CHAPTER XX
THE ROOM OF MYSTERY
How things had changed! The new day stood out independent of its pastand future. Peg had actually spent the night in the Bobbies' camp, andher treasure was now hidden in their packing-case safe.
Also, dear Camp Comalong was fading away, or was it looming up largeas a proposed Samaritan camp?
Breakfast was not finished when Benny came pumping along on his wheel.
"Folks got word about your aunt, Julia," he began after a veryinformal greeting, "and I came over to tell you your mother wants youto come home sure, day after to-morrow."
"I'm going to, Ben," replied Julia. "My Aunt Marie is bringing mesomething from Paris. I'll be on hand to welcome her, never fear,"said the blonde girl archly.
"We are going to give up camp, Ben," announced his own sister, Grace."Won't you have a bun, or something else to eat?" she invited the boy,who stood with hands in pockets, plainly admiring the camp lifefreedom before him.
"Going to give up?" he almost shouted. "Then can we fellows have it?"
"Oh, Ben, perhaps you boys could have it after the next two weeks, butfor that time we are going to sacrifice it for some very needy citychildren, who only get a breath of real air when they come up on anexcursion," explained Grace.
"Oh, a fresh air camp!" Benny's voice fell in disappointment.
"Not just that kind," continued the sister, "but we saw some poor,little pale faces the other day, and we just couldn't stand theirlonging for a few days in the real country. So we are all going backto our cottages, and going to give up the Comalong for two weeksbefore school opens."
"Then where would we fellows come in? Two weeks before school----"
"Our schools don't open till later," explained Louise, "and you know,Benny, September is the most beautiful month to camp," she placated.
"Every month is good enough," insisted the boy, "but of course, ifyou've promised." He was evidently not fired with the same sort ofphilanthropy that inspired the girls.
"Come on, Benny, try our camp-made Johnny-cake," urged Louise. "Justthink, we bake that right on top of that stone oven."
"I don't want to think of it," growled the real boy. "I know what weBoy Scouts could do with this outfit."
"Poor Ben," and Grace threw an arm around the brown-haired littlefellow. "Never mind. I'm coming home and I'll make you as much fudgeas every boy in your crowd will want to eat--at one sitting," shequalified.
He was finally induced to sample the Johnny-cake, but when he leftthere was a defiance in his manner, akin to recklessness.
"I don't care, anyhow," he prevaricated. "We're going to camp up onthe hills next week," he flung back, jerking his wheel up in the airto start, as if it had been a pony with its bit too tight.
"A busy day approach--eth," warned Corene. "We must have our trial swimthis morning, you know."
"Yes, and we have to go for the mail. It's my turn and yours, Weasy,"said Cleo.
"And I've got to go around to all the cottages and give warning we aregoing to break camp, I suppose," said Julia. "I know the mothers willbe glad to get the news, although they may not admit it."
"And I'm going to take a run up to Peg's and see if she is all right,"declared Corene. "Maybe now that she won't go over the hills lookingfor that lost claim, she may take time to have a civilized swim withus."
"She may; but then again she may not," interposed Cleo. "Don't youremember she said there was something she was disappointed about notbeing finished?"
"Yes; we couldn't get all the story, there were so manyinterruptions," said Corene. "But wasn't she a wonderful girl to workso hard to follow out her father's ambitions?"
"Yes, like a big, strong boy, she has been going up those hills daily.She didn't say just what she was looking for, did she?" asked Julia.
"Zinc mine, wasn't it?" suggested Louise.
"Something about ores," added Julia. "You know her Aunt Carrie saidMr. Ramsdell used to be a government geologist."
"Yes," agreed Louise, vaguely. Geology meant stones, they all knew,and as for the ores--well, it didn't seem to be gold and to theindifferent ones no other metal seemed to suggest sensationaldevelopments just then.
An hour later they were in the lake, trying out their contest stunts.Corene did not succeed in inducing Peg to accompany them, as theexcitement around the log cabin was still in evidence. Even theofficer sort of "hung 'round," to "keep an eye on things," and whenCorene made her flying trip up there she found Peg so busy that goodsense forbade the Scout delaying her.
The swim over, next came the delivery of all those homemade messages.Hither and thither scouted the Scouts, until lunch time was pointedout by the faithful little sun dial, and that was not a point to beoverlooked.
Only two days remained now until the week would be closed. Then wouldcome the excitement of breaking camp.
Miss Mackin had already notified headquarters of the Bobolinks'determination, and to-day a visitor was expected to take inventory.
It was all delightfully thrilling. In spite of the natural regret thataccompanied this sacrifice, there was also that joy of satisfactionthat always comes with the doing of a real heroic act. Everygirl-Bobbie of them felt it her own personal privilege to invite thosecity youngsters out to Lake Hocomo, and likewise each felt the elationof "doing a big thing."
"I wonder when Peg will come back for her valuables?" mused Grace.They were "slicking" up the grounds for the day's inspection--someonealways came by and looked in on pleasant mornings.
As if the expressed thought had ticked off a message, scarcely hadGrace uttered it than Peg and Shag came racing over the hills.
"Here she comes!" sang out the impetuous Helen.
"Oh, say, girls!" Peg called on ahead of herself. "Don't you want tocome up and see my cabin?"
"Do we?" The enthusiasm of Cleo's tone was pure compliment.
"Just wait until we get these papers in the incinerator," pantedJulia. "We will all be off duty then and glad to go up to your cabin."
Everyone felt that way, which was evinced by the unusual haste made inthe slicking-up process.
Peg looked like a different girl! She had discarded the mountaineer'scostume and wore a simple white dress. The effect was startling. Allthat severity of outline had vanished. Even the slick black hairseemed to turn up just a little--perhaps with the heat or was it fromexcitement?
The girls were surprised but hid the fact completely. With a word toMiss Mackin--who like the others was hurrying, although her task was tofinish a very pretty basket for her mother--they all raced off with Pegand Shag. The big dog was frantic with delight. It was very evident hehad taken a real liking to the little Scouts.
"You will have to overlook some things," warned Peg, as they nearedthe bungalow, "for although auntie is a crackerjack housekeeper shehas me to battle against."
Awe, the concomitant of enthusiasm, possessed the girls as they stoodon the threshold of that mystery house. As Peg ushered them in,however, each expressed surprise.
"What a duck of a room!" cried Grace.
"Isn't it?" agreed Corene.
They were surveying a very quaintly arranged room, indeed. The lowbeamed ceilings were of natural rough cedar, the field-stone fireplacestood out like a primitive shrine, and on the floors were the mostwonderful Indian rugs.
"We brought those rugs from the West," Peg explained, noting thegirls' admiration. "But I want to show you--my studio."
She unlocked a door and ushered the visitors into a very long darkenedroom. When all were within, she swung the door back, shot a bolt andswitched on lights.
"Oh, a shop!" exclaimed Isabel.
"That's just what it is," answered Peg. "This was dad's shop and Ihave been tinkering here since he left it to me. I miss himdreadfully, for dad and I were great pals," she said bravely.
"And this is the machinery you have been guarding?" said Louise, justdaring to put one finger on a long piece of steel that did not go offfollowing the contact.
"Yes," said Peg. "You see, even now I would not leave that doorunlocked, and we have never kept a servant since dad started thisinvention. It is a machine for drilling rock; it will pick up certainkinds of minerals and is most valuable because it can be workedwithout steam power. Dad had not quite finished it, but he waspositive of its value, and a single look at the simple mechanism, hewarned me, would easily betray its principle to any skilled mechanic.That is why the windows are boarded. See," she went to a window andraised a shade, "I can get light from those slanted boards," sheexplained, "but no one could possibly see into this room. We have atank that makes our own gas. Daddy was very ingenious," she finished,coming back to the machine from which she had taken a heavy blanketcovering.
The Scouts looked about, bewildered. What could a girl do, really,with iron and steel, and leather belts!
"And how did your father get these parts made?" asked Julia. She knewsomething of machinery, as her own father was a manufacturer.
"Dad made the patterns, in wood, you know, then he had them cast inthe city. He assembled the parts himself, of course. I have neverallowed an eye to rest on this," she declared, "for to me it is allsomething sacred. When Uncle Edward comes he will only have to finishthe negotiations with the patent office and ship them this model. Itis not so big--that is one of its great attractions." She seemed tofondle the queer-looking machine, which was, as she said, not verylarge; it could all be put in a crate the size of a packing case.
"And men came last night to break in just to see this?" It wasincredible, Louise thought.
"Yes, but there is more than the machine you see," said Peg. "Thereare the drawings, and samples of ore and--other things. I have those inyour safe you know," finished Peg.
"It is dear of you to trust us with all this----" began Julia.
"I wanted to do it, you have been so splendid to me," declared theblack-haired girl. "And I must have seemed so--bitter!"
"No, just mysterious, and that made you fascinating," declared Grace,giving Peg a counterfeit hug.
"But how did you do any of this sort of work?" pressed Corene, stilllooking at the formidable machine.
"I have a hand drill, and every single day I spend some time just asdad did, collecting specimens. You see, I am looking for zinc."
"What does it look like?" asked Cleo.
"It is a little, bluish white vein. I have pieces in my box. I'll showthem to you perhaps this evening," offered Peg.
"And two men called up to the tent just after you left this morning,"remarked Cleo. "They yelled 'sissy' and we didn't answer them."
"Were they riding?" asked Peg.
"Yes. Two big capitalistic looking gents," said Corene. She was stillfascinated with the ore drill, for Corene had a manual training turnof mind.
"Mr. Fairbanks and his New York partner," explained Peg. "They came uphere with all sorts of threats, if I didn't let them see dad's papers.But when I told them the Tourlander was coming in port--as you told me,you know--they didn't seem quite so--fierce. Big men like Fairbanks arealways cowards," declared Peg, with a pardonable sneer.
"Did they see your guns?" joked Louise, looking about for a possibleglimpse of the weapons.
"Didn't get a chance. I just met them outside the hedge, and theydidn't even leave their horses."
A long low bench stood under the window with the inverted blind. Oneby one the girls slid into place on it, like a band of littlekindergartners.
"I have always longed to see a real factory," ventured Cleo. "I shouldlove to hear your buzz, Peg."
The "manager" stepped over to a small machine and pressed her footupon it. The buzz promptly responded.
"Oh, let me try it! What will it do?" exclaimed Corene from theadmiring group now surrounding the buzzer.
"It will grind anything. See, it is run by a motor," explained Peg.
"Wonder would it cut Corene's hair, nice and even," teased Cleo. "I'veheard that very self same tune in barber shops."
"But where do you get your electricity from?" pressed Julia, theintelligent.
"There are a few poles in the hills and dad had one tapped for his ownuse," replied Peg. "You know the big hotel is wired."
"If we had known it we might have had a pole tapped for Comalong use,"put in Grace, facetiously. "I've had an awful time doing my hair atthe beach-tree dressing table. Just think what a spot-light would havedone for us."
Corene was grinding the point of her belt buckle on the revolvingemery wheel; Cleo was examining some outlines and drawings tacked to adrawing board, while the attention of Louise was riveted upon a lineof tools set in graduated order upon a convenient shelf, as neatlyplaced as the kitchen knives, spoons and ladles in her mother'sorderly pantry at home.
"Peg," said Corene, trying the buckle's point in her blouse, "couldn'twe open a little factory here and sharpen knives and forks for thecampers? We might fix umbrellas too. I've seen the grind men do it atthis sort of buzzer."
Peg laughed happily at the girl's humor. "You don't know how good itseems to hear real, human words in this room again," she said after anemphatic pause. "Auntie has been so afraid of everything that Isuppose I've inhaled the air of fear, unconsciously."
"I think Corey's idea perfectly spiffing," added Cleo. She was lookingfor something to sharpen on the wheel.
"You mean spoofing, Clee," insisted Grace. "If you will read trash whydon't you do it with a pad and pencil?"
"But all joking aside, girls, can't you imagine what all this reallymeans? I think Peg is the bravest girl we have ever met," Corenedeclared heartily.
"Oh, much," added Grace, with a side step not indicated in the factoryrecreational programme. "Can't we do something to testify to ouresteem? You know, the little 'token of' business."
"Kindly keep your skirts away from my wheel," ordered Corene, stillgrinding, "or you may get a most unexpected 'token of' around theankles."
"Your dad was a wonderful draftsman, Peg," commented Cleo, with hernewly trained eye tracing the intricacies of the drawing board. "Inever could learn to follow such fine lines and measurements."
"They wouldn't look well on your nut-bowl or your candle-sticks,Clee," remarked Louise. "Better stick to the school designs; they'resimpler."
"This is all very lovely, and more absorbing than the mechanicaldisplay at the State fair," put in Julia, "but you know, girls, Peghasn't really hired us yet."
A tap at the door interrupted.
"Peg," called Miss Ramsdell. "Here's a message."
Quickly opening the door, the girl accepted from the aunt the yellowpaper, but there was no need to read its simple statement, for thejoyous face of Aunt Carrie gave out the good tidings. Still Peg readaloud:
"Arrive to-morrow (Saturday), will go at once to you at Lake Hocomo.
"Edward Ramsdell."
"Joy! Joy!" Peg cried. "Really coming, oh, girls! Now I can have somefun helping you break camp! Isn't it splendid!"
"That's a promise, remember, positively," insisted Julia, as theyprepared to leave. "Bring Miss Ramsdell and Shag. Remember, we expectyou pos--i--tive--ly."
Then the door was locked from the outside, on the precious inventionof Peg's departed father.