Part 19 (2/2)
”Whoever robbed us paid for the goods,” Mrs. Morse said, feebly.
”It was that ha'nt!” declared Liz.
At that the story of the man's face she had seen at the edge of the wood the evening before, came out. All the girls heard the story, and at once there was a great hullabaloo!
”A man on the island!” gasped Nellie. ”I'm going home.”
”Pooh!” said Bobby. ”Liz says it's a ghost. A kleptomaniac ghost at that.”
”He can't be a kleptomaniac, Bobby,” said Laura, laughing, ”or he wouldn't have left money for the goods.”
”He's a kleptomani-_antic_ ghost, then!” giggled Bobby.
”How ridiculous!” said Jess. ”Whoever heard the like?”
”The fact remains,” said her mother, ”that some stranger has been here while we slept, and taken the provisions--and we shall have to get more.”
”The ten dollars will more than pay for what's missing,” said Laura, slowly.
”What of that?” demanded Nellie. ”I don't like the idea.”
Lizzie was somewhat flurried. ”And me--I was sleepin' right behind that canvas curtain. Not again! never! I'm goin' back to town.”
At this the girls all set up a wail. ”Oh, Liz! you mustn't! You promised to stay! We're paying you good wages, Liz! Don't leave us to do all the work!” was the chorus of objections.
”Well! I ain't goin' to stay right here where that ha'nt can get me,”
declared Liz.
”But,” put forth Laura, seriously, though her eyes twinkled, ”you shouldn't be afraid of _that_ haunt if he was such a nice young man as you say he was.”
”Huh!” grumbled Lizzie Bean, practically. ”No young man is nice after he's dead.”
There seemed to be no answer to this statement. But Mrs. Morse came to the rescue.
”You can bring your cot into the cabin, Lizzie,” she said. ”You will not be afraid if you sleep there with me, will you?”
”No, Ma'am. I reckon not,” admitted the girl.
”But how about _us_?” cried Lil Pendleton. ”Surely, we won't stay here if there are men on the island?”
”It's big enough for them and us, too, I guess,” said Bobby, doubtfully.
”Maybe the man--or men--who stole our food, is no longer on the island,” Laura said, slowly.
”And they paid for it!” exclaimed Dora.
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