Part 23 (1/2)

Mr. Brown put his nose down to his prisoner's hands. Then he inhaled the scent of his coat. Tom Curtis followed suit. The odor was unmistakable. The lad was well smeared with oil. The circ.u.mstantial evidence was strong against the captured boy when Mr. Brown related the discovery of the overturned can and the spread of the kerosene on the houseboat deck.

”I am awfully sorry to have made this scene, Mrs. Curtis,” apologized the young artist, ”but I knew no other way for us to settle the matter at once. This young man has done too much mischief to our friends to be allowed to go free again. But you need not think further of the experience, I'll take the lad and give him up to the police to-night.

Your son and I will be able to identify him. It will not be necessary to draw you girls into the business. We can manage without you.”

Mrs. Curtis looked exceedingly uncomfortable. She had been bitterly angry at the way the lad had served Tom and Madge, and at that time she would have given a great deal to have had him properly punished. Since then he had added one evil deed to the other. But the boy, who was being led away to prison, seemed so young, not much older than Tom. He was wild and reckless in his appearance, yet he had the aspect of having been born of gentle people.

The youth had not spoken since the discovery of the oil on his hands and clothes. Now, as he was being led from the sitting room, he turned on his cross-questioners and shook with swift laughter. He threw back his head, so that his long, dark hair uncovered his ears. His eyes gleamed.

Madge, who was staring hard at the boy from her position on the far side of the room, gave an unexpected movement of surprise. She waited for the young prisoner to speak.

”You needn't trouble your girls to appear against me,” he said savagely, ”but you will have to introduce their chaperon in court, and a pretty thing it will be for a sister to appear as a witness against her own brother!”

A frozen silence fell on the group of listeners. Phil shook her head emphatically. ”You are not our Miss Jenny Ann's brother,” she retorted decidedly. ”It would be perfectly impossible for her to have a wicked brother like you.”

Theodore Brown's face flushed and paled. He would have liked to drag the lad out of the room without waiting another instant. Yet he feared to make the scene even worse. He did not have the slightest faith in the lad's statement; he was only fiercely angry at the boy's impudence and wondered if the fellow even knew the name of the chaperon of the ”Merry Maid.”

Lillian and Eleanor were flushed with indignation. Tom Curtis was equally so. But Mrs. Curtis happened to catch a glimpse of Madge's face. Her expression was a puzzle. She ran forward and touched Mr.

Brown on the sleeve. ”Wait a minute, Mr. Brown,” she pleaded. ”Don't take the boy to jail yet. What he says may be true. Don't you think we ought to ask him some questions first?”

The entire company stared at Madge in amazement. But in the single moment when Mr. Brown's captive started to leave the room, the little captain had seen the tips of his pointed ears. She had caught the wild, almost animal gleam in his eyes. She recalled the midnight visitor to their chaperon on the first night their houseboat had rested at anchor. She remembered Miss Jenny Ann's curious behavior, and how she had absolutely refused to give the name of her caller. All this swept through Madge's mind and now she understood Miss Jenny Ann's poverty, her reticence about her own affairs, her unhappiness when the girls first knew her at school. Of course, this wicked brother was the cause of their chaperon's difficulties. If they punished the boy, Miss Jenny Ann must suffer more than he would. She had lately grown to be as merry as any of the girls on board the ”Merry Maid.”

”O Mrs. Curtis!” exclaimed Madge, ”please don't let Tom and Mr. Brown take him off to jail. I think he _is_ our Miss Jenny Ann's brother. I wouldn't have her find out the wicked things he has done for all the money in the world.” Madge was almost in tears as she made her plea to Mrs. Curtis.

”Never mind, dear,” replied Mrs. Curtis soothingly. ”If the lad really turns out to be your chaperon's brother, you are right; his behavior must be kept a secret from her.”

Mrs. Curtis, Mr. Brown and Tom afterward found the statement of the wild boy to be true. He was really Miss Jones's brother. His parents had died when he was a little boy, and his sister had sacrificed her life's hopes to him. Yet her efforts had been in vain. He had always been hard to control. In the last few years he had broken away from all restraint. He had been concealed in the motor boat that first towed the girls and their chaperon to their anchorage and had seen his sister on the houseboat. His plan had been to get money from her.

When she told him that she had none to give him he had devoted his time to tormenting the crew of the ”Merry Maid” in order to be revenged on his sister.

After long consultation it was decided not to send him to prison. Mrs.

Curtis gave him the money to sail for South Africa, after making him promise to try to turn over a new leaf, and not to write to his sister until he was safely out of the country. And so Miss Jenny Ann's ghost was laid without her knowing it until some time afterward.

CHAPTER XXIII

”MOTHER”

Not one of the four girls closed her eyes during the long night following the dinner given by Mrs. Curtis. Miss Jenny Ann sat by Mollie until toward morning, when Eleanor and Lillian relieved her.

Madge and Phil walked up and down the deck in order to be ready if they were called. But as the long night wore on, Mollie exhibited no sign of returning consciousness.

After an early breakfast the next morning Miss Jones went back to her charge, and the girls lingered in the cabin sitting room talking together in low tones.

Madge kept her arms about Eleanor. Every now and then she would lean over to kiss her cousin.

Nellie laughed softly. ”What's the matter, Madge? Why are you so affectionate with me all of a sudden? Does it make you care more for me because poor, lovely Mollie is so ill, and because it might just as easily have been me, or Phil, or Lillian?”

Madge nodded. ”Perhaps that is the reason.”

Neither Lillian nor Eleanor even faintly dreamed that their friend had anything on her mind to worry her, except the critical condition poor Mollie was in; but Phil knew differently. She had long suspected what Mrs. Curtis's preference for Madge meant. Phyllis and Miss Jenny Ann had even discussed the possibility of their captain leaving them.