CHAPTER XIX
CAN IT BE POSSIBLE?
Ruth was thinking a great deal--it must be confessed!--about moneyduring the first days of this new term at Briarwood Hall, and yet shewas not naturally of a mercenary nature. Nor was she alone in this, forthe advent of Nettie Parsons into the school quite turned the heads ofmany.
Nettie Parsons was the first multi-millionaire's daughter who had evercome to Briarwood Hall. Most of the girls' parents were well-to-do;otherwise they could not have afforded to pay the tuition fees, for Mrs.Grace Tellingham's institution was of considerable importance on theroster of boarding schools.
Many of the girls' parents, like Helen Cameron's father, were reallywealthy. But Mr. Parsons was way above that! And with a certain classthe mere fact of money _as_ money, is cause enough for them to kneeldown and worship!
After a time these "toadies" were disappointed in the daughter of the"sugar king." Nettie Parsons was a very commonplace, kindly girl, notat all brilliant, and dressed more plainly than the majority of thegirls at Briarwood Hall.
Ruth's thoughts about money were not in the same lines as the thoughtsof those girls so much interested in Nettie Parsons' riches. She neitherenvied the wealthy girl her possessions, nor desired to be like her.
What Ruth Fielding desired so keenly was independence. She wanted tocontrol her own destiny, instead of being so beholden to Uncle JabezPotter for everything. The sting of being an object of charity hadgotten deeply into Ruth's heart. The old miller had an unfortunate waywith him, which made the proud girl feel keenly her situation.
There was really no reason at all why the miller should take care of,and educate, his niece's child. He was not legally bound to do it. Thekinship was not close enough for people to really expect Uncle Jabez todo all that he had for Ruth Fielding!
There had been times when the girl, through several fortunatecircumstances, had been of real help to the miller. She had once helpedrecover some money he had lost when the freshet wrecked a part of theRed Mill. Again, it was through her that an investment in a mine inMontana had proved productive of gain for Uncle Jabez, instead of loss.
And now, only this summer, she had actually saved the miller's life.
Grudgingly, Uncle Jabez had paid these debts by keeping her at thisexpensive school and furnishing her with clothes and spending money. Itwas plain he had never approved of her being away from the mill duringvacations, too.
Uncle Jabez saw no reason for young people "junketing about" andspending so much time in pleasure, as Ruth's friends did. Boys and girlslearned to work, in his day, between short terms at school. It was allso different now, that the old man could not be blamed formisunderstanding.
For a girl to look forward to making a name for herself in the world--tohave a career--to really be somebody--was something of which Uncle Jabez(and Aunt Alvirah as well) could not fail to disapprove.
Ruth desired to prepare for college, and in time enter a higherinstitution of learning. She wished, too, to cultivate her voice, and touse it in supporting herself later. She knew she could sing; she lovedit, and the instructors at Briarwood encouraged her in the belief thatshe had a more than ordinarily fine contralto voice.
Uncle Jabez did not believe in such things. He would never be willing toinvest money in making a singer of his niece. Useless to think of it!
Uncle Jabez had said that girls were of little use in the world,anyway--unless they settled down to housekeeping. The times Ruth hadbeen of aid to him were, as he said, "just chancey."
It was of the reward for the return of the missing pearl necklace toNettie Parsons' Aunt Rachel, that the girl of the Red Mill was thinkingso continually, while the first days of this term at Briarwood slippedby. But five thousand dollars would grant Ruth Fielding the independenceshe craved!
Ruth and Helen Cameron had discussed the mystery of the pearl necklacein all its bearings--over and over again. All the "pros" and "cons" inthe case had "been before the house," as Helen said, and it all came tothe same answer: Could it be possible that Queen Zelaya, Roberto'sgrandmother, now had in her possession the necklace rightfully theproperty of Nettie Parsons' Aunt Rachel?
"That is, she had it," said Ruth, believing fully it was so, "if thatawful man I saw spying on her, has not robbed the old woman and gottenaway with the necklace. You know how he talked that day in the desertedhouse to the other Gypsy?"
"I guess I do!" exclaimed Helen. "Could I ever forget a single detail ofthat awful time?"
"And where are the Gypsies now?" said Ruth, feelingly. "Ah! _that_ isthe question."
"Uncle Ike wrote father that they had been traced some distance towardthe south," Helen returned, doubtfully.
"The south is a big section of the country," and Ruth wagged her head.
"Father was very angry," said Helen, "that the police did not find them,so that the whole tribe could be punished for what they did to us, Inever saw father so angry before. He declared that the Gypsies should betaught a lesson, and that their escape was most inexcusable."
Ruth said nothing, but shook her head.
"You know the excuse the sheriff and that Constable Peck, at SevernCorners, gave?"
"Yes," nodded Ruth.
"If you had come right up to the village that night, when Robertobrought you to the farmhouse, and told where the camp was, they'd havenabbed the whole crowd, before they could have gotten over the stateline."
"I know," murmured Ruth.
She was remembering Roberto's words as he left her that stormy night insight of her refuge. He had asked not to be too hard on the Gypsies;therefore, she had not hurried to lodge information against Queen Zelayaand her tribe.
But if she had only known about this pearl necklace! Nettie Parsons haddescribed the jewel so clearly that the girl of the Red Mill could notfor a moment doubt that the necklace in Zelaya's possession was the onefor which the reward was offered.
"I tell you what I'll do, if you say the word," Helen said at last,seeing that her friend was really so much troubled about the affair.
"What's that, dear?"
"I'll write to father. Let me tell him all about you seeing the oldwoman handling the pearls, and then about this necklace that was lost byNettie's aunt. He can advise you, at any rate."
So it was agreed. Helen wrote that very day. Inside of a week an answercame, and it quite excited Helen.
"What do you think?" she demanded of her chum. "Father has business thatcalls him to Lumberton in a few days. He will come here to see us. Andhe says for me to tell you to be sure and say nothing to anybody elseabout the missing necklace until he sees you."
"Of course I won't speak of it," replied Ruth. "I am not likely to. Oh,dear, Helen! if I could only win the reward that woman offers for thereturn of her necklace!"
It was not many days before Helen received the telegram announcing herfather's coming to Lumberton, which was the nearest town to BriarwoodHall. She showed it to Mrs. Tellingham, and asked that she and Ruth beexcused from lessons, when Mr. Cameron came, as he wished to drive thegirls over to see Tom at Seven Oaks.
This was, of course, arranged. Mr. Cameron was a very busy man, and hecould not spend much time in this visit. But he desired to speak to Ruthregarding the mystery of the pearl necklace.
He had hired a pair of spirited horses at Lumberton, and he quite hadhis hands full, as they bowled over the hilly road toward the militaryacademy. But he could talk to the girls.
He had Ruth give him every particular of what she had seen at night inthe Gypsy van, and when she had done so, he said:
"I have taken the pains to get from the police the description of Mrs.Rachel Parsons' missing necklace. It fits your tale exactly, Ruth. Now,I tell you what I shall do.
"I will set a detective agency at work. For my own part, I wish toovertake this Queen Zelaya, as she calls herself, and punish her forwhat she did to you two girls. If such people go free, it encouragesthem to do worse next time.
"Now, if she has the necklace, and we can
secure it, all the better. Iwould be glad to see you get that reward, Ruthie. And Helen says you arevery anxious to win it."
"Who wouldn't be?" gasped Ruth. "Just think of five thousand dollars!"
They were driving through a fine piece of chestnut wood as she saidthis. The blight had not struck these beautiful trees and they hung fullof the prickly burrs. The frost of the previous night had opened many ofthese, and the brown nuts smiled at once through the openings.
"There's a boy knocking them down!" cried Helen. "Let's stop and getsome, Father. See them rain down!"
At that moment a shower of chestnuts fell and a prickly burr landed onthe back of one of the team. The beast rose on his hind legs and pawedthe air, snorting.
"Look out!" exclaimed the boy in the tree.
Mr. Cameron was a good horseman and he had the animals well in hand. Theboy, however, was so anxious to see what went on below, that he strainedforward too far. With a scream, and the snap of broken boughs, heplunged forward, shot through the leafy-canopy, and landed with asickening thud upon the ground!
Mr. Cameron had halted the horses dead. Ruth was out of the carriagelike a flash and dropped on her knees by the boy's side. She washorror-stricken and speechless; yet she had made a great discovery asthe boy fell.
He was Roberto, the Gypsy!