The Secret of the Sundial
Page 5
CHAPTER V Madge Turns Sleuth
Nine o'clock found Madge waiting at the pine grove which adjoined theSwenster Mansion. She stationed herself near a street lamp where Caracould not fail to see her. Ten minutes elapsed, then fifteen.
Glancing impatiently at her watch, Madge decided it was useless to waitlonger for her friend. Slowly she walked on toward the mansion.
Suddenly she heard a shout from behind, and turned to see Cara runningafter her. She was out of breath by the time she caught up.
"Sorry to be so late," she apologized. "I was afraid I'd not get away atall. Mother and Dad were going to an ice cream social and didn't see anyreason why I shouldn't go along. I'll not dare stay out later thaneleven."
"Neither will I. Let's hope something interesting happens before that."
"Just what do you expect?"
"I don't really expect anything, but I'd like very much to learn theidentity of your strange ghost."
The girls slipped into a side street leading to the rear of the mansion.They found the gate locked and since they were unable to work the trickcatch, were forced to climb over again.
Under the soft, weird light of the moon, the Swenster mansion looked fardifferent than by daylight. Even Madge was willing to admit there wassomething sinister about the place.
"I wonder if the spade is still here?" she thought aloud.
They found it under the lilac bush, but not in the exact place where theyhad left it on the previous visit.
"Someone has used it again!" Madge exclaimed. "Oh, I wish we had watchedlast night!"
"I'm glad we didn't," Cara said nervously. "I'm not keen on watchingtonight either."
Madge paid not the slightest attention to her friend's gentle hints thatthey leave. She surveyed the garden, looking for a suitable hiding place.A huge rhododendron bush offered a possibility and she went over toexamine it.
"This will serve nicely," she decided. "We'll be well hidden, and ifnecessary we can probably slip out the front way without being seen byanyone in the garden."
Cara allowed herself to be dragged under the rhododendron althoughsecretly she felt that it was a silly and undignified thing to do. Shesank down on the ground gingerly, fearing to soil her silk frock.
"Better make yourself comfortable," Madge advised cheerfully. "We'relikely to be here a long time."
The prediction came true with a vengeance. Minutes dragged like hours.The girls talked for a time, but soon exhausted all topics ofconversation. Their limbs became cramped and they shifted from oneposition to another. Cara yawned several times and once dozed off for afew minutes.
"Isn't it most eleven?" she asked hopefully. "I must be home by thattime."
Madge looked at her watch which she could plainly see under the brightmoonlight.
"We've been here only a little more than an hour," she informed. "It'stoo early to go home yet."
Cara sighed and shifted to a new position. The adventure had lost all itsoriginal thrill and terror. It was deadly monotonous to lie therewatching for something which likely never would come. Madge cheered herfriend with good natured "kidding," but she too was beginning to wonderif they had not wasted the evening.
"Let's go home," Cara said presently. "I don't care what time it is, I'vehad about enough. Even the ice cream social would have been more fun thanthis. I'll be surprised if I can walk in the morning--every muscle in mypoor body is lame."
"All right," Madge gave in reluctantly. "I suppose we may as well call ita night. Not much chance--" she broke off, grasping Cara by the hand."Look!" she whispered tensely. "Someone is coming!"
Cara turned her head to gaze toward the rear gate. Cold chills raced downher spine. A man was standing at the fence, and she was certain it wasthe same person she had seen on the night of the initiation. He wore awhite sweater which evidently had been the one thing that had impressedher before. At the time she had been so frightened that it had registeredupon her mind as "something white" and she had jumped to the conclusionthat a ghost was abroad.
The man looked quickly about in all directions, then unfastened the gateand entered the yard.
"He's been here before all right," Cara whispered, "or he wouldn't knowhow to get that gate open."
"Sh!" Madge warned.
She had not taken her eyes from the man. He walked directly to the lilacbush and picked up the spade. He was still too far away for her to seehis face plainly.
The girls watched breathlessly as he walked slowly into the garden,pausing a short distance from the sundial. They saw him gaze thoughtfullyabout, and then he began to turn up the earth with his spade.
"He's not digging where he did before," Cara whispered. "I wish he wouldturn this way so we could see his face."
Again Madge warned her friend to be silent, and they crouched motionless,watching, for perhaps ten minutes the man spaded steadily. Then with anexclamation of impatience, he refilled the hole.
"Is he crazy?" Cara whispered, forgetting the admonition to remainsilent.
Madge shook her head to show that the man's actions were a completemystery to her.
The man rested a few minutes, and with his back still toward therhododendron bush, then began to excavate another hole, only a few feetfrom the first one.
"He's searching for something," Madge thought. "But what in the worlddoes he expect to find?"
She was very curious to learn the identity of the stranger and waitedpatiently until he turned toward her. The light shone full on his face.She had never seen him before.
Madge glanced questioningly at her chum. Cara shook her head inbewilderment. The man was a stranger to her also.
It was growing late and in spite of their keen desire to learn all therewas to know, the girls dared remain no longer. They decided to wait untilthe man's back was turned and attempt to slip around to the front of thehouse.
"If we're caught, it may not be so nice," Cara whispered nervously.
They awaited their chance and softly crept from under the bush. Scarcelyhad they emerged than the man straightened, dropping his spade. It wastoo late to retreat. The girls could only freeze themselves against thefoliage, praying that they would not be seen. And at that moment, heturned and looked directly toward the rhododendron bush!