CHAPTER XXII Arden's Idea
Arden was on the verge of disclosing something when that knock sounded.So excited were the girls over what had happened and what Harry Pangbornhad told them that, for a moment, they were startled.
Then Sim, the first, seemingly, to return to the very practical present,called:
"Come in!"
Moselle entered.
"'Scuse me," she said, "but the horse-boy is downstairs."
"The horse-boy?" repeated Sim.
"Do you mean somebody with a cold?" asked Arden mischievously glancing atHarry.
"No'm, Miss Arden. I means that boy you-all go riding with on horses."
"Oh, Dick Howe!" said Terry.
"Whom I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting," murmured Dot.
"What can he want?" murmured Sim.
"I wonder if anything could have happened to Granny--or at the Hall?"questioned Arden.
"Did he say what he wanted, Moselle?" Sim asked, and Moselle let her eyesrove about the room containing the four pretty girls and the verypresentable Harry Pangborn. Perhaps Moselle wondered at a gentleman not aphysician visiting in Terry's room, but the cook said nothing about that.She merely remarked:
"He didn't say what he wanted--just asked to see one of the youngladies."
"Which one?" asked Terry, laughing, for her ankle pain was much relievedby the comforting bandages and the liniment the doctor had used.
"He didn't say, Miss Terry, but I 'spects he meant Miss Sim."
"I'd better go down," Sim decided.
"I hope," remarked Arden as Sim started downstairs, "that Dick's call hasnothing to do with Granny Howe being ill, or anything like that. What Iwas just going to tell you has to do with Granny."
"I had a glimpse of her near her little cottage as I was leaving theHall," said Harry. "She seemed to be all right, bustling about in thesnow like some Colonial housewife. Very picturesque."
"Hurry back, Sim, and tell us," begged Dot. "I'm dying with curiosity,and if he's good-looking and young and all that sort of thing, he mightcome around oftener. You hinted there might be some young men when youasked me out for the holidays," she said, mischief again sparkling in herrather fascinating eyes.
"What do you call this nice young man?" Arden pointed a slim pink fingerat Harry who bowed gallantly.
"One among four?" questioned Dot with upraised eyebrows.
"I know some chaps----" Harry began, but Arden interrupted with:
"Don't pay any attention to Dot. She's too theatrical."
Sim had gone down and was returning quickly.
"It wasn't anything," she reported. "Dick just wanted to know when wewere going to ride again. He said business was rather slow at Ellery's,and it was Dick's idea to start out and drum up a little trade. He doesget a commission, just as I expected. Shall we go riding again?"
"I'd love it!" Dot declared.
"But--Terry," Sim reminded them, going over to the bed and smoothing backthe invalid's hair, rather movie-like.
"Oh, don't mind me!" Terry was quick to say. "I think a little rest andquiet will do me good. I shall probably doze off after my ride with SantaClaus, that was invigorating," and she laughed a little, just likeherself.
"Well, what about it, girls?" asked Sim. "Dick is waiting for an answer.I think a ride would do us good. He says he'll bring the horses aroundhere--he'll have another groom to help him."
"I'm not very favorably disposed toward Mr. Ellery after that talk Iheard when Nick, or somebody, hinted that the liveryman had someunderhand connection with the old Hall," spoke Arden. "It may have beennothing, but, somehow, I don't trust Mr. Ellery too far."
"You can't blame what he does or says, or anything that the mysteriousNick does, on the horses," Sim declared. "And it would mean something toDick. Besides, I would like a ride. Why not?"
"I might come along as second groom," suggested Harry.
"Oh, please do!" begged Dorothy impulsively. She, as Sim said to Ardenlater, seemed fast making friends with the young man. Dorothy showed hermother's theatrical influence.
"Then I'll tell Dick to bring around four horses," decided Sim. "You'resure you won't mind, Terry?"
"Not a bit. But I do wish Arden would tell us the big secret before yougo. I'll have something to think about, then, while you're gone."
"Oh, I think it will be the loveliest thing!" Arden said, her eyesshining with enthusiasm. "I'm so glad I thought of it. The idea came tome when Harry was telling about his plan, and the park commissioners, togive Granny more time to prove her claim--or to help her with legaladvice or something like that. Anyhow, it looks like new hope for Granny.And what I suggest is that we give her a little party, say on ChristmasEve, and tell her the good news. I believe it will be the best presentshe could want."
"Say, that is an idea!" exclaimed Sim.
"Just like you, Arden," said Dot.
"Does that appeal to you, Harry?" Sim wanted to know.
"Splendid!"
"And my ankle will be enough better, then, so I can come to the party,"Terry murmured.
"Would you have it here or at Granny's cottage?" Sim asked. "I think herewould be nice, as we have the holly now."
"Why not have it in the Hall?" asked Dorothy. "I think that would be themost appropriate place for such an announcement."
"Good!" said Harry.
"But could we?" Sim asked. "I mean, wouldn't it be bleak and cold? Theweather is likely to be stormy now for quite a while. It is stillsnowing."
"I love to ride in a snowstorm," was Dot's remark. "It would be just likeone of those funny old melodramas, riding back home." Dorothy was bestwhen she _was_ theatrical.
"But about using the Hall for Granny's Christmas party," suggested Harry,"I think nothing could be nicer. And from what I saw of the place in myinvestigations today, I think that big lower room could be very well usedfor it. By keeping the windows and doors closed and building a big fireon the hearth it would be warm enough; simply swell. That hearth willtake in a whole fence rail. Then there are some old tables, chairs,boxes, and chests scattered through the old mansion that we could bringto that room and make it look like Christmas in the very old days. Notrouble at all."
"Then we'll do it!" Sim decided. "Arden, you get the prize of a fur-linedSanta Claus suit in which to make the announcement to Granny!"
"Oh, won't it be fun!" sighed Terry. "How long until Christmas?" and shebegan to count on her fingers. The ankle was now being all but forgotten.
"Then we'll regard it as settled," said Arden. "I'm so glad I thought ofthis, and so glad you mentioned having it in the Hall, Dot. Things arelooking distinctly brighter; in fact, they begin to shine!"
"In spite of the fact that we haven't solved the mystery," added Sim.
"But we shall!" predicted Harry. "I'm going to be around here for sometime after Christmas on that bird-sanctuary business, and the mystery isgoing to be solved before the birds settle down."
"Let us help," suggested Arden. "Don't forget we had 'firsties,'" shefinished, dimpling like a little girl.
"I'll let you help, gladly," Harry answered. "In fact, I'm counting onit."
"Well, if we're going riding, let's go!" proposed Sim. "Poor Dick iswaiting. Probably he wants the commission he'll get out of our businessto buy Christmas presents with."
The girls scurried out to get into riding togs. Harry Pangborn waswearing what would be all right for his ride as the rig had been chosenfor his woodland work. He looked well in windbreaker coat, cap, leatherputtees, and his knickers were genuine Scotch plaid.
Sim, before going to dress, sent Moselle to tell Dick to bring aroundfour horses and then supplied Terry with books to read in bed while shewould be alone.
"Sure you won't be lonesome?" Sim asked, smoothing down the spread.
"Not at all. I shall probably read myself to sleep," Terry promised.
Dick and a younger helper were soon back with the mounts, and the
y allstarted gayly out in the snow, which was falling faster than ever. But itwas a dry, fine snow that did not melt on one's garments or get in wetaround one's neck. Even the horses seemed to like it; this friendly snow.
"Which way shall we take?" asked Sim as they started out.
"Let's go round by way of the Hall and--have a look at the prospects,"suggested Arden, warning her companions with a look not to say too muchabout Granny's Christmas party before Dick. The details were to be a sortof surprise, though the old lady might have to be told that the youngpeople wanted to use that one big room in her former home for a littlefestivity. The Hall being locally famous, that arrangement would bereasonable enough.
"We can bring Granny over from her cottage at the last minute," Arden hadsaid when discussing this angle of it.
"There's nothing doing at the Hall now," said Dick when the horses hadbeen turned in the direction of Jockey Hollow.
"What do you mean?" asked Sim.
"I mean Callahan has called all the work off."
"Why is that?" Arden wanted to know.
"Perhaps new and worse ghosts," suggested Dorothy quizzically.
"No, that isn't it," the young groom answered. "I believe he couldn't getthe right kind of men to work, it's so near Christmas. They would workhalf a day and then want to stop. I didn't hear anything more about theghosts--not since my sister found what she thought was a dead man in thecellar," and Dick laughed, recalling that incident.
"That certainly was something to find," murmured Arden. "Poor Betty! Shewas so frightened. I'll never forget how she shook."
"She's all over it now, though," her brother declared. "But it did giveher quite a shock. She talked about it a lot afterwards. No, I don'tbelieve in that ghost business myself. It's just a lot of tricks thoseworkmen think funny," he suggested boyishly.
"Tell him about the scream you heard, Harry," suggested Dorothy to theyoung man she was riding beside. As if _that_ might change Dick'sopinion.
"No, I think I'd better not," Harry answered. "I want to find thatscreamer first. _Then_, I'll tell the big story."
They broke into a brisk canter. It was a splendid ride in the friendlysnow, and in due time they reached the old Hall.
"Hello!" exclaimed Dick as he saw the now almost obliterated footprintsleading into the mansion. "Somebody has been here after all. I wonder ifany of the men can be working, after what Callahan told me?"
"Probably just some curiosity-seeker went in," suggested Harry with awarning look at the girls. "Only one man, according to footprints," hesaid.
"I guess that's right," Dick agreed. "Well, it shouldn't worry me. Thisplace doesn't belong in our family any more." He could not repress alittle sigh of regret as they rode on past the historic place that hadbeen in the possession of the Howes so many years.
"How does this ghost business affect your grandmother's cousin, Mrs.Tucker?" asked Arden of Dick.
"Oh, Cousin Viney? She just laughs at it. Doesn't believe in it at all.She's bitter, though, at us losing the place. Rants about thecarelessness of some ancestor who either lost the deeds or else hid themso well neither he nor anybody else was ever able to find them--deeds, amissing will, or whatever papers are called for in a case like this,"Dick said, a little confused in attempting to make that complicatedspeech.
"So Cousin Viney doesn't believe in ghosts?" asked Harry in an offhandsort of way.
"No more than Granny does. Anyhow, Cousin Viney is away now. She goes andcomes, visiting around among various relatives. She went away thismorning--didn't say when she would come back."
"It's just as well," said Sim to Dot. "Then we won't have to ask her toGranny's little party. And I don't like Cousin Viney very much, anyhow."
"She did rather give me the creeps," Dot said, "so sharp and 'sassy.'"
They rode on into Jockey Hollow while the snowflakes continued to siftdown upon them, almost hiding the ghostly Hall behind a thin, shifting,white curtain.