CHAPTER IX
A STRANGE MEETING
For several days after the "hunt" the girls kept up the joke onthemselves. Time after time they threatened to let Jack, and hisfriend Percy, guess the truth, but Tavia, the most to be feared, didmanage to keep the laugh purely feminine.
Dorothy and Cologne were gathering berries this morning, while Taviaran off to a spot where she declared she could get the better kind offruit, better than any they had yet secured. She turned in back of thebig barn, then ran over behind the ice-house, and then she smelledapples, ripe apples.
"There are harvest apples around here, somewhere," she told herself."I simply must find them."
From tree to tree she scampered along until she was out in the lanethat ran into the next estate.
"That's a road," she was thinking. "And there's a man."
Glancing around to see if she could discern Dorothy or Cologne, Taviahad a sudden thrill of terror.
"I didn't know I had gone so far," she thought, "and that man iscoming this way."
Something familiar about the manner in which the stranger advancedtoward her attracted her attention.
"Looks like that man! It is he! The fellow who stopped the hay-wagonrunaway!"
She was still frightened, but a trifle more at ease, since sherecognized the man in the big slouch hat. "Whatever could have broughthim here?" she asked herself. The next moment she was glad--glad thatCologne and Dorothy were out of reach.
"Oh, I'm not afraid of him," she thought. "Perhaps he knows I'mhere----"
He was almost up to her. Yes, it was he--the same queer smile lurkedabout his face, and he had that indefinable air--was it attractive, oronly different?
"Good morning, Maud Muller," he said doffing that unlimited hat. "I'mso glad to see you alone."
"Good morning," answered Tavia, "but I am not alone, I just ran awayfrom my friends; they are over there."
"But not over here. It's all the same. I want to speak to you, andthis is the best opportunity I could have wished for."
Tavia unconsciously picked up a stick. She felt queer, and he lookedqueer, so that altogether it was a very queer proceeding.
"I have news for you," the man resumed. "Is not your name TaviaTravers?"
"Yes."
"Then you must follow my advice closely and you will come into yourown. Are you not from the town of Dalton?"
"I am."
"Then I am right, as I was sure I was from the start. Your father isa--is an officer in Dalton?"
"A squire," replied Tavia, bewildered now at his knowledge of her andher family.
"The same. I want to tell you"--he stepped up uncomfortably near toher so that his sleeve touched her--"I want to tell you there is afortune coming to your family, and I can put you on the track tosecure it. My uncle Abe"--he seemed to chuckle--"knew about it, hetold me, and I had to swear on a Bible covered with blood, that Iwould never betray his secret!"
"Oh, my!" shuddered Tavia stepping away. "I don't think I can waitnow." She was thoroughly frightened. "Couldn't you come down to thecamp, and tell me? Then we could talk comfortably. The sun is very hotup here."
"But what I have to say is best said in the open," he answeredvaguely. "I prefer this to all spots on earth." He paused and Tavia'sfirst impulse was to run, but then----
"I won't ask you to believe me now," he said, his voice softening,"but if you will come to where I say I can prove my assertion."
"That there is a fortune left to my family? That is too absurd," andTavia smiled. "Money does not run in our family."
"Exactly. That is why it has to be run into it--put on the track, soto speak. Well, I know what I am talking about. But if you are notinterested----"
He turned as if to go. What if it could be true, and Tavia wasthrowing away the only chance she would ever have of learning thetruth?
"Where did you want me to go?" she stammered.
"Meet me at the old stone bridge to-morrow at three, and I willconvince you of the actuality of this wonderful inheritance--thisinheritance which you so long have been deprived of--which you havebeen fleeced out of by my scheming Uncle Abe!"
His eyes flashed, and his voice trembled. Tavia thought she had neverbefore seen such glassy eyes, and the way he fastened them on her gaveher a most uncomfortable feeling. She even felt compelled to promisewhat he asked, and she did so.
He sauntered off, leaving the girl's head in a whirl. Who was he, andwhat did he know about her family?
He was right in his assertions about Dalton, also about her father.Surely there could be no harm in listening to his story, and the stonebridge was not far from camp.
Dorothy and Cologne were just appearing above the hill, Dorothy'syellow head bobbing up like some animated flower.
"Oh, you dreadful girl!" called Cologne. "We thought the gypsies hadtaken you."
"No such luck," answered Tavia, as the two came up to the apple tree."But I did find some splendid apples. Help yourselves. I must sit downfor a minute. I've been up the tree--no, up _a_ tree," she finishedwith a laugh that neither of her companions understood.
"Harvests!" cried Cologne in delight. "I never knew they were here."
"Neither did I until I found them," replied Tavia foolishly.
"The climb gave you lovely red cheeks; Tavia," said Dorothy. "Youought to take climbing in the next school course."
"No sarcasm now, please, Doro. I don't feel a bit funny."
"But you look it," declared Dorothy, keeping up her teasing manner."You always look funny when your cheeks get so red--"
"Danger of ignition, I suppose," and Tavia's voice was anything butpleasant. "Oh, there go the Lamberts!" as an auto swished around theroad. "I must run away and see them some day--just before we go home,when Cologne won't have time, or heart, to scold."
"You wouldn't!" spoke Cologne. "Mother particularly warned me that wewere not to take up with those theatrical folks, and mother is theboss."
"Oh, very well, if you really feel that way about it," and Taviashrugged her shoulders.
Dorothy was shaking a limb of the apple tree. "What ghost have youseen Tavia?" she asked. "Someone has stolen away all your goodnature."
"He's welcome," she replied. "Stagnant good nature doesn't keep well,and I have been keeping mine bottled up ever since you shot thatwindow brush. The shock to my system--" and she imitated the manner ofone affected with nerves.
"Yes, it was dreadful on all of us," agreed Dorothy, from whom thechange in Tavia's manner could not be hidden. "But you must forget it,and think of the good time we are going to have to-morrow. Think ofit! Going out in the real mountains, with real boys for guides! Ofcourse you will have your pick of the boys, Cologne and I must besatisfied with what remains."
Cologne had scarcely spoken since Tavia mentioned the Lamberts, andDorothy was doing her best to restore good nature and peace to both ofher companions. Yet she was greatly annoyed at Tavia's rudeness. Whyshould she persist in ignoring common courtesy and thus keeping upthat Lambert question?
"We must hurry back to the camp with our berries," Cologne at lastventured, "or mother will think some snake has eaten us up."
"And I particularly want to try my hand at berry tarts," declaredDorothy. "I was, at one time, considered quite a 'tarter.'"
Tavia gathered up some apples, and the others took their berrybaskets. They walked slowly over the hill back to the camp. Jack waswaiting for them.
"Say, girls!" he began as they neared the dining room steps, "the boyshave a great scheme on for to-morrow. But I am not to tell you aboutit."
"Isn't that lovely," came from Tavia in rather mocking tones.
"But I am commissioned to tell you," he went on with an arch look atTavia, "that you are to rest this afternoon for sufficient untoto-morrow is the weariness thereof."
Then they began to prepare lunch, but Tavia remained outside, askingJack some seemingly foolish questions.