CHAPTER XXVII IT WAS A CLUE
Jackie wakened and opened wondering eyes at the moment when a kind-facedwoman in nun's garb entered from an inner corridor. With a glad cry heslipped from Jerry and ran with arms outstretched.
The young people rose and waited, sure that this woman, who had stoopedto comfort the sobbing child, must be the Sister Theresa to whom he hadbeen given. She was evidently questioning him and brokenly he was tellingthat the robbers had carried him off and that Granddad was dead.
She lifted a sorrowful face toward the strange young people and withoutquestioning their identity, she said, "It was very kind of you all tobring Jackie to me. Did Mr. Weston send me a message?"
Jerry, realizing that formal introductions were unnecessary at a timelike this, replied, "Yes, Sister Theresa. The old man was so nearly deadwhen we found him in an arroyo over near 'The Dragoons' that he could saylittle. However, he _did_ give Jackie to you."
The nun had seated herself and had motioned the others to do likewise.The boy, standing at her side, was looking up into her face withtear-filled, anxious eyes.
"Poor little fellow," she said. "His life has been full of fear, but now,if those tormentors of his grandfather are in prison, he will be free ofthe constant dread of being kidnapped."
"Sister Theresa," Mary leaned forward to ask, "_why_ did those cruel menwish to harm so helpless a child?"
The nun shook her head sadly. "It is a long story," she said, "and onethat causes me much pain to recall, but I will tell you. Years ago thisgood man, who had the largest cattle ranch in these parts, was ridingover the mountains carrying about his person large sums of money. He wasovertaken by two highwaymen, who, after robbing him, forced him tocontinue with them over a lonely mountain road. When they were at a highspot, they heard a stage coming and they forced Mr. Weston to hide withthem around a curve. When the stage was almost upon them, the banditsrode out, shot the driver and stole the bags of gold they found. Thefrightened horses plunged over a cliff taking with it the dead driver andone man passenger. A child, that man's sister, was thrown into the road.The bandits thought only of escape, and, for a time, they forgot theircaptive. Seeing a chance to get away, he turned his horse and gallopedback toward his ranch. Finding the child in the road, he took time tosnatch her up and take her with him. He brought her to this convent whereshe has been ever since."
The listeners, who, one and all had guessed the speaker's true identity,could hardly wait until she had finished to ask if she were the long lostLittle Bodil.
Tense emotion brought tears to the woman's kind eyes. "My dears," shesaid, looking from one to another of them. "My dears, _can_ you tell meof my brother, Sven Pedersen? I have always thought that he must havebeen killed when the stage plunged over the cliff. At first I hoped thiswas not true, but when he never came to find me--"
Mary interrupted, "Oh, Sister Theresa, your brother never stopped tryingto find you."
Jerry said, "He advertised in newspapers."
The nun shook her head. "We do not take newspapers here and Mr. Weston,who had a nervous collapse for a long time, was not permitted to read.Yes, that accounts for it. My poor brother! How needlessly he grieved."
Jerry and Dick exchanged glances and Dick's lips formed the word "money."
The cowboy said, "Sister Theresa, from the tale of an old storekeeper inGleeson, who knew your brother well, we have learned that he has a letterfor you written in Danish which tells where he left some money for you."
"I shall be glad to have the letter," the woman said, her facelightening, "not because of the money which I will use for others, as wehere take the vow of poverty, but because of some message I am sure theletter will contain."
Mary, thinking of the Dooleys, wanted to ask if the money might, part ofit at least, be used for _them_ but she thought better of it.
The nun, looking tenderly down at the boy who still nestled close to her,said lovingly, "Poor Little Jackie, how I wish I _could_ keep him herewith me, but that would not be permitted since he is a boy." As thoughinspired, she told them, "If that money is found, I will give a good partof it to someone who will make a happy home for this little fellow."
Mary also was inspired. "Oh, Sister Theresa," how eagerly she spoke. "Iknow the very nicest family and they're in great need. Caring for Jackiewould be a godsend to them and bring great happiness into _his_ life, I'msure of that."
Then she told--with Jerry's help--all that she knew of Etta Dooley andher family.
The nun turned to the cowboy. "I like what you tell me about that littlefamily. If there is money to pay her, I would like to see your friendEtta." She was rising as she spoke. A muffled gong was ringing in theinner corridor. The young people also rose.
"I am sure Etta will come, Sister Theresa," Mary said.
Jerry promised to try to bring the letter on the morrow. The nun, smilinggraciously at them all, held out her hand to first one and then another,saying, "Thank you and goodbye." The little boy echoed, "Goodbye." He wasto remain with Sister Theresa until she had met and approved of EttaDooley.
As the young people were about to leave the convent, the young nun whohad admitted them appeared and said, "Sister Theresa invites you tolunch. It is long after the noon hour."
She turned, not waiting for a possible refusal and so they followed herthrough a side door, along a narrow corridor which ended in descendingsteps. They found themselves in a bare basement room. There were plainwooden tables, clean and white, with benches on both sides. No one was inevidence as the noon meal had been cleared away. The young nun motionedthem to a table, then glided away to the kitchen. She soon returned withfour bowls of simple vegetable soup, glasses of milk and a plain coarsebrown bread without butter.
"I hadn't realized how starved I am!" Dora said when they were alone.
"Isn't it too story-bookish for anything, our finding Little Bodil atlast?" Mary exclaimed as she ate with a relish the appetizing soup.
"Righto. It sure is," Jerry agreed.
Dick asked, "Do you think Etta Dooley will be too proud to take themoney?"
"I don't," Mary said with conviction. "She won't suspect that we had_wanted_ to find some way of giving her the money. She'll think that ourfirst thought had been to recommend a good home for Jackie. That willmake it all right with her, I'm sure."
Dora glanced at Jerry somewhat anxiously. "They can stay where they are,can't they? Etta said that if it weren't for her feeling of beingdependent on charity, she would simply love being there."
Jerry nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sure Dad will be glad to have them. Ireckon he hasn't any other plans for that cabin. We could lease them, saythree acres, and if they paid a little rent that would make Etta feelindependent."
Dora added her thought, "If Etta passes those examinations she's going totake in Douglas, maybe she could be teacher in that little school nearyour ranch, Jerry."
The cowboy's face brightened. "Say, that's a bingo-fine idea! That schoolhad to close because we hadn't any children. All we need are eightyoungsters to reopen it. Let's see, there are the twins, Jackie will makethree." Then, anxiously he glanced at Mary. "How soon can Baby Bess go toschool?"
"She'd _have_ to go if Etta did," was the laughing reply.
Dora suggested, "Couldn't there be a kindergarten department?"
"I reckon so." The cowboy's face was troubled. "Four kids aren't eight."
Dick, remembering something Mr. Newcomb told his wife, inquired, "Jerry,your dad asked your mother if she minded having a cowboy next winter whohad a wife and six children."
"Jolly-O!" Dora cried. "What did Mrs. Newcomb say?"
It was Mary who replied, "You know what dear, big-hearted Aunt Molliewould say. I can almost hear her tell Uncle Henry that 'the more themerrier.'"
"Of course," Jerry told them, "even if we can work the school plan, thesalary is mighty small. It wouldn't more than pay their grocery bill butit'll help all right, along with--"
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Mary caught the cowboy's arm, her expression alarmed. "Jerry, _what_ ifthere _isn't_ any money in that rock house after our planning?"
"Tomorrow we will know," Dick said. Then, as the young nun reappeared,they arose and thanked her for the good meal. Dora noticed that as Dickpassed out he dropped a coin in a little box labeled, FOR THE POOR.