The Motor Girls at Lookout Beach: or, In Quest of the Runaways

It was heavy work, but at last the auto was clear of the water.

“There!” gasped Jack, almost breathless. “That’s all to the gasolene! Now to look her over.”

Half an hour of steady work and then Ed grasped the handle and started to crank up. It was stiff at first but presently the familiar whir-r-r-r – of the motor sounded, and Walter from the seat threw in the clutch with the lever set at low speed. The magneto was all right.

The little car swung out as gracefully as if it had “never tasted salt water,” as Jack put it.

The girls were eagerly watching every move.

How thankful they were, for the woman in the bungalow had need of immediate medical attention.

In less time than it would seem possible to accomplish so much, Jack and Ed lifted the light form of the sick woman into the car, and, while Beatrice supported her mother on the right, Jack took his place at the wheel, and started off toward the hotel.

“We will send the auto back for you young ladies,” called Beatrice. “It won’t take any time to get to the hotel.”

The car once out of sight, Walter and Ed rushed into the bungalow, smashed a couple of dry boxes, and thrust them into the little stone fireplace, put a match to a bundle of paper, and then all four, who had assisted in the rescue, stood before the blaze, while steam sizzled up from the water that fell in puddles on the floor from the soaked garments.

“We did get it,” remarked Ed. “I never swam before – this way.”

“Is there anything wetter than wet clothes?” asked Cora.

“Oh, yes,” replied Bess. “I think the wettest thing I have ever found is the – bottom of the sea! Mercy, but I did think I was gone!”

“You were,” replied Walter, swishing a few drops of the too plentiful water in her eyes. “You were gone, but not forgotten, and you came back like – the famous penny!”

“Oh, you can joke!” retorted Bess. “But I tell you I was almost washed out.”

“Worse than the laundry,” teased Ed. “Well, Bess, you look a lot better. I do believe you’ve gotten thin!”

CHAPTER XXIII – THE EXCURSION

When Jack returned to the bungalow, with the rescued runabout, he was all excitement over the discovery of pretty Beatrice Blakley. He even went so far as to declare that she had confided in him the fact that she was just about to get an electric runabout, that her father was a very wealthy man, and that she was going to be at Lookout Beach all summer!

This information was detailed in such a way as to excite the possibility of jealousy in the other motor girls, particularly in Bess, who really looked upon Jack Kimball as quite a friend – one whom she could depend upon to look out for her particular pleasure, and give her all the little attentions that go to make up the sum total of a good time for the summer girl.

So the arrival upon the scene of Miss Beatrice was rather a surprise – to say the least.

“Come on, Cora,” called Jack, after he had given a particularly enthusiastic description of Beatrice’s wonderful management of her sick mother, “I promised you would go to the hotel this afternoon to see how Mrs. Blakley is, and to find out if they need anything before Mr. Blakley gets down from town.”

“Of course I’ll go,” replied Cora, with a sly smile. “Belle and I, or Bess and I will call, certainly.”

“Well, get in the machine, you three, and we boys will get ourselves dried out. You may keep the runabout at the Clover until you are ready to go over in the afternoon. Then I’ll drive you.”

This assertion caused every one to laugh at Jack. The idea of his driving two motor girls! As if they couldn’t manage a little car like that!

“Well, we will see,” said Cora, as she, Bess, and Belle climbed into the car, which held three comfortably. “Perhaps if you are very good we may take you along. Or you may – ”

“I say, fellows!” interrupted Ed. “I thought we were going to see that excursion come in from Chelton this afternoon. Some of our boys are coming down.”

“Of course,” added Walter. “Jack, you don’t call on B – this afternoon. Make it some other time. We are going down to the pier to see the folks from home, and in the meantime, we’ve got a lot to do to get this camp pitched. And you are cook for the first week. Don’t forget that.”

“Oh, all right,” assented Jack. “Of course, if you all insist. Perhaps I can live!” and he sighed dramatically.

Two hours later the motor girls and the boys, all refreshed in correct summer garb, without any evidence of their morning’s experience, waited on the pier, while the big excursion boat Columbia sailed in, her colors flying gaily, and the hands and hats of seemingly every youth in Chelton, waving over the deck rails, as the annual summer outing of Lincoln County put in to port at Lookout Beach.

Hazel and Paul were with the Kimballs and Robinsons, so that all our friends from Chelton united in welcoming the excursionists.

“There’s Fred!” called Jack, the first to discover a familiar face in the big crowd.

“And there’s Ben,” added Ed. “As if Fred Bennet could travel without Ben Fredericks.”

“Clear the way there, please,” ordered the boatman. “We must have room for the gangplank – that’s a big crowd.”

The girls left the inside aisle, and slipped under the rail to the outer walk of the pier, but the boys held to their place. They insisted upon seeing the people land, and it was no little fun to be real sojourners at the popular watering place, when so many other boys and girls have to be content to visit the beach for a single day.

“Oh, there’s little Nannette,” called Cora. “Jack! Jack!” she shouted, “bring Nannette over here. See! she is walking with that old man!”

Jack ducked in and out of the crowd until he reached the girl called Nannette. She was a very small creature, a cripple, and when seen by Cora, the latter immediately essayed to look after the delicate child, so that she might not suffer unnecessarily in the rush and crush of the crowd.

And Nannette was indeed glad to see Jack Kimball. The young man almost carried her to Cora, for Nannette was a general favorite in the village – one of those human buds that never blossom, but always stay in the childhood of promise – unconscious of time and unmindful of method.

“Oh, we are so glad you came down,” exclaimed Cora, embracing the child. “You will have a lovely day. Are you tired? Did you enjoy the sail?”

But before she could answer the other girls plied similar questions, until the little one was fairly besieged with kind attention.

“Hello there!” shouted some one. “Where are the boys?”

“Brownson McLarin!” exclaimed Bess, with a slight blush. “I wonder – ”

“If Teddy is with him,” finished Belle, with a meaning nod to Cora. “Now, if Teddy is here, we may all depend upon Bess for a good time. Teddy would rather spend money on Bess than eat a shore dinner.”

“Land o’ Goshen!” shouted Jack. “Look – at – Andy!”

The girls turned to see what he indicated. And sure enough, there was little Andy from Squaton, but so dressed up and displaying such a physical “shine,” that his friends from Chelton would scarcely have recognized him had not Jack pointed him out.

“Fetch him over here,” begged Cora.

“Say, Cora,” replied Jack, “would you like me to pull in the whole crowd, and let you take your pick? Seems to me you want every one you see,” but at the same time he “reached” little Andy, and led him over to the rail, behind which the motor girls were sequestered.

Andy was delighted to see Cora. He was brimming over with news – but it did not take him long to whisper that he had something “special” to tell her, as soon as she could give him a few minutes all alone.

“What’s it about?” asked Cora eagerly.

“About the ‘sparklers,’” replied the lad. “We got them, and me mother got the hundred!”

“The diamond earrings have been found!” exclaimed Cora, startled at such a surprising piece of news.

“Yep, they’re found, all right,” replied Andy. “What do you think of me suit? And I’ve got more home. We got the reward.”

“Who got it,” demanded Cora.

“Me – I – we,” stammered Andy, somewhat confused in his grammar.

“Where did you find them?” persisted Cora.

“Hey, there, Andy!” yelled a boy in a very shabby outfit. “Where’s all that ‘dough’ you was telling us about? Come on. It’s up to you,” and, before Cora could get an answer from the little redheaded boy, he was gone.

As he sauntered off, with his companions, Cora saw that he was counting money – considerable money, too, it seemed to her.

Bess and Belle were busy talking to Nannette. They had not noticed Andy. The excursionists were now almost all landed.

The news so suddenly divulged by Andy confused Cora.

What did he mean by getting the reward? Of course the diamond earrings must have been found – he said that distinctly enough, but had they been hidden by the orphan girls, as was the case which contained the gems?

“Cora,” called Belle, “Nannette is hungry. Come up to the candy kitchen, and we will show her how they make salt water taffy.”

“All right,” replied Cora. “Of course you must be hungry, Nannette, you had to leave home so early.”

It was difficult to make their way through the steady stream of people that poured up the long pier. Cora walked ahead, while Bell and Bess, on either side, protected the deformed child.

“Oh, I can smell the taffy!” exclaimed the girl, as they neared the candy kitchen.

“Yes, so can I,” agreed Cora. “It would almost make one hungry.”

They were now in front of the store with the big glass windows. Through this glass could be seen the workers in the exhibition kitchen. There were a few girls in white aprons, and high white caps, doing up pieces of “taffy” in papers, and working beside them were two men, also clad in white linen. The men were popping corn over a gas stove.

“Look,” said Belle. “That is how they make it. Stand here a moment and watch.”

The girls drew up in front of the window. As they stopped two men from the excursion boat also paused to observe the candy makers.

Cora turned and looked at the men. A remark one made about “runaways” had attracted her attention.

“Oh!” she suddenly gasped. Then she clutched Belle’s arm.

“Come on,” she whispered. “I don’t care to stand here.”

“What’s the matter?” asked Bess, noting the change in Cora’s face.

“Those are – the detectives,” she whispered. “I don’t want to get in conversation with them. Come on.”

But both men were looking directly at Cora. She felt it was too late for her to try to escape their scrutiny.

“Look! Look!” exclaimed Bess. “There are – ”

But at that instant two girls behind the glass window in the candy kitchen came forward with their trays of freshly-made candy. Both girls looked through the window – directly at Cora and at the others with her.

“Nellie and Rose!” exclaimed Belle.

“Oh!” gasped Cora, “if I only could tell them the diamonds are found!”

For a single instant the two girls in the caps and aprons stood like statues. Then they evidently saw the two men who stood directly back of Cora.

With a scream that penetrated the distance and the glass windows, the two unfortunate girls dropped their trays on the counter, and dashed out of the store into the kitchen, showing fright and terror as they ran.

“They saw the detectives,” declared Cora. “Oh, I must reach them! But in this crowd!”

Some one tapped Cora on the shoulder.

It was one of the Squaton detectives.

CHAPTER XXIV – THE TWO ORPHANS

“Oh, Rose! I can’t go another step! Let them catch us if they want to. I think I – a – am going to – die!”

“Nellie dear, try to keep up. We will be at the station soon. And you know those were detectives from home! Oh, try to keep on!”

“I – can’t! I’ve got to stop!”

The girl sank in the sand like the poor, tired, frightened little thing that she was. Rose put her arms round her sister, and her tears fell on the sunburned cheek that lay so helpless there, supported only by an arm equally sunburned, and equally exhausted.

“Oh, we will surely be caught,” moaned Rose. “Don’t you think, when you rest awhile, you can go on, Nellie, dear? You were always so brave, and so strong.”

“We have got to stop some time, Rose. Why should we go on like this? I am almost dead for sleep, and I feel as if I could go to sleep right here.”

Rose kissed the sad little face, and brushed back the rudely cropped hair, that lay in ringlets on Nellie’s head. “It has been awfully hard, little sister,” she said; “perhaps we had better give up and go back!”

The words seemed to startle the child, who lay on the sand. Instantly she sat bolt upright.

“Go back!” she repeated. “To that place! We might better die here!”

“Then why should we not see the detectives, and tell them all about it? Surely Aunt Delia will not be allowed – ”

“But she has been allowed,” insisted Nellie. “Hasn’t she treated us badly for years? And who was there to stop her? Who is there to stop her now?”

“Perhaps those young ladies could help us,” sobbed Rose. “We may have done wrong to run away from them.”

“I did like that dark girl,” assented Nellie, rubbing her aching eyes, “and she did say she would see us again.”

The two sisters were on an isolated patch of the beach and had been trying to make their way to the railroad station. In taking this sandy walk they had avoided the regular traffic path, but the heavy traveling had been too much for the younger one, who was plainly beginning to feel, and show, the signs of her perilous adventure since the day when she ran away from the strawberry patch of Squaton. It was late in the afternoon, almost dusk, but the happy shouts of the excursionists could be heard for a mile along the beach. Here and there groups of boys who had left the crowds were to be seen digging holes in the sand, and capering about with all their energy, to have their very best fun in that one last hour allowed before the big boat would sail away, and carry them off home again.

“There come some boys,” said Rose. “Try to stand up, they will be sure to stop and gawk at us.”

Nellie sat up, but made no effort to stand. Presently the three boys came romping along.

As Rose had guessed, they did stop and look at the girls; stared at them not rudely but in wonderment, for Nellie and Rose were too far away from merrymakers to be mistaken for members of the excursion party.

“Oh!” exclaimed Nellie, catching sight of one of the boys.

“Well, I never!” gasped the boy at the same moment. “If there ain’t Nellie and Rose!”

“Oh, Andy!” cried Nellie, “do come and talk to us. We are not afraid to trust you. Don’t say who we are – don’t mention our names!”

The little fellow did not need to be cautioned. Neither did he wait for the invitation to talk to the lonely girls.

“Wherever have you been?” he asked. “Have you heard the news?”

“We haven’t heard any good news,” replied Rose sadly.

“Then I’ve got some fer you,” said the lad, shaking his manly little head. “The diamonds is found and I got the boodle!”

“Oh!” gasped Nellie. “Found! Then we – won’t have to hide any more. Where did you find them?”

The whistle of the excursion boat checked the boy’s eager talk.

“Come on!” shouted the other lads to Andy. “If you don’t hustle, you’ll get left!”

“Well, then I will get left,” declared Andy. “I’m going to stay right here with these girls – they’re friends of mine.”

“Oh, no, Andy, don’t,” begged Rose. “Run along and catch the boat. We wouldn’t know what to do with you, if you got left. Besides your mother would be scared to death. She would think you were drowned.”

Andy hesitated.

“Do go,” put in Nellie, jumping up and throwing her arms about the boy. “I could just hug you to death, you have made us so happy. And you – look – just fine!”

“Run!” shouted the boys, as the whistle blew. “That’s the last call!”

“Run!” called Rose.

“Yes, do run!” pleaded Nellie.

Turning to give the girls a look so full of meaning that even Andy’s bright eyes seemed overtaxed with the responsibility, the boy did run as fast as his legs could carry him.

“I’m afraid they will miss it,” murmured Rose, as the two sisters, now so changed in expression, watched the boys make their way through the sand.

“Oh, Rose! Aren’t you happy!” exclaimed Nellie. “Now we can do as we please.”

“But Aunt Delia might send us to the reform school for running away,” mused the older girl.

“Oh, I can’t think she would do that!”

“But think of all she has done! I am afraid to trust her.”

The tooting of the excursion boat could be heard as the vessel steamed out. Wistfully the girls looked over the broad expanse of water, out to the track made by the smoke from the Columbia.

“We might have gone back home,” sighed Nellie.

“I would rather stay here – I feel we have some friends. Those girls – ”

“But why did they chase us about so?”

“They wanted to find us – perhaps. That was nothing against them.”

“Do you think the man in the candy kitchen would take us back? The detectives must have gone back on the boat, and we needn’t be afraid now.”

“Why, Nellie dear, perhaps the detectives are up at that store watching for us. We can’t go there unless we want to – ”

“Where can we go?” cried the child. “Oh, dear me! What a dreadful thing it is – to be orphans!” and she began to cry.

“There’s no use crying,” said Rose, although her own eyes were brimful. “We have got to go somewhere for the night.”

“Let’s go to the cottage – to the automobile girls’ cottage.”

“I am able to work, and I want to work,” insisted Rose stoutly. “They need girls at every hotel, that young lady in the kitchen told me.”

“But I am so tired – so hungry – and so – sleepy! Rose, let us sleep right here. We are not afraid of anything now.”

“Who are those people coming?” asked Rose as a number of figures could be seen, outlined against the strip of sky that hung over the point of land.

“There’s quite a crowd,” said Nellie. “I guess we will have to walk along.”

But running ahead of the others came a boy. He was waving his cap and shouting something!

“It’s Andy!” murmured Rose. “Oh, he got left!”

“And – look there!” cried Nellie. “Those are the detectives after us! We must run! Maybe they don’t know the diamonds are found and will arrest us. I should die of shame then. We must run!”

“We can’t,” replied Rose miserably. “Oh, yes, Nellie. They have us this time,” and sinking down in the sand she clasped her hands and looked up. “Let us ask – mother in heaven – to take care of us!” she said reverently. Then they waited until the detectives came along.

CHAPTER XXV – THE TRUTH! THE WHOLE TRUTH!

“Rose! Nellie!” shouted Andy. “Get up! What’s the matter?”

The girls raised their eyes and saw before them not only the detectives but Jack and Cora Kimball, also Ed Foster.

“Come, girls,” began the taller of the two officers from Squaton. “You seem to be having a pretty hard time of it. What are you crying for?”

“Oh, we didn’t take the earrings!” sobbed Nellie. “And we don’t want – to go – to the reform school!”

“Who said you did take them?” inquired the officer, as Cora put her arm about Nellie, and assisted her to rise. “And who said you were to go to the reform school?”

“That piece in the paper,” replied Rose. “It said we would be sent there until – ”

“Oh, that was some of the old lady’s work. Don’t you worry about that. Just come along with us. Don’t you be afraid that any one is going to hurt you,” for he saw distrust in Rose’s face. “You are among friends – all friends!”

“You bet!” cried Andy. “I got left from the boat just in time to tell them where you were.”

“Come along,” said Jack kindly. “You both look ready to – collapse.”

“I was just going to,” declared Nellie, rubbing her hand over her inflamed eyes. “I was going to jump into the water before Rose could stop me, but when she called our mother to help us I – couldn’t – then.”

“Nellie!” exclaimed Rose in surprise.

“Now do come along,” begged Cora. “You must need food and rest. I am almost dead myself from running around – ”

“After us?” asked Nellie innocently.

The officer and young men smiled.

“Well, you see,” began Jack, “we just caught Andy ‘getting left,’ as he put it, and he told us where you were – ”

“But Andy’s mother will be scared to death,” insisted Nellie, brightening up.

“Oh, we have attended to that,” said Jack. “We sent her a message. Andy is going to visit us ‘bungaloafers’ for a few days. We just need a boy like Andy to help us get in shape,” and Jack patted the smiling boy kindly.

“Our cars are out on the road,” said Cora, “and we are all to go to the cottage. So, come on, girls. We are just dying to tell your odd story to several people. Your friends in the candy kitchen have been dreadfully worried since you left them so suddenly.”

“They thought you jumped in the ocean,” blurted out Andy, who had no regard for propriety in making such remarks.

The orphans acted almost frightened – it seemed too strange to be true, that they were going to get in an automobile, and be allowed to go to a house without being hunted and chased – without hiding or sneaking!

“Here we are,” announced Ed, who cranked up one car into which Andy “piled” without any ceremony whatever.

Jack started up the Whirlwind, and into the big car Nellie and Rose were assisted. Cora sat beside Jack, and the detective insisted upon walking as he had “to meet a man” on the road and had scarcely time to keep this appointment.

Nellie was completely dazed. She sat bolt upright, as if afraid to lean against the soft cushions of the car.

Rose was more composed, but she also appeared ill at ease in the luxurious surroundings.

It was only a short ride to Clover Cottage. Bess and Belle were outside as they drove up. They clapped their hands almost like children when they saw who were in the cars.

“Oh, you have found them!” exclaimed Belle. “Come right in. We have tea all ready, and you are not to speak one word until you are refreshed,” and she grasped Nellie’s hand, and gave Rose a most welcome greeting.

Andy was loath to leave the car. He wanted to start it, to stop it, and to do all sorts of things with the interesting machine. Finally, when Rose and Nellie had been refreshed, Bess and Belle provided seats for all on the broad porch, just as the detective and a strange man turned around the corner and they, too, joined the happy group.

“This is a reporter for the daily paper,” said the detective. “I thought it best to have him come right down now, and get this thing all straight. It will be best to tell the story from the start, and so clear up the false impressions about the girls.”

The newspaper man took out a pad of paper and a pencil in the most businesslike way, without presuming on any personal privilege, such as an introduction, or a word of acknowledgment, for the detective’s rather flattering account of the scribe’s ability.

“Perhaps I had better ask you a few questions,” the reporter began simply, turning to Rose. “Why did you run away from Mrs. Ramsy’s house?”

“Because she was unjust to us,” replied Rose. “She had never treated us decently, but when she took the very last thing we owned of our dead mother’s – her wedding ring – we just took the little case it had been in, put it in a crate of berries we left under the tree for this young lady, and then – we went away.”

“Where did you get that jewel case?” asked the tall detective, who seemed to be doing the most of the talking.

“We found it in Miss Schenk’s scrap basket. She told us to throw out everything in the basket, and so, when we found the little leather case we decided it would be nice to keep mamma’s ring in.”

“And that was how you got the case!” Cora could not help exclaiming.

“Yes. Why?” asked Nellie in surprise.

“Oh, nothing. Go on,” said the detective.

“Then I found the card with the address of this house,” continued Rose. “We intended to come down this way to work for the summer, and we knew that this house was vacant. That is how we came to sleep here one night.”

“That’s the card I picked up under the window,” interrupted Andy, to whom the whole proceedings seemed as “thrilling as could be any professional theatrical performance.”