddenly a man stepped out from the bushes near theroad and held her up."

  "Held her up!" they gasped, and Caroline added sharply:

  "Do you mean she was robbed?"

  "Yes," answered Nellie, still panting and with eyes wide with excitement"And from what she said, I'm sure it was the 'Codfish.'"

  At that minute the skaters sped down upon them, Teddy and Billie winningtriumphantly by about a yard. Caroline skated over to them, calling herstory as she went. It was a minute or two before she could make themunderstand.

  "You say one of the teachers was robbed?" asked Ferd.

  Then Caroline told the story all over again, while Nellie shouted tothem from the shore--for Nellie had on no skates and did not dareventure out on the ice without them. Before she had finished the boyswere tearing wildly for the bank with the girls close behind them.

  There they sat down and tore their skates off, asking questions all thewhile.

  "Did you say it was just the other side of the gate?" Chet asked. "Say,if we hurry, fellows, we may have a chance to find him. Who would everhave thought of that old Codfish turning up again?"

  "Don't talk--work," cried Teddy, getting rid of his skates and stampinghis numbed feet to get the blood back into them. "We missed that fellowonce before, and we're not going to miss him again if we can help it.Ready, fellows?"

  "You bet!" Ferd and Chet cried, and the three were off on a run, thefirst of the boys to start. Behind them the girls were still fumblingwith numbed fingers at their skates.