FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   >>  
dy had slept; but 'Phemie's coming to bed aroused her. The younger girl was too shaken by what had transpired to hide her excitement, and Lyddy quickly was broad awake listening to 'Phemie's story. The latter told all that had happened, including her experiences on the night they had come to Hillcrest. There was no sleep for the two girls just then--not, at least, until they had discussed Professor Spink and the secret of the rocks at the back of the farm, from every possible angle. "I shall tell him that his absence will be better appreciated than his company--at once!" declared Lyddy, finally. "But sending him away isn't going to explain the mystery," wailed 'Phemie. In the morning, before many of the other boarders were astir, the two girls caught the oily professor just starting off with a handbag. "You'd better get the remainder of your baggage ready to go too, sir," said Lyddy, sharply, "for we don't want you here." "It's packed, young lady," returned Professor Spink, with a sneer. "I shall send a man for it from the hotel in town." "Well, _that's_ all right," quoth the girl, warmly. "You've paid your board in advance, and I cannot complain. But I would like to have you explain what your actions last night mean?" "I don't know what you are talking about. I heard people moving about the house and--naturally--I went to see----" "Oh, you story-teller!" gasped 'Phemie. "Ha! I can see that you have both made up your minds not to believe me," said the odd boarder, haughtily. "Good-morning!" "I honestly believe we ought to get a warrant out and have him arrested," observed the older girl, thoughtfully. "What for? I don't believe he took anything," said 'Phemie. "Well! he was trying to break into grandfather's desk, just the same," said Lyddy, and then Harris Colesworth joined them. Now, Lyddy believed that this young man was altogether too prone to meddle with other people's affairs; yet ever since the Widow Harrison's vendue she had been more friendly with Harris. And now when he began to talk about the professor and his strange actions over night, she could only thank the young chemist for his assistance. "Of course, we have no idea that that man took anything," she concluded. "But you know that he is after _something_. There is a mystery about his actions--both here at the house and up there in the rocks," said Harris. "Well--ye-es." "I have been talking to father about it. Fat
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   >>  



Top keywords:

Phemie

 

Harris

 

actions

 
professor
 

morning

 
mystery
 

explain

 
talking
 

people

 

Professor


haughtily

 

observed

 

boarder

 

honestly

 
warrant
 
thoughtfully
 
arrested
 

coming

 

naturally

 

moving


father
 

teller

 

gasped

 
vendue
 

friendly

 

Harrison

 

assistance

 

chemist

 
strange
 
affairs

Colesworth
 

grandfather

 
concluded
 

joined

 
meddle
 

altogether

 

believed

 

warmly

 

declared

 

finally


company

 

appreciated

 

sending

 

boarders

 

wailed

 

quickly

 

absence

 
happened
 

Hillcrest

 

experiences