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Cora, after making sure that the girls had comfortable seats, and noting that Jack had pre-empted the place beside Marita, leaned over Bess and whispered: "I'm going back in the next car for a little while." "What for?" "Did you lose anything?" asked Belle, who overheard what Cora said. "No, but you saw me talking to that girl on the platform; didn't you?"
"Here, put this on," and from a forward locker she pulled an oilskin coat, flinging it back to Marita, as at that moment the boat yawed when a big wave hit the bows, necessitating a firm hand on the wheel. "Oh, it's getting rough!" exclaimed Lottie, apprehensively. "Put away your nail-buffer and hang on," advised Bess. "It may be rougher before it's calmer."
"Oh, excuse me," murmured Cora. "Miss Osborne, let me present to you Mr. Edward Foster just plain Ed, mostly." "The plainer the better," observed the newcomer, as he bowed to Marita. "But what's it all about, Jack? No, there's no use asking him," he murmured as he noted Cora's brother resuming his interrupted conversation with the little girl. "Will someone please enlighten me?"
"They will be making tea with it." "Isn't it salty?" innocently asked Marita. "Likely," said Belle, for the girls had all taken an interest in the housework-made-easy-plan, and had arranged to use the boiling water as it came from the motor after cooling the cylinder. "But it won't hurt dishes." "Now I call that neat," commented Ed, "and to think that mere girls should have thought of it."
"I only know that his shack was entered and all but torn down," said Cora. "As to who did it, or why it was done, we can only surmise. But don't talk too much about it. We want to keep it quiet." "Why?" demanded Marita. "Because by letting other people talk about it we may be able to trace the perpetrators. We could easily find out who knew it had happened, in that way."
"Not so fast," Cora and her chums heard Bruce say. "We haven't said all we intend to." "Oh, I'm sure something will happen now," quavered Bess. "Hush," cautioned Cora. "We must do something!" "Do something?" questioned Marita. "Oh, why don't the boys come?" Cora and her chums were close to the cabin now.
Jack was hugging Walter and Dray was smoothing Ed's black hair. "Will the boys go and leave us?" asked the timid Marita. "Of course they will, and that right now," declared Cora. "We have no time to spare to get someone else to stay with us, however. Bess, do you want to come with me? I am going out for our new companion." "Oh, do hurry," pleaded Cora. "I had no idea it was so late.
"What can have happened?" whispered Belle to Marita. "Denny looks positively angry." "Doesn't he?" Marita replied. "I suppose it is something about Freda's property; don't you think so?" "Likely." The voices from the other room, that had been subdued, now rose in tones of surprise. Freda and her mother were both trying to talk at the same time, evidently.
"Do you see those clouds," remarked Cora, "they are just swooping down on us, and we are miles from home. My, but it is going to be a quick shower!" The young people had been enjoying themselves so much that not until Cora spoke did they realize that the sky had become overcast. "Oh, I'm scared to death," cried Marita. "Those clouds are so near you would think they would touch the water!"
"I suppose one ought to be afraid, coming at night to a cabin where some horrible men are expected. And yet, somehow, I don't seem to be," replied Marita. "I know I would have been a few months ago, but since I have met you girls, and seen the things you do, why it's queer, but really I I rather like it!" and she laughed. "See what your influence has done," whispered Cora.
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