back to the
beach. She saw them put down the box they had been carrying and stand
looking back at her. Harriet quickly retraced her steps to the cabin,
in the shadow of which she halted and continued her watching.

The men stood for some time, evidently engaged in a discussion,
though no sound of voices reached the listening girl. They then picked
up their box and walked down the beach with it.

"That is odd. They said they were going up the beach with provisions
for a friend. I don't understand this proceeding at all, but it looks
questionable to me. I know what I'll do; I'll follow them."

The Meadow-Brook Girl did not stop to consider that she had decided
upon a possibly dangerous adventure. Stooping over as low as possible
and yet remain on her feet, Harriet ran full speed toward the beach.
She saw the men halt and put down the box, whereat the girl flattened
herself on the sandy bar and lay motionless until, finally, they
picked up their burden and went on. She was able to make out the
sailboat anchored some little distance out in the bay.

"They must have brought the box off from the boat," she mused. "I
wonder what is in it? I am positive that there is some mystery here.
It isn't my affair, but my woman's curiosity makes me wonder what it
is all about. There they go again." She was up and off, this time
reaching the beach before they put down the box again. Now Harriet was
reasonably safe from discovery. She crouched close to the sandy bluff
and lay watching. She saw one of the men put off in a rowboat, which
he propelled rapidly over to the sailboat. He did not remain there
long, and she saw him pulling back to shore as if in more haste than
when he went out.

"Now they are going to do something," decided the watching girl. "Yes,
they are going to take the box."

The men did. Picking it up, they carried it back in among the trees,
Harriet following at a safe distance, picking her way cautiously, not
making the slightest sound in moving about among the spindling pines.

Finally, realizing that the men had stopped, the girl crouched down
with eyes and ears on the alert. She could hear them at work. They
were not going ahead, but they were engaged in some occupation the
nature of which for the moment puzzled Harriet Burrell. Then all at
once the truth flashed into her mind.

"They are hiding the box!" exclaimed the girl under her breath. "But
why are they doing that? What secret could be so dark that it ne