The Mystery of the Fires Page 8

  CHAPTER VIII _Danger_

  "Freckles," said Mary Louise at supper that evening, "will you lend usyour tent tonight? Jane and I want to sleep outside."

  Jane raised her eyebrows. She couldn't remember expressing any suchdesire. But she said nothing: she wanted to see what Mary Louise was upto now. For her chum must have some purpose in the request: something todo with the mystery of the fires. It couldn't be just a desire for freshair!

  "I suppose so," agreed her brother. "But you know my cot isn't verywide."

  "Oh, we'll manage all right," returned Mary Louise. "And thank you verymuch."

  It was not until after supper, while the girls were waiting for theirboy-friends to come, that Jane had a chance to ask Mary Louise why shewanted to sleep outdoors tonight.

  "I want to sleep in my clothing, Jane," was the surprising reply."Remember the scout motto, 'Be prepared'? That's ours for tonight."

  "Prepared for what?"

  "For a fire. I think there's going to be one. I'm only hoping that itwon't be our cottage. But you never can tell."

  "What makes you think there will be one tonight?" demanded Jane.

  "From something I learned this afternoon from that Adams family. Youremember hearing Freckles describing a queer creature he saw last nighton his way home from the woods? Well, we almost ran over her thisafternoon! With her pitcher, looking for well water! 'To put out thefires which the Lord sends upon the wicked' were her words."

  Jane giggled.

  "You think we're as wicked as that, Mary Lou?" she asked.

  "You know I don't believe that, Jane."

  "Then what do you believe? Why do you think that there will be anotherfire?"

  "I think that either this crazy woman sets the cottages on fire herself,believing that she is appointed by the Lord, or else that somebody sheknows is doing it, and she has inside information somehow."

  "More likely she's just prattling," remarked Jane.

  "I hope so. But, anyhow, I want to be prepared to jump up at the firstsign of smoke. I'm going to rig up a hose with the river, so that I canput it out if it does happen around our cottage."

  "You sound almost as crazy as the old lady, Mary Lou! Next thing you'llbe taking your pitcher out for river water!"

  "Now, Jane, be yourself! You'll sleep out with me, won't you?"

  "I suppose so. But let's keep Silky with us, in case one of those gypsiescomes along and grabs you, the way she did at Dark Cedars."

  "There aren't any gypsies anywhere around here," Mary Louise assured her.

  "No, but there's a tramp. Freckles saw him. And a crazy woman. And fromthe way Mr. Flick was carrying on this morning, he'll soon be crazy."

  "He's gone to Albany. And the crazy woman is harmless. But you're wiseabout Silky: he will protect us from any tramps that might show up."

  To Mary Louise's delight, Mrs. Gay raised no objection to the plan. Afterall, her daughter had often slept outdoors before. So, after a pleasantevening of games and dancing at the Reeds' cottage, the two girls wentout to the tent.

  "You forgot your pajamas, Mary Louise!" called Mrs. Gay as she fixed upthe girls' room for Freckles.

  "Oh, of course," replied her daughter. No need to alarm her mother bytelling her that they intended to sleep in their clothing.

  They took off their shoes, changed into sweaters and skirts, and climbedinto the cot. Silky lay down on the rug beside it.

  "It is close quarters," whispered Jane. "But nothing like that could keepme awake."

  "Me either," returned Mary Louise, with a yawn.

  Five minutes later they were both sound asleep, entirely forgetful offires or danger. But their rest was short. About one o'clock Mary Louisewas awakened by a soft growl from Silky. Instantly she sat up and peeredout into the darkness. It was utterly black at the opening of the tent,for the night was starless, and the trees closed out all view of the sky.Yet she perceived something light--something white--coming towards her.For one wild moment a terrible thought took possession of herimagination: Was this indeed the angel of wrath, coming to destroy theirhouse--as that queer woman had predicted?

  But, no: common sense came to her rescue and assured Mary Louise thingslike that didn't happen nowadays. There must be some other explanation.It must be----

  A horrible inane laugh burst upon the silence of the night, wakening Janewith a cry of terror on her lips. A long arm reached through the openingof the tent, touching the girls' cot, snatching at their feet. Thenanother laugh, followed by hysterical sobbing.

  Mary Louise reached for the flashlight underneath her pillow. But she wascalm now; she was sure of the identity of the intruder. It must be thecrazy woman.

  She flashed the light into the creature's face, and the woman gasped infear.

  "Don't harm me! Please!" she begged. "I'm the Lord's messenger. To tellyou that the Smith's house is on fire. There are little children to berescued. Go! Run! I'll follow as soon as I can fill my pitcher."

  Jane and Mary Louise looked at each other in wonder. Was what she saidthe truth, or only a figment of her crazy brain?

  But they did not dare take a chance. As the poor woman said, there werechildren at Smiths' big house on the hill: three children, two boys and alittle girl, with only servants to look after them. And servants, unlikeparents, too often think of their own safety first.

  "We'll go right away, Rebecca," Mary Louise assured her as she steppedinto her pumps. "We're all ready."

  Taking only their flashlight for protection, she and Jane ran off as fastas they could go, with Silky faithfully following them.

  As soon as they had passed the ruins of Flicks' Inn, they could see thesmoke rising from the hill beyond. There could be no doubt about it.Rebecca was right: the Smiths' house was on fire.

  The girls redoubled their pace and tore up the hill. As they came nearerthey saw the flames and heard wild shouts of excitement. Then they metthe Smith boys and several of the servants racing madly about.

  "How did it start?" demanded Mary Louise breathlessly as she almostbumped into Robby Smith.

  "Don't know. In the back, somehow. That's all wood, you know."

  "Can they save it?"

  "Doin' our best. All us men are working!" He stuck out his chest proudly,evidently enjoying the adventure immensely. Money was never a thing tothe Smith boys.

  "Where's your sister?" demanded Mary Louise.

  "Around somewhere. Everybody got out safe."

  "With her nurse?" inquired Jane.

  "No. Nurse took the canoe across to the Royal--to phone to Four Cornersfor the fire engine."

  "Then we better hunt up little Ethel and take care of her," asserted MaryLouise. The child was only four--anything might happen to her.

  Flames were rising upward from behind the house, lighting up the scenevividly, showing the chauffeur, the gardener, and two maids desperatelypouring water from buckets and pails. But Mary Louise did not see littleEthel.

  "Ethel! Ethel!" she cried wildly, raising her voice above the shouts ofthe men. "Where are you?"

  "Here me is!" came a plaintive reply, and a tiny head leaned out of asecond-story window. "I comed up for my dolly!"

  A cold chill of horror crept over Mary Louise as she realized thedreadful peril of the child. But without a thought for her own danger shedashed through the front door and up the wide, smoke-filled staircase.

  "Come to the steps, Ethel!" she shrieked, her throat choking with smoke."Come here--I'll get you."

  "Tan't. Too smoky," replied the little girl, beginning to sob.

  Mary Louise took one desperate leap and dashed through the upstairs hallto the nursery. Grabbing the child in her arms she groped her way back tothe head of the stairs.

  She never knew how she reached the bottom of those steps. With her handon the railing and her eyes tightly closed, she somehow made her slowprogress. All she could remember was Jane's voice at the door as shelifted the child from her arms. Then d
arkness--choking forbreath--silence, and blessed unconsciousness!

  When Mary Louise finally came to, Rebecca was giving her water out of herhuge pitcher and patting her shoulder gently.

  "Speak, Mary Lou!" cried Jane frantically. "Oh, say you're still alive!"

  "I'm all right," replied her chum, managing a smile. "And little Ethel?"

  "She's fine. With her nurse. She's back from across the river now."

  Mary Louise turned her head and saw the woman at her side, clutching thechild in her arms and sobbing hysterically.

  Other people had arrived by this time. Mr. Frazier had come over from theRoyal Hotel, accompanied by Cliff Hunter, David McCall, and several otheryoung people who were staying there, and Mr. Reed and all the Robinsonshad gathered from Shady Nook. In another minute the fire engine from FourCorners came, and the volunteers got the flames under control. The frontof the house was saved; only the wooden structure at the back wascompletely destroyed.

  "How did it happen?" Frazier was asking the Smiths' chauffeur, half anhour later, when the crowd had finally gathered about Mary Louise.

  "Nobody knows," replied the man. "Everybody here was in bed and asleep.No signs of any prowler, either. The fire just started with the backshed--and spread. I was the first to wake up."

  David McCall looked knowingly at Mary Louise.

  "No signs of anybody?" he asked the chauffeur. "No clues at all?"

  "Maybe this is a clue," interrupted one of the volunteer firemen, comingforward with a small box in his hand. "I found this pack of cards rightwhere the fire must have started. But it had dropped into a pail ofwater--that's why it wasn't burned."

  "Maybe the boys were playing cards and smoking corn silk," suggestedCliff Hunter lightly.

  The chauffeur took the box from the fireman.

  "No, they ain't our cards," he said as he examined them. "I know ours,because I've bought them for the kids."

  David McCall stepped nearer and uttered a sudden exclamation of surprise.

  "Gosh!" he said solemnly.

  "Recognize them, McCall?" inquired Frazier.

  "I sure do. They're Cliff Hunter's. Nobody else around here can afford topay a dollar a pack. Look--they're monogrammed!"

  Mary Louise glanced apprehensively at Cliff. He was holding the cards inhis hand, nodding his assent.

  "Sure they're mine. The kids must have swiped them--or maybe I lost themand they found 'em. I myself haven't been up here to Smiths' once thissummer before tonight."

  "Sez--you!" muttered David McCall under his breath. But not too low forMary Louise to hear him and be genuinely frightened!