The Camp Fire Girls' Larks and Pranks Part 24

"No," said Veronica, straightening up and flus.h.i.+ng deeply, "that is, nothing much, I-I just dropped a-something out of my purse along here somewhere."

"What was it?" asked Katherine.

Veronica gave a last frantic look along the walk.

"It was a-" She hesitated, and then burst out:

"Oh, Katherine, it was my bill fold, and it had five hundred dollars in it!"

"Five hundred dollars!" echoed Katherine faintly.

Veronica ran back and forth along the walk, looking desperately into every crack and crevice. Every few minutes she held up her hand and looked at her wrist watch; then she would return to the search with more energy than before. Katherine also looked at her watch.

"I'll help you hunt," she said, taking the other side of the walk. "Are you sure you lost it along here?" she asked.

"Pretty sure," answered Veronica. "I know I had it when I was back on Elm Street, because I looked to make sure."

"The last time you saw it was back on Elm Street," mused Katherine.

"That's two blocks behind us. We'll have to go all the way back."

"By the way," said Katherine, a few minutes later, "it's none of my business, I suppose, but what on earth were you doing with five hundred dollars in your bag?"

Veronica started and looked confused for a minute. But she answered naturally enough. "I drew it from the bank this afternoon to give my uncle to pay for some investment he is making for me, and I was to take it over to his studio, but I was detained and he had gone when I got there, so I was just bringing it home when I lost it." She stared up the road with widening eyes, not toward Elm Street, where the purse might lie, but toward the big avenue in the other direction, where the streetcars clanged townward. Katherine stared thoughtfully at the suitcase Veronica had with her.

"Have you been away?" she asked casually.

"No," said Veronica, with a start. Then, as her eyes followed Katherine's, she added: "I've just been carrying some-things in there."

Katherine looked at her watch again. "What did your bill fold look like?"

she asked.

"It was a small black one," answered Veronica, "with an elastic band around it. It had my name in gold letters across the inner flap."

"Hadn't we better go home and tell your uncle," suggested Katherine, "and get him to help us find it?"

"No, no!" cried Veronica, shrinking back in alarm. "Don't tell him! I wouldn't have him know for worlds that I've lost it."

"But if you don't find it he'll know about it, anyway," said Katherine practically.

Veronica's face went white again and she returned to the search with desperate haste. "I must find it! I must find it!" she was saying over and over again under her breath.

Katherine was just as diligent in her search. She pawed through the bushes with her white gloves and sank on her knees in the soft gra.s.s, acc.u.mulating more and more gra.s.s stains all the while. The last streak of daylight faded and the big arc lights began to blaze among the tall trees, and still they searched-Katherine in a patient, systematic way, Veronica hysterically. The few people who crossed the square were closely questioned as to whether or not they had found anything, but the same disappointing answer came from all of them. Veronica looked at her watch with ever-increasing anxiety; Katherine looked at her furtively almost as often.

After two hours of nerve-wracking search a steeple clock nearby boomed out nine strokes; slowly, deliberately, its clamor shattered the summer night's stillness. Veronica sank down on a stone which bordered the walk and covered her face with her hands. Katherine straightened up and stood for a moment looking thoughtfully at Veronica; then she went on searching methodically. Veronica sat huddled on the stone for fully five minutes; then, with an expression which was strangely like relief, she rose up and followed Katherine's example. Fifteen minutes more went by with scarcely a word from either girl. Then the steeple clock chimed the quarter hour.

A moment later came the sound of a train whistle, far off, but borne clearly on the still air, followed by the faint rumble of distant cars going over a culvert.

Katherine stood still until the sound had died away, then she went up to Veronica, led her to an iron bench nearby, and shoved her into it. Then she opened her handbag and took out a small black wallet fastened round with an elastic band, and laid it on Veronica's knee without a word.

Veronica looked at it and uttered an incredulous scream of joy. "Where did you find it?" she gasped.

"Back on Elm Street, before I met you," said Katherine quietly.

"Back on Elm Street, before you met me?" repeated Veronica wonderingly.

"You had it all this while?" Katherine nodded. "Then why did you keep it all this while?" demanded Veronica. "Why didn't you give it to me at once and save all this agony?"

Katherine looked at her narrowly. "I didn't dare give it to you _before nine o'clock_," she said significantly.

Veronica started and clutched Katherine's arm nervously. "What do you mean?" she asked faintly.

Katherine put her arm around Veronica and drew her toward her so she could look into her face. The light from the swinging arc was directly upon her. "You were going to run away on that nine o'clock train, weren't you?" she asked quietly.

Veronica jerked away and turned dreadfully pale. "How-how did you know?"

she faltered.

"I didn't, for sure," said Katherine. "But I made a pretty good guess.

You see, when I found that wallet, I naturally looked inside. There I saw your name, five hundred dollars in bills, and a note which read:

"'Take the New York Central Flyer at nine o'clock Wednesday night.' It was signed with the initials A. T., which I suppose stand for that friend of yours with the plush whiskers, Alex Toboggan."

"Alex Tobin," corrected Veronica under her breath.

"That looked suspicious to me," continued Katherine. "I've seen him around with you a good deal, and I don't like his looks, not a little bit. Then a minute later I came upon you with a suitcase, hunting your wallet and looking at your watch as if you were crazy. So I came to the conclusion that you were planning to run away on that nine o'clock train, and decided to hold you up by keeping the money until the train was gone.

Am I right?"

Veronica's eyes dropped and her face was crimson. "You are right," she said unsteadily. "I was planning to run away on that train. After I dropped out of the Camp Fire Group I had no girl friends and became lonelier and lonelier all the while. The only interest I had was my music, and the only place to which I went was to hear the Symphony Orchestra rehea.r.s.e. There, Alex Tobin, who is really a fine violinist, was always very friendly to me and kept telling me I should go to New York and study with Martini, who is the best teacher in the country.

Uncle would not let me go because he said I was too young and he could not go with me. But Alex Tobin kept telling me that uncle was jealous of my talent and was trying to keep me back on purpose, and if I had any money in my own right I should take it and go anyhow. Uncle quarreled with Alex Tobin and after that he forbade me to have anything to do with him, but he used to meet me outside, and always he talked about my talent, and what a shame it was I could not study with Martini, and things like that, until I began to think I was abused. I was very lonely, you know, and had nothing else to think about.

"Well, this week was the end of the Symphony Orchestra rehearsals, and Alex Tobin was going home to New York. He promised me that if I would play in a restaurant there in which he is interested he would see me safely there and introduce me to Martini. He talked so much about it that I finally yielded and said I would go. I had money in the bank, but could not draw it out without uncle's consent. However, just this week he wanted to invest five hundred dollars for me and gave me his signature so I could get it. You know how easy uncle is about money matters, and he thought it was perfectly all right to send me to the bank alone. I have gone about by myself so much, you know. But instead of going to his studio with it, as I was supposed to, I kept it with me and did not go home at all.

"I was to meet Mr. Tobin in the station at a quarter before nine. If I was not there when the train went he was going without me. I was so excited all day I did not have time to stop and think what I was doing, and how terrible it was to run away from uncle and aunt, when they had been so kind to me, even to study with Martini. I looked upon Alex Tobin as my friend and benefactor, instead of a horrid, scheming man, as I see he is now. He just wanted me to play in that restaurant of his for nothing, and draw crowds, and beyond that he really didn't care what became of me.

"When I lost the money I was nearly frantic, because I was afraid I would miss the train. But when the clock struck nine and I knew the train was gone, I suddenly felt glad, glad, although I had been so anxious to go.

For I had come to myself and felt sick at the thought of what I had almost done. Oh, Katherine, how can I ever thank you for keeping me from doing it?"

"Don't try," said Katherine cheerfully, rubbing away at a gra.s.s stain on her skirt with the wreck of a white silk glove.

For the first time Veronica noticed Katherine's white dress. "Oh, Katherine," she exclaimed in distress, "tonight is your cla.s.s banquet! I heard some of the other girls talking about it. And you have missed it for my sake!"

"Why, so it is," said Katherine, with a well-feigned start of recollection. "I had forgotten all about it."

"No, you didn't forget it," persisted Veronica; "you deliberately spent the time here with me."

"Well, never mind about that," said Katherine soothingly. "It was worth it."

"Worth it? Oh, Katherine, after the way I have treated you! I once called you a peasant, but you are n.o.ble-you are a princess! It is I who am not fit to a.s.sociate with you!"

"O Glory!" exclaimed Katherine in an embarra.s.sed way. Katherine was like a fish out of water when anyone began to express emotion. "Forget about the whole business," she said, "and come back into the group. You need to have something on your mind."