CHAPTER III. A MERRY ADVENTURE
The snow-plough had been along on the wide street and sidewalks of themain thoroughfares of the town and the girls had no trouble at all inmaking headway through the residential and business parts of Sunnyside,but when they turned toward the hills, on the west side of the village,they found that the snow-ploughs had not been so accommodating.Willowbend Lane was covered with deep, soft snow and when Bertha Angel,who chanced to be in the lead, tried to stand on it, she sank down to herknees. Wading was out of the question. Willowbend Lane was on theoutskirts of town and it was fully a mile back to the main road. Theylooked ahead of them across the unbroken snow to where, on a low hill,stood the big brownstone, turreted house in which lived the wealthy Mrs.Irving Earle Wright and her daughter, Rosamond.
"I wish we'd brought along some snowshoes," Merry remarked. "I hate tolet a storm stump me. Brother will certainly tease us well if we go backwithout having reached our destination."
"I don't think snowshoes would have helped us much," Bertha Angelcommented. "It's quite a feat to walk on them until one gets on to thetrick of it."
"Hark ye!" Merry exclaimed, lifting a finger of her fur-lined glove. "Ihear sleigh bells! Somebody is coming, and if that somebody's destinationhappens to be up Willowbend Lane, we'll beg a ride."
"What if it's somebody we don't know?" little Betty Byrd ventured toinquire, to which Merry "How _could_ it be? Wasn't I born here, and don'tI know everybody within a million miles?"
"That sounds rather like hyperbole," Bertha exclaimed.
"Like which?" Doris Drexel teased; then added: "Wouldn't Miss Preen bepleased to hear her prize pupil rattle off that fine sounding wordin----"
"Ssh! Ssh!" Merry's hand was on Dory's arm. "Our victim is now in sight.My, what a swell turnout! Some cutter that, isn't it?" The six girls hadstepped to one side of the road and were watching with interest theapproach of a large sleigh which was being drawn at a rapid pace by twobig white horses perfectly matched. The driver, as they could discern asit drew nearer, was a young man who was almost hidden in a big brown furcoat and cap, but his eyes were peering out and he was amazed to see abevy of girls standing by the unbroken lane, so evidently in distress.
Stopping his horses, he snatched off his fur cap and revealed a frank,boyish face that had not been seen in that neighborhood before.
"Young ladies," he said courteously, "can you direct me to the home ofColonel Wainwright? In the village they told me to follow this road for amile and then ask someone which turn to take."
"Oh, yes, we can tell you," Merry replied. "This lane is a short-cut tothe Colonel's place."
The lad thanked her and was about to drive on; then he hesitated andturned back.
"Young ladies," he said, "I have always told my sister never to ride withstrangers, but if your destination is in this direction I would be gladto convey you to it. I am Alfred Morrison of Dorchester."
"Oh," Merry exclaimed brightly, "my brother, Jack Lee, is acquainted withyou, I am sure. He goes to school in the city."
The boy's good-looking face plainly showed his pleasure. "Indeed I knowold Jack well," he exclaimed. "We're doing college prep work together. Iplanned looking him up as soon as I had finished my business call on theColonel."
Feeling sure that their mothers could not object, since the strange boywas so well acquainted with Merry's brother, they swarmed into theluxurious sleigh, sitting three deep, which but added to their gaiety.The horses were obliged to travel slowly through the drifts, but theysoon came to a part of the lane where the wind had blown the snow fromthe road to be caught at the fences, and then they made better time. In avery few moments the sleigh was turning in between two high stone gateposts, as Merry had directed, and shortly thereafter the six girls weretumbling out under a wide sheltering portico. "We're terribly grateful toyou, Mr. Morrison." Merry exclaimed. "Maybe we'll be able to pick you upsome time when you're stranded somewhere."
The boy laughed good-naturedly. "I hope I won't have that long to waitbefore I can see you all again." He included the group in his smilingglance, then, because the spirited horses were restive, he lifted his furcap and turned his attention toward the prancing span.
Laughingly the girls climbed up the stone steps and were about to ringthe bell when the door was thrown open and their "prettiest member," asRose was often called, welcomed them effusively.
"Say, but you missed the time of your young life," Peggy Pierce informedher as the girls removed their overshoes and leggins in the stormvestibule. "Such a handsome boy as we had to drive us up the lane."
"O, you don't have to tell me," Rose laughingly replied. "I was standingin the drawing-room window watching you from the time you appeared at thefoot of the lane. If you had turned back, I should have been simplyheart-broken. Mother thinks that I have a cold, and she wouldn't let Tonydrive me to town, and, of course, I can't use my runabout in weather likethis." Then, when cloaks and caps had been removed and they were gatheredabout the wide fireplace in Rose's very own sitting-room, that maidenpassed around a five-pound box of chocolates to keep the first part ofher promise; then she demanded: "Merry Lee, you haven't told the othersyour exciting news yet, have you?"
Bertha Angel answered for their president: "Nary an inkling of it. Truthto tell, we didn't even ask her. I guess we all thought we'd rather waituntil the meeting was called."
"Oh, I say, let's cut out formality, for once, can't we?" Peggy Pierceimplored. "Why read the minutes of the last meeting when all we did wasentertain the little orphans with a big Christmas tree?"
"All?" Gertrude West lifted her eyebrows questioningly. "I believe, ifyou left it to the orphans, they would tell you that we did a whole lotto add to their Christmas cheer."
"Sure thing we did, I'll acknowledge that, but----"
"Come to order, if you please!" the president tapped on the arm of herchair, which was upholstered in rose-colored brocade as were the otherchairs and the gilt-framed sofa piled high with silken pillows. "We'llomit reading the minutes, because we really mustn't stay long. It getsdark so early this month and we'll have to wade back through the lane.And we won't call the roll, because, of course, we know that we're allhere, so, since I believe you are properly curious, I will now tell mynews-item. I, Marion Margaret Lee, have discovered the meaning of theletters 'C. D. C.,' and, what is mere, I now know _what_ the boys _do_ attheir secret meetings."
"Merry, do you really? How ever did you find out? I've asked Bob over andover to tell me, but he has always refused and has actually declared thatwe girls never would know."
"Well," their president said, "we _do_ know, at least in part. I hateeavesdropping just as much as anyone, but when Jack himself shut me inthe stuffy little room off the library where we store our old magazinesand books, and where I had gone to hunt up an article I needed for acomposition, _how_ could I help hearing? Two or three of their 'C. D. C.'club had come over for a special session, I guess. I was just about toburst out when I heard Jack say, 'Yes, we're alone, all right! Sis wentto the library, I think, to do some reference work.' Then, before Ireally could do anything (I was so wedged in among piles of magazines).Jack had announced: 'Say, fellows, but I've got the keenest Conan Doylebook. Best ever. I call it!'"
Merry paused and looked around the group, her eyes sparkling triumph. Fora moment there was silence, then, with a wild Indianish whoop, Peggy, herdark face glowing, cried gleefully: "I tumble!" After glancing about atthe others, who were looking rather more puzzled than intelligent, Pegdemanded: "Don't any of you get what Merry is driving at? Bertha, _you_surely know what the boys mean by their 'C. D. C.'"
"Of course. How beautifully stupid we are!" Bertha acknowledged. "TheConan Doyle Club! O, wouldn't the boys rage and tear their hair if theyknew we had guessed even that much."
But, it was quite plain to the group that Merry had still more todivulge.
"Who is Conan Doyle, anyway?" their youngest asked. "What ki
nd of booksdid he write?"
"My child," Bertha said condescendingly, "hast never heard of SherlockHolmes, the great detective?"
"O, of course, I have," Betty Byrd replied. "Then the boys have adetective club. Is that it, Merry?"
The girl addressed finished eating an especially big oozy chocolatebefore she noddingly replied: "That's it, all right. I gathered from thelittle I heard that each member of that club _wants_ to become adetective when he is of man's estate, and the thing they do at their clubis to take turns making up a mystery and the other boys have to try tosolve it."
"Say, _what_ fun that would be! I wish they would let girls join theirclub," Doris Drexel remarked, but Merry put in: "You wouldn't wish it,young lady, if you knew, as I do, how little they think of _our_intelligences. One of them, I couldn't tell which, had written to alawyer uncle in New York, telling about _their_ club, and in reply theiruncle had told about some young woman detective in his employ and howclever she was. At which Jack sniffed: 'Well, _she_ must be an exceptionall right. I can't imagine _my_ sister Merry or any of _her_ crowdsolving a mystery, not if the clues were spread out right in front ofthem.' Bob laughed at that in his good-natured way and replied that therewasn't much danger of _any one_ getting a chance to solve a mystery in_this_ little lakeside town where nothing ever happened that was in theleast unusual. Then he said: 'That's why we have to make up our ownmysteries, since we can't unearth any real ones to practice on.'"
All the while that Merry had been talking, Peg had been sitting on theedge of her chair looking as though she would burst if she didn't soonget a chance to say what was on her mind. The moment their presidentpaused, she leaped in with: "Girls, I've thought of the mostscrumbunctious idea! Let's have a detective club of our own, and let'sfind a _real_ mystery to solve and show those boys a thing or two. Won'tthey be humiliated, good and proper, when they learn that _we_, sevenmere girls, without intelligence, have solved the greatest mystery thatever occurred in the village of Sunnyside."
"Hold on, Peg! Your imagination is running away with you. Anyone wouldthink you had already found the mystery to solve. I'm of the opinion thatJack is right, or Bob, whoever said it, that there never is anythingmysterious happening in this quiet, sleepy old town, and if there isn't,_how_, pray, can we solve it?" Bertha was always logical and practical.Their "balance wheel," she was sometimes called.
"I bet you I find a mystery." Peg stood up as though she were going tostart right out on the search. "I've always been wild about mysterystories; read every one at the library, and I'll know _just_ how to goabout solving one, when it's found."
"Sit down, friend sleuth, and tell us your plan. There _are_possibilities in it, I'll agree." Merry smiled up into the olive face oftheir most energetic member, as she continued reminiscently: "In thebeginning we named our club The S. S. C. because we lived in Sunnyside;then we gradually added a second meaning to please our saintlyGertrude----"
"You're a tease!" The sweet-faced girl, their minister's daughter, smiledlovingly at the speaker, who continued as though unconscious of theinterruption, "which was 'Spread Sunshine Club.' We proceeded to sew formissionary barrels, though heaven help the heathen who had to wear theclothes _I_ made if they care anything about a stylish fit."
A burst of merry laughter proved that her listeners were recalling somegarment made by their president that had not come up to specifications."Then we decided to center our spreading sunshine efforts on our homeorphanage. Shh! Don't say anything, Trudie! I know we've done nobly, andall that, but _now_ I feel about the way Peg does, that if we keep onbeing _so saintly_, I'll be drawn up heavenward before I've had a realfling, so what I am going to suggest is that we add a third meaning toour club letters, which shall be----"
"Oh, Madame President, may I say what?" Peggy was again on the edge ofher chair waving a frantic hand as though she were a child in school.
"Sure thing! Shoot!"
"How would 'Seven Sleuths' Club' do for the new meaning?"
"Actually inspired, I should say. Now, all that is left is to find amystery to solve. Peggy Pierce, I appoint you and your twin friend, DorisDrexel, a committee of two to find a mystery before our next meeting,which is to be held at Bertha Angel's home one week from today. If, bythat time, you have failed, I will appoint----"
"Fail? Dory and I don't know the meaning of the word." that slender maidretorted.
Bertha, who was nearest the window, then exclaimed: "Someone is drivingin. Why, if it isn't that nice Alfred Morrison."
"Great!" Merry declared. "Now we can get a ride out of the lane. I dobelieve that is why he is coming."
And she was right. Rose answered the ring before a maid could appear, andthe youth, cap in hand, informed her that he had happened to think thatsince the young ladies had had no way to get into the lane, perhaps theyhad no way to get out. Rose replied in her pretty manner that she knewthe girls would be glad to go with him. Then she invited him in to have acup of hot chocolate, which, even then, a maid was passing to the clubmembers, having been told to appear at that particular hour.
Without the least sign of embarrassment the boy joined the girls in thecosy little sitting-room off the big library, and drank a cup ofchocolate as though he really enjoyed it. Half an hour later, as the sunwas setting, Merry said with apparent solemnity, "We will now adjourn themeeting, which I believe has been most satisfactory, and let me urge eachand every one of our members to remember that all that has passed todayis _most secret_ and that no matter how the boys of the 'C. D. C.' may_pry_, not an inkling of what has here occurred is to be divulged tothem." Then, twinkling-eyed, she changed her tone to one more natural."Won't they have the surprise of their young lives, though, if we dosucceed?"
"No ifs!" Peg interjected with determination. "_We will!_"