The Project Gutenberg EBook of Nan Sherwood at Palm Beach, by Annie Roe Carr This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Nan Sherwood at Palm Beach Or Strange Adventures Among The Orange Groves Author: Annie Roe Carr Release Date: February 25, 2008 [EBook #24683] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NAN SHERWOOD AT PALM BEACH *** Produced by D Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) NAN SHERWOOD AT PALM BEACH OR STRANGE ADVENTURES AMONG THE ORANGE GROVES BY ANNIE ROE CARR Author of "Nan Sherwood at Pine Camp," "Nan Sherwood's Winter Holidays," "Nan Sherwood at Rose Ranch," etc. ILLUSTRATED New York GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY Publishers BOOKS FOR GIRLS BY ANNIE ROE CARR THE NAN SHERWOOD SERIES NAN SHERWOOD AT PINE CAMP Or The Old Lumberman's Secret NAN SHERWOOD AT LAKEVIEW HALL Or The Mystery of the Haunted Boathouse NAN SHERWOOD'S WINTER HOLIDAYS Or Rescuing the Runaways NAN SHERWOOD AT ROSE RANCH Or The Old Mexican's Treasure NAN SHERWOOD AT PALM BEACH Or Strange Adventures Among the Orange Groves GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY New York Copyright 1921, by GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY Nan Sherwood at Palm Beach Printed in the U. S. A. The music carried them far away on golden wings of melody. (See page 190) CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. The Crash on the Hill 1 II. Nearly a Tragedy 13 III. The Old Lady 20 IV. Solving a Problem 27 V. Called To Account 34 VI. A Glorious Prospect 41 VII. In the Dormitory 47 VIII. On the Road 55 IX. The Joy of Giving 62 X. A Midnight Feast 69 XI. A Dangerous Plot 76 XII. Almost a Disaster 85 XIII. The Wily Stranger 94 XIV. Great Expectations 104 XV. We're Off! 114 XVI. Fun and Nonsense 123 XVII. The Mysterious Men 131 XVIII. A Startling Revelation 138 XIX. An Attempted Theft 147 XX. Those Men Again 156 XXI. The Beginning of Romance 165 XXII. Palm Beach at Last 173 XXIII. A Tropical Paradise 181 XXIV. Nan Is Frightened 188 XXV. Moonlight 198 XXVI. Worth a Fortune 208 XXVII. Walter To the Rescue 217 XXVIII. Caught 228 XXIX. "When the Spirit Moves" 237 ILLUSTRATIONS The music carried them far away on the golden wings of melody (Page 190) Frontispiece FACING PAGE The three girls bent eagerly over Mrs. Bragley as she opened one paper after another 66 Nan's eyes were following the figures of two men strolling down the deck 140 He pushed Nan from him with such force that she stumbled and fell 216 NAN SHERWOOD AT PALM BEACH CHAPTER I THE CRASH ON THE HILL "Smooth as glass!" ejaculated Nan Sherwood, as she came in sight of Pendragon Hill and noted the gleaming stretch of snow and ice that ran down to the very edge of Lake Huron. "And you're the girl that said coasting time would never, never come," laughed her chum, Bess Harley, who was walking beside her with her hand on a rope attached to a bobsled that four girls were drawing. "Never is a long word," admitted Nan. "I didn't quite mean that; but the weather's been so mild up to now that I was getting desperate." "Nan registering desperation," put in Laura Polk, she of the red hair and irrepressible spirits. Laura struck an attitude of mock desperation, but the effect was marred when her foot slipped and she went down with a thump. Her laughing mates helped her to her feet and brushed the snow off her dress. "The wicked stand on slippery places," quoted Grace Mason mischievously. "Yes," Laura came back, as quick as a flash, "I see that they do, but I can't." The shout of laughter that followed atoned somewhat for her loss of dignity—although she had not lost much, for Laura and dignity were hardly on speaking terms. Laughing and chattering, all trying to talk at once and all succeeding, the bevy of light-hearted girls reached the top of the hill. Before them stretched Lake Huron, extending farther than their eyes could see. For a long distance out from shore the lake seemed frozen solid. A small island rose above the ice about half a mile distant, and this was the limit fixed upon for the coasters. The cove between the foot of the hill and the island had a glassy coating of ice that had been swept and scraped and served for skating as well as coasting. [Pg 1] [Pg 2] "I wonder if it's perfectly safe," remarked Grace Mason, a little timidly. "You know this is the first time the cove's been frozen this winter, and we haven't tried it yet." "Bless your little heart, you'll be as safe as if you were on a battlefield," was the dubious comfort that Laura held out. "Much safer than that," interposed Professor Krenner, the teacher of mathematics and architectural drawing at the Lakeview Hall school that the girls were attending. "You can be sure that neither Dr. Prescott nor I would take any chances on that score. A heavy logging team went over it yesterday, and the ice didn't even creak, let alone crack. And every day that passes of this kind of weather makes it thicker and stronger." "My, but that's a comfort," remarked Laura. "I'd hate to have this young life of mine cut off just when it's so full of promise." "How Laura hates herself," put in Bess Harley. "You're perfectly safe, Laura," Nan assured her. "Only the good die young, you know." The professor's kindly eyes twinkled as he looked from one to the other of the rosy-cheeked, sparkling-eyed girls, bubbling over with fun and vitality. He had just come up from the queer little cabin in which he lived at the edge of the lake. It was part of his work to supervise the coasting and, as far as possible, keep it free from accident. About his sole diversion was playing on a key bugle, and the long-drawn-out notes of the instrument, sometimes lively and sometimes in a minor strain, were familiar sounds to the girls, and often an occasion of jesting. Professor Krenner held the bugle in his hand now, and after glancing at his watch, he raised the instrument to his lips and blew a clear call that had the effect of hastening the steps of some of the groups that were coming toward the hill from the Hall, the roof of which could be seen over the tops of the trees. Outdoor sports were made much of at Lakeview Hall, not only in the catalogue designed for the perusal of parents, but in actual fact. "A sound mind in a sound body" was Dr. Beulah Prescott's aim for her pupils, and exercise was as obligatory as lessons. None was excused without an adequate reason, and the group upon the hill grew in numbers until it seemed as though all the members of the school were present except the smaller girls, who had a slide of their own. "All here except the queen," remarked Laura, as she looked around her. "The queen?" repeated Bess Harley, staring at her. "Queen Linda of Chicago," explained Laura, with a wicked twinkle in her eye. "For goodness' sake, don't ever let Linda Riggs hear you say anything like that, Laura Polk," admonished Bess. "She's so conceited that she wouldn't know it was sarcasm. She'd think it was a tribute drawn from an unwilling admirer." "I know," laughed Laura. "It doesn't take much to set her up. If she had water on the brain, she'd think she was the whole ocean." "Here she comes now," remarked Nan, after the laughter caused by Laura's sally had subsided. A tall girl, wearing expensive furs and having a supercilious air, came along with two or three companions. It was noticeable that she left to them the work of drawing the bobsled, while she sauntered along, ostentatiously adjusting her furs as though she sought to call attention to their quality. "Hurry up, Linda," called out Laura. "I believe you'd be late at your own funeral." "I never get anywhere early," snapped Linda. "It isn't good form. When I go to the theater I always get in late. I always have the best seat that money can buy reserved for me, so what's the use of hurrying? Of course it's different when one has to go early and scramble for a seat." "That may be your habit in Chicago, but it isn't in favor here, Miss Riggs," said Professor Krenner dryly. "But now that all seem to be here, we'll start the races. You understand that all sleds are to keep three minutes apart so as to avoid accident. The course is straight out on the lake, and the best two out of three trials win the race. Miss Sherwood, since you are nearest the starting line, suppose you get your sled in position to lead off. Not so fast, Miss Riggs," he went on, as Linda tried to shove her sled to the crest of the hill. "I said Miss Sherwood was to go first." "I don't see why I should have to wait," pouted Linda, as she reluctantly drew back her sled before the decided look in the professor's eye. "Hateful old thing," she remarked in a low voice to her special friend and intimate, Cora Courtney. "He favors Sherwood because she attends his poky old lectures on architectural drawing and pretends she likes them." "I shouldn't be surprised if that were just it," replied Cora, who made a habit of agreeing with the rich friend whose friendship often proved profitable to Cora. She had no money herself but clung closely to those who had. "Who was it," asked Rhoda Hammond in an amused whisper of Nan, "who wrote an essay once on the 'gentle art of making enemies'?" "I'm not sure," laughed Nan in reply, "but I think it was Whistler. Why do you ask?" [Pg 3] [Pg 4] [Pg 5] [Pg 6] "Because," replied Rhoda in the same low voice, "I think he must have had Linda or somebody just like her in mind, for she has the art down to perfection." There would have been little dissent from Rhoda's verdict, for Linda had few real friends among the girls of Lakeview Hall. She was purse-proud and vulgar, and, though her money gave her a certain prestige among the shallow and unthinking, she lacked the qualities of mind and heart to endear herself to any one. By this time the girls who were going with Nan had taken their places on the sled. It was a new one that Nan had received as a present from her father, and it had not yet been tested. Nan had named it the Silver Arrow, and she had high hopes that its speed would justify the name. Nan sat at the head, with the steering wheel in her hands. The wind had brought the roses to her cheeks, and her clear eyes shone like stars. Behind her in order sat Bess Harley, Rhoda Hammond, Grace Mason and Laura Polk, each girl holding tightly to the belt of the girl in front. "All ready?" asked the professor. "All ready, Professor," was Nan's reply, as her hands tightened on the wheel. Professor Krenner lifted the bugle to his lips and gave a clear, sonorous blast that served at the same time as a signal for starting and as a warning to any one who might be crossing the path at the foot of the hill. Then he tipped the sled over the ridge of the hill and it started on its journey. For a mere fraction of a second it seemed to poise itself for flight. Then it moved, slowly at first, but gathering speed with every second, until it seemed to be flying like an arrow from the bow. There were delighted and at the same time somewhat fearful squeals from the girls, as the wind whistled past their ears while the sled flew on at a speed that quickly reached a mile a minute. They held on to each other for dear life, but Nan had no eyes or thought for anything except that shining ribbon of path. She made the turn at the foot of the hill, the sled yielding to her slightest touch, and she only breathed freely when it shot out on the lake and there were no further obstacles to circumvent or fear. On, on it went like a thing of life, as though it would never tire, and Nan's heart beat fast as she realized that she was going to make a better mark than she had ever done before. But gradually the weight on the level surface began to tell, and the bobsled slowed up as though it were as reluctant as its passengers to find itself at its journey's end. There was a chorus of joyous exclamations from the girls, as they rose to their feet and noted how far out they were on the lake. "What a perfectly lovely sled!" exclaimed Rhoda Hammond. "I never had such a ride as that in my life." "You darling!" said Nan impulsively, as she patted the wheel of her treasure. "The other girls will have to go some to come anywhere near that mark," bubbled Bess. "Linda will be green with jealousy," laughed Laura. "She thinks that that Gay Girl of hers is the fastest thing that ever wore runners." "She'll take it as a personal affront if she doesn't win," giggled Grace. "I wish she'd come along while we're here. I'd like to see just how far we've beaten her." "We haven't beaten her yet," observed Nan, "and perhaps it's just as well not to be too sure. But now let's get our skates on and pull the sled back. There are to be three trials, you know." They took their skates from their shoulders and adjusted them with nimble fingers. It was the work of only a few moments. Then they rose, patted down their dresses and struck out for the shore, drawing the sled behind them. They had to keep a wary lookout for the other sleds. One came rushing along with its laughing crew, but they could see at a glance that it was not making the speed that their own had reached. Just as they reached the edge of the lake, another sled flew past, and amid the bevy of girls on it they discerned Linda Riggs. "There goes the Gay Girl," remarked Rhoda Hammond. "And she's going like the wind, too," chimed in Bess a little anxiously. "Let's wait here a moment, girls. I want to see how far out she goes." "I do hope she won't beat our mark," said Grace, as she snuggled her fur more closely about her neck. They watched with straining eyes as Linda's sled gradually slowed up, and a sigh of relief came from all when they saw that it stopped about a hundred feet this side of the spot that they had reached. [Pg 7] [Pg 8] [Pg 9] [Pg 10] "She didn't beat us!" cried Bess exultantly. "Too close to be comfortable, though," murmured Nan, as her eyes measured the distance. "Well, a miss is as good as a mile," declared Rhoda. "We're all right so far, as the man said as he was passing the second floor after falling seventeen stories," put in Laura. "Let's get every ounce out of the Silver Arrow on the next try," adjured Grace, as, after having taken off their skates, they were trudging up the hill. By the time they reached the top, most of the other sleds had been sent off and they had not long to wait. They settled themselves firmly in their seats. "Let's clinch it now," laughed Nan, as she took the wheel. "Just put on your wishing caps and wish as hard as you can, and the Silver Arrow will do the rest." "I'm wishing so hard that it hurts," gurgled Bess. "If wishing will do it, we've won already," chimed in Laura. "We're all ready, Professor." A clear call from the bugle, a helping hand over the ridge, and the Silver Arrow was off again. It may have been due to the more slippery condition of the hill caused by the sleds that had already passed over it, but there was no doubt in the minds of the girls that the bobsled was going even more swiftly than it had at first. They were almost frightened at the speed it developed, and yet they were delighted, for they had set their minds on beating their earlier mark. Halfway down the hill they passed Linda and her group, who had drawn up at one side to let them pass. Even at that breakneck rate of speed they could see the sneer on Linda's lips as she recognized the sled and its crew. But they were nearing the curve now and Nan's eyes were fastened on the path ahead while she tightly gripped the wheel. "Hold fast, girls!" she warned, as they neared the bend in the road and the sled swerved at her touch. The next instant they rounded the curve, and a cry of horror burst from their lips. Directly in their path was an elderly woman who had just started across the road. She looked up as she heard them scream. Terror and bewilderment came into her face. She started back, then forward. Then, utterly paralyzed with fright, she stood helpless in the path of the bobsled that was rushing toward her with the speed of an express train. The girls shouted at her, but her brain, numbed by fear, refused to act. "Oh, she'll be killed!" wailed Grace. "Oh, Nan, can't you do something?" cried Bess frantically. Nan's brain was working like lightning. She was white to the lips, but never for an instant did she lose her presence of mind. At the left of the road was an almost solid row of trees. It was certain death to turn that way. At the right there was an opening that led into a little glade. She determined to steer into that. She swerved the sled in that direction. She could have made it if the woman had remained where she was. But just then she backed a step to the right. The sled struck her and hurled her aside, and she went down with a scream. CHAPTER II NEARLY A TRAGEDY The collision changed the direction of the bobsled, and by the merest fraction it escaped striking a tree. Nan, however, despite her mental anguish, kept her head and dexterously guided it into the glade, where it found soft snow and gradually came to a stop. Then the frightened girls rose and rushed as fast as they could toward the victim of the accident, who was lying still in a heap of snow at the side of the road. Nan dropped on the snow beside her and took her head in her arms, while Rhoda put her hand on the woman's heart. [Pg 11] [Pg 12] [Pg 13] "Oh," sobbed Grace, "we've killed her!" "No, we haven't," replied Rhoda. "I can feel that her heart is beating. She's fainted, either from pain or fright or both, poor thing. We must help her." "Here, Bess," directed Nan, "you hold her head while I see if any bones are broken. And you other girls take turns in chafing her hands. If she lives near here we'll take her home and send for a doctor. If not, we'll take her up to the Hall." The others followed Nan's directions and worked with frantic energy. And while the girls are trying to revive the unconscious stranger, it may be well for the sake of those who have not yet read the earlier volumes of this series to tell who Nan Sherwood is, and what experiences and adventures she and her friends have had up to the time at which the present story opens. Mr. Sherwood was a foreman in the Atwater Mills in Tillbury, and "Papa Sherwood" and "Momsey" and Nan were a devoted and happy family in their pretty little cottage on Amity Street. Then the mills shut down for an indefinite length of time. The Sherwoods, with others even less well able to face the future, were staring poverty and the loss of their pretty home in the face, when suddenly, in the case of the Sherwoods, fortune took a hand and sent relief in the shape of a legacy from a distant relative of Mrs. Sherwood's. To settle the business in connection with this legacy, Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood were called to Scotland. To the grief of all three, it was necessary that Nan should be left behind, but it was arranged that she should stay with her Uncle Henry, her father's brother, in a lumber camp in the Michigan Peninsula. What exciting adventures Nan had there and what she accomplished for good, can be found in the first volume of this series, entitled: "Nan Sherwood at Pine Camp; or, The Old Lumberman's Secret." Nan's best girl friend in Tillbury was Bess Harley. Bess was looking forward to going to school at Lakeview Hall, and, never having known any lack of money, could not understand why Nan would not say that she, too, would go. When the loss of Mr. Sherwood's position made even Bess see that it would be out of the question for Nan to go, she was inconsolable, for she was devoted to her friend, and rather dependent on her. Nan Sherwood herself wanted to go to Lakeview Hall more than she had told either Bess or her parents, and when the legacy from Scotland made this possible the two girls were delighted and went wild with joy. What they did at the Hall, the plucky spirit Nan showed on more than one occasion, and the friends they made are told of in the volume entitled: "Nan Sherwood at Lakeview Hall; or, The Mystery of the Haunted Boathouse." Among the girls Nan and Bess met at Lakeview Hall was Grace Mason of Chicago. In "Nan Sherwood's Winter Holidays; or, Rescuing the Runaways" is described the visit that Nan and Bess made to the Mason home during the midwinter holidays. It is a record of parties and girlish fun, but in the midst of this Nan succeeded in helping two foolish girls who had run far away from home. On the opening of Lakeview Hall after those winter holidays a new girl came to the school. She was from the far West, and she did not at first understand or enter into the fun of the other girls. For a while she was without friends there, but gradually Nan Sherwood's sympathy and tact worked a change and Rhoda Hammond became one with the other girls. She was not only grateful to Nan, but she became very fond of her. By this time Mr. Sherwood was well established in a business of his own, so when Rhoda asked Nan and Bess and Grace Mason and her brother Walter to go with her to her home in the West on a ranch, Nan, as well as the others, was able to accept. What exciting adventures the young people had at Rose Ranch, how staunchly they faced peril on one or two occasions, and what novel pleasures came to them, are all told of in "Nan Sherwood at Rose Ranch; or, The Old Mexican's Treasure." And now let us go back to Nan and her chums and the poor woman who had brought the bobsled race to such an inglorious termination. The ministrations of the excited girls to the poor woman soon produced an effect. The woman stirred uneasily, groaned, and at length opened her eyes, to the infinite relief of the girls, who had feared they had been participants in a tragedy. Nan's deft fingers had in the meantime established the fact that no bones were broken, and she now spoke gently to the woman, whose eyes wandered from one face to another in a dazed fashion. "I hope you are not badly hurt," Nan said kindly. "Do you feel much pain?" "What am I doing here?" the woman asked. "What has happened?" "Our sled struck you and knocked you down," answered Nan. "We did our best to steer out of the way, but we couldn't. I hope you are not much hurt." A spasm of fear came into the face, which they could see was that of a woman about sixty years old. "Oh, yes, I remember now," she said weakly. "I thought surely I was going to be killed. It all happened so sudden like." She struggled into a sitting position, and the girls supported her head and shoulders. [Pg 14] [Pg 15] [Pg 16] [Pg 17] "Tell us where you live," said Nan, "and we will take you home and send for a doctor. Or perhaps we had better take you right up to the school on top of the hill and take care of you there." "Oh, I wouldn't want to give you young ladies so much trouble," answered the woman. "Trouble, indeed!" protested Nan. "It's you that have had all the trouble, and there's nothing we can do for you that will make up for it." "Do tell us where you live," urged Bess. "You ought to be in bed just as soon as you can. You'll catch your death out here in the snow." "I live down on the Milltown road," the woman replied, "but I think I can get there without bothering you. Just help me up and you'll find that I'm able to walk all right." She strove to rise to her feet as she spoke, the girls supporting her on each side, but her feet gave way under her and she would have fallen had they not sustained her. "I'm afraid my ankle is broken," she murmured, as they eased her to a sitting position on the sled that thoughtful Rhoda had run and brought up to where the group were gathered. "No," said Nan, "it isn't broken, I think; but it is very badly sprained. Now, girls, wrap her up well and then take hold of the ropes and we'll get her home just as soon as we possibly can. You live on the Milltown road, you say?" she went on, turning to the sufferer. "About how far is your home from here?" "About a mile or a little more," was the answer. "It's just beyond the blacksmith's shop after you cross the bridge." "I know where it is," interposed Grace. "I've often passed the place while out riding with Walter." "You can show us the way then," said Nan, setting the example to the others by taking hold of the rope. "Come along, girls, and we'll get there as soon as we can. Bess, hadn't you better go up the hill and tell the professor all about this, and then hurry and catch up with us?" Bess did as her chum suggested, and the other girls started off at a brisk pace, drawing the sled with its burden after them. CHAPTER III THE OLD LADY The road was rather a difficult one, and several small hills had to be surmounted. The girls took turns in having one of them walk beside the sled with her hand steadying their passenger, who at times protested feebly against all the trouble she was making. She volunteered the information that her name was Sarah Bragley, that she was a widow, and that she had no kith or kin in the world as far as she knew. These facts redoubled the pity of the girls, and they mentally resolved that as long as they were at Lakeview Hall they would do all they could to make life more bearable for the frail and forlorn woman who had been brought into their lives in a way so unexpected and so nearly tragic. In a little while Bess rejoined them, panting a little from the exertions she had made to catch up to them. "It's all right," she announced. "I told Professor Krenner, and he told us to do all that we could, no matter how long it took, and said that he would explain the whole thing to Dr. Prescott. And Linda Riggs was there, and what do you think she said? But I'll tell you about that some other time," she said, as she saw a spasm of pain come over the injured woman's face. "Here, let me get hold of that rope and we'll get on faster." She took hold with a will, and the bobsled moved along rapidly until a little bridge that spanned the road over a small stream came into view. The stream now was a solid mass of ice. "There's the bridge!" ejaculated Grace. "We can't be very far from the house now." "And there's the blacksmith shop and a little house right beyond it," added Nan. "Is that your house?" she asked Mrs. Bragley, beside whom she was walking. "That's it, dearie," was the answer. "It ain't much of a place," she added apologetically. "It's a cunning little darling of a place," protested Rhoda, not quite truthfully, but so warm-heartedly that the recording angel probably did not lay it up against her. "It's very nice," added Nan. In a few minutes more they were before the tiny house, which seemed to consist of several rooms on one floor and a single room above. Everything about it suggested straitened means, and yet the girls noticed that the small windows [Pg 18] [Pg 19] [Pg 20] [Pg 21] were clean and hung with fresh dimity curtains, and that there were little flower boxes on the sills inside. They drew the sled through the gate and up the path to the door. "Have you the key?" Nan asked, as she took off her gloves. "It isn't locked," Mrs. Bragley replied, with a faint smile. "There's nothing in there that would tempt anybody to steal. Just open the door and go right in." Nan did as she was told. She found herself in what evidently served as a living-room and dining-room and kitchen combined. In a little room opening off to the right, she caught a glimpse of a bed. There was a wood stove with the embers of a fire in it, and the room was still fairly warm. Everything was as scrupulously neat as her first impression from without had led her to expect. But the scanty and worn furniture showed a desperate struggle with poverty that touched the girl's heart. Under Nan's directions, the girls lifted Mrs. Bragley from the sled and gently deposited her in the one rocking chair that the apartment contained, first, however, placing a cushion in it to make it more comfortable. "Now, girls," said Nan, "let's all get busy. In the first place, we want to get this fire going. Where do you keep your wood?" she asked, turning to the invalid. "There's plenty of it in the little woodshed at the back," was the answer. "The neighbors always cut enough for me to last me through the winter. But it's a shame that you should have to go for it," she called after Nan, who had already started for the woodshed. Her protests were unheeded, and in a moment Nan was back, accompanied by Bess, who had gone with her, their arms full of wood which they laid beside the stove. In a few minutes a cheerful fire was roaring in the stove. Then, following the directions of Mrs. Bragley, they found some tea and brewed it, and set out a little lunch which they pressed the woman to eat. The food and tea refreshed and revived her, and, as her shyness wore off, she talked with them freely. Nan found some arnica with which she bathed the injured ankle, and then they helped their patient to undress and get into bed. And having done this, and seen that she was as comfortable as it was possible to make her, the girls withdrew into a corner to hold, as Nan expressed it, a "committee meeting to discuss ways and means." "Now, girls, just what are we going to do?" demanded Nan, as her friends gathered round her with anxious looks on their faces. "Take care of this poor woman until she is able to be on her feet again," responded Bess promptly. "We can't do less." "Of course, that goes without saying," agreed Nan. "We're the cause of her present trouble, and it's up to us to get her out of it. The only question is as to the best way to do it." "Go ahead and tell us, Nan," urged Grace. "You've got the best head of any of us when it comes to an emergency like this." "The first thing," suggested Nan, "is to get a doctor." "I'm so glad it isn't an undertaker we have to call for," put in Grace, with a shudder. "And the next," continued Nan, "is to find a nurse. The poor thing is utterly helpless just now with that hurt ankle. She can't even keep up the fire, and the weather's so cold she'd freeze to death if the fire went out." "If we only had a telephone," murmured Rhoda, as her eye wandered over the place, though she knew beforehand that such an instrument would not be found in that poor cottage. "Well, we haven't," replied Nan. "So I'll tell you what we'll do. Bess and I will stay here and try to make our patient as comfortable as we can. The rest of you girls had better go right up to the Hall and tell Dr. Prescott all about it. She'll have a doctor here in less than no time, and she or Mrs. Cupp will know of some nurse they can get in the town. We'll stay here anyway until they come. But the afternoon's going fast, and you want to hurry as much as you can. It will probably be dark anyhow when the doctor and the nurse get here, and, as we don't know the road very well, we don't want to be too late in getting back to the Hall." "You needn't worry about that," said Grace, as she put on her wraps. "I'll 'phone to Walter as soon as I get to the Hall and he'll come over and take you home." "In that case I'd better go along with you now," put in Bess, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I'm afraid it will be a case where two is company and three's a crowd." "Don't talk such nonsense," said Nan, though a slight flush had risen to her cheeks at her chum's raillery. "But, girls, before you go there's one other thing; and that is, the matter of money. I don't suppose," she went on, lowering her voice lest the invalid should hear, "that the poor woman has anything of any account. How much money have you girls with you?" [Pg 22] [Pg 23] [Pg 24] [Pg 25] What the warm-hearted girls had with them at the moment was very little, but what it was they all handed over, and the total amounted to several dollars. "Of course we'll all club together and see that she has all she needs to get through this trouble," declared Laura, and there was a unanimous chorus of assent. "And now, shoo!" commanded Nan, as she opened the door to hasten their exit. "And see how quickly you can get the nurse and the doctor here. Don't bother about the sled. We'll bring that along when we come, or send over after it to- morrow." The three girls promised to hurry, and made off. Nan and Bess watched them until they had passed out of sight beyond the bridge, and then turned to look after their patient. CHAPTER IV SOLVING A PROBLEM The girls tiptoed into the little room at the right and saw that Mrs. Bragley was not asleep. As they approached the bed she greeted them with a faint smile. "It's too bad that you should have all this trouble," she said. "Here I've gone and spoiled all your afternoon's fun just because I was too slow and stupid to get out of your way." "It wasn't your fault at all," declared Bess warmly. "I know I'd have been scared stiff if I'd seen that sled bearing down upon me. The thing we're grateful for is that you weren't killed." "How are you feeling now?" asked Nan gently, as she adjusted the bedclothes. "Rather poorly," was the answer. "My ankle's hurting me a good deal. And then I have a sort of all-gone feeling. But I suppose that's on account of the shock. But I'll be all right by to-morrow," the woman hurried to say bravely. "We've sent for a doctor and a nurse," Nan explained. "They'll be here in a little while." A worried look came into the woman's pale and drawn face. "A doctor? A nurse?" she repeated. "That's good of you, my dears, but I can get along all right without them. And besides, besides——" She hesitated, and Nan, who guessed what she was thinking of, hastened to reassure her. "Don't worry about anything," she urged. "There won't be any expense. It's our fault that you are hurt, and the very least we can do is to see that it doesn't cost you anything to get well. You just leave it to us, please." Tears came into the poor woman's eyes. "How good you are!" she said brokenly. "There was a time when I had money enough to get along comfortably, but that was before my husband died. He thought that he was leaving me enough to take care of me for the rest of my life. But somehow or other I guess I've been cheated out of it or lost it somehow. It's all mixed up in my mind, and I don't exactly know the rights of it. I never did have any head for business, anyhow." "There, there," said Nan soothingly, as she feared that her patient was getting excited. "You can tell us all about it some other time. Let me fix your pillows now and you try to get some sleep before the doctor comes." She brought a cooling drink, and then she and Bess withdrew into the other room and conversed in low tones until, just before dark, the doctor made his appearance. He was a big, cheery man, who radiated confidence as he bustled into the room after tying his horse to the fence outside. "Oh, Dr. Willis, I'm so glad you've come!" exclaimed Nan, as the doctor came in and drew off his gloves. "Just a bit of luck that I was able to get here so soon," the doctor responded. "I was just going out on another call when a girl rang me up from the school and told me of the accident. She was so excited that she stuttered, but I managed to make out what she was driving at and hurried over at once. Where is the patient?" They took him into the room, and he made a quick but thorough examination. "No bones broken," he announced, and the girls drew a sigh of relief. "But there's a bad sprain and she won't be able to get around for a couple of weeks." He bandaged the injured ankle and prepared some medicine, which he left with careful directions to the girls. [Pg 26] [Pg 27] [Pg 28] [Pg 29] "I'll drop in again to-morrow," he said. "Sorry that I can't take you girls back and drop you at the Hall, but she oughtn't to be left alone. I can take one of you, though," and he looked inquiringly from one to the other. "You had better go, Bess," said Nan promptly. "What! and leave you alone?" cried Bess. "Indeed not." "But we can't both go." "I am not going to leave you, Nan. We'll both stay." "Well, it won't be for so very long anyway," remarked Nan. She turned to the physician. "It is very good of you to ask us." "It sure is," added Bess, quickly. And then she added, with a cloud on her face, "You are sure Mrs. Bragley is going to get over it?" "Oh, yes, she'll get over it. But it will take time," answered the doctor; and a few minutes later the medical man took his departure. "He certainly is a nice man," said Nan, as she and her chum watched him go. "A man one is bound to have confidence in," added Bess. He had not been gone five minutes when there was a sound of sleighbells, and a cutter, drawn by a spirited horse, dashed up to the gate. The girls peered through the windows, but in the dark, which had now fully settled down, could not identify the newcomer. A moment later there as a knock at the door, and, on opening it, Walter Mason came in with a rush, accompanied more sedately by an elderly woman with a kindly, capable face. "Why, Walter!" exclaimed Nan, and a close observer might have noted her heightened color. "How splendid it was of you to get here so quickly." Bess had it on the tip of her tongue to say that she could guess why he had hurried, but she wisely forebore. Walter Mason was a frank, fine-looking young man, with whom the girls had become acquainted through his sister Grace. Nan and he had been thrown much together, especially during the visit that Nan had made to Grace at the Mason home in Chicago, and a mutual liking had developed that had grown stronger with time. The girls had often teased Nan about Walter, but she had parried their thrusts good-naturedly, and stoutly maintained that Walter was simply a nice boy and good company. But she was undeniably glad to see him, though she tried to explain to herself that it was the prospect of soon getting back to the Hall that pleased her. After the first greeting, Walter introduced his companion as a Mrs. Ellis, who had agreed to come along to nurse the patient until she had fully recovered. Mrs. Ellis, in a quiet, capable way, took charge at once, and the girls felt the load of responsibility that they had carried all the afternoon lighten promptly. "Oh, I'd nearly forgotten!" Walter exclaimed suddenly, and ran out to the sleigh, whence he returned in a moment loaded down with food and jellies and supplies of various kinds. "We stopped on our way through the village," he explained, as he placed the packages on the table, "and Mrs. Ellis picked out the things that we ought to bring along. Here they are. And now if you girls will get your things on, I'll hustle you over to the Hall. You must be awfully hungry." They had not thought of that, but now that he spoke of it they realized that he was right. They went in and spoke cheerily to Mrs. Bragley, promising to be over the next day to see how she was getting along, and then, followed by her tears and blessings, they put on their wraps and furs and with a cordial farewell to the nurse they hurried off, not, however, until Walter had brought in and stacked up enough firewood to last for several days. The cold, crisp air was like a tonic, and their spirits rose as the horse drew the cutter after him over the snowy road at a rate of speed that promised to bring them to the Hall all too soon. "That was a close call you girls had this afternoon," Walter remarked, as they left the little house behind them. "It surely was," agreed Bess, with a little shiver that was not due to the cold. "It was lucky for us that Nan kept her head. The rest of us were screaming, but Nan didn't make a sound. If she'd steered an inch to the right or to the left from what she did, we'd have gone into a tree, and that would have been the end of us." "She's a thoroughbred," declared Walter briefly. "That's just the way she acted the day your boat upset. Nan certainly has nerve." "There are the lights of the Hall," interrupted Nan, glad of an excuse to divert attention from herself. "How beautiful they look on a night like this." "They'd look a good deal more beautiful to me if they were further off," grumbled Walter, as he reluctantly turned into [Pg 30] [Pg 31] [Pg 32] [Pg 33] the drive that led to Lakeview Hall. CHAPTER V CALLED TO ACCOUNT The cutter drew up with a flourish and a jingle of bells at the main door of Lakeview Hall, and Walter Mason helped the girls out. "So good of you to bring us over," said Nan, as Walter's hand held hers for perhaps a second more than was absolutely necessary. "Tickled to death to have the chance," replied the youth. "And say, Nan, count me in on that subscription for Mrs. Bragley." "Thanks just as much," was Nan's response, as she and Bess ran up the steps, "but I imagine you've done more than your share already. Who paid for all those good things you brought over in your sleigh? Answer me that." "Give you three guesses," laughed Walter. "And now, good night, girls. Tell me when you're going over again and I'll be here with the cutter." Another moment and he was off with a farewell wave of the hand, and Nan and Bess entered the Hall, where they speedily found themselves the center of a chattering bevy of girls, all trying to talk at once. "Tell us all about it, Nan," pleaded Rhoda Hammond. "Did the doctor get there?" "Was Mrs. Bragley badly hurt?" asked Laura. "Not seriously," answered Nan. "The doctor and the nurse both came, and everything is going on all right. She'll be able to walk again in a couple of weeks, they think." "Don't tell them another word, Nan Sherwood, until we have had something to eat," laughed Bess. "I'm just dying from hunger, and I suppose we're late now for supper." Linda Riggs, who had been standing apart with a sneer on her lips, turned to Cora Courtney and said in a voice that was not so low but all could hear: "So that's why she stayed to nurse the old woman; so she could get a ride home with Walter Mason. She's foxy, all right." "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Linda Riggs!" Bess Harley cried hotly. But Nan laid her hand soothingly on her arm. "Never mind her, Bess," she counseled with a level glance at Linda. "What else can you expect? Let's go in to supper." "Linda is peeved because the Gay Girl was beaten this afternoon," laughed Laura Polk. "You know she thought she had a mortgage on the race." "Was she beaten?" asked Bess, with eager interest. "I declare, my mind's been so full of the accident that I'd almost forgotten that we had a race." "Yes," replied Laura gleefully. "She was beaten by more than a hundred feet." "And she had three chances where we had only one," put in Rhoda. "We might have beaten our own mark if we had had our full number of trips." "There's not much of the sport about Linda," commented Grace. "Any one who beats her makes her an enemy. She takes it as a personal insult if any one dares to get ahead of her." "She can't be any more of an enemy to us than she always has been," concluded Bess. "But come along, Nan, and let's eat. My appetite's keener than ever, now that I know we won." "Was there ever anything the matter with your appetite, Bess?" questioned Nan with a smile. "Sometimes—not often. But, oh, Nan! neither of us would have had much appetite if we had seriously injured that poor woman." "You are right there. Every time I think of the narrow escape we had I have to shiver." "Yes, and supposing the sled had gone into a tree, or one of those sharp rocks! Oh, it would have been dreadful!" "We can count ourselves very lucky." [Pg 34] [Pg 35] [Pg 36] "And to think we won the race after all! That's the best news I've heard in a long time." "Oh, no, Bess. The best news is our escape, and Mrs. Bragley's, from serious injury. The race doesn't count alongside of that." "Well, maybe you are right. Nevertheless, I am awfully glad we won." The rest of the girls had already had their supper, but there was plenty left, and Nan and Bess did full justice to it. They had scarcely finished when, a message came to Nan that Dr. Prescott, the head of the school, wished to see her. "I always feel nervous when I hear that Doctor Beulah wants to see me," remarked Laura, the madcap of the school. "But perhaps Nan has a better conscience than I usually have. Run along now, Nan, and take your medicine, and then come back and tell us all about it." Nan went at once to the principal's room, and was graciously received by the serene, handsome woman who directed the activities of Lakeview Hall. Dr. Beulah Prescott was a woman of culture and marked executive ability. For many years she had been the head of the school, and had won for it an enviable position among institutions of its kind. She had a large and valuable clientele, which was constantly expanding. She was an extremely good-looking woman, and exquisitely groomed and dressed, although with an utter absence of ostentation. She knew the value of appearance, especially before the critical eyes of her schoolgirls, and never allowed herself to be seen at a disadvantage. Her rule was mild, but just and firm, and all the girls knew that she was not to be trifled with. Behind her back they often referred to her as Doctor Beulah, but none permitted herself any familiarity in her presence. Her poise was perfect. No one had ever seen her angry or flustered. When she did not inspire ardent affection, she always commanded the genuine respect of her pupils. She greeted Nan pleasantly as the latter entered, and asked her to be seated. "I hear you came near having a serious accident this afternoon, Nan," she said, "and I have sent for you to have you tell me all about it." Nan told in detail the events of the afternoon, and the doctor listened with keen interest, interrupting once in a while to make some incident perfectly clear. "It was a very narrow escape," she commented, when Nan had finished. "I am thankful beyond words that none of the girls was hurt or killed, as they so easily might have been. And I want to congratulate you on the way you played your part. I notice you left that out of your story, but others have already told me how cool and clear-headed you were through it all. I'm glad that you happened to be steering." Nan flushed at the words of praise, and murmured rather uncomfortably that she had done only what any other of the girls would have done in her place. "I differ with you there," replied Dr. Prescott, with a smile. "But we won't discuss that. What must be done is to make the coasting safer in the future. After this, I will have some one stationed at that crossing to warn passers-by. As for that poor woman, I will see that all the expenses of her illness are paid and that she is compensated besides for the fright and pain she has undergone." "Pardon me, Dr. Prescott," said Nan with some diffidence, "but the girls feel that they ought to do most of the helping. They have already contributed a little, and they are planning to do more." "A very commendable feeling," agreed the head of the school graciously. "But at least you will let me help. I know Mrs. Bragley. She is a very worthy woman." "She seems to be," remarked Nan. "Her little house is poor, but everything about it is neat and clean. I gathered from some things she said that she used to be in fairly comfortable circumstances." "That is true," was the response. "Her husband was a hard-working man and had saved up some money. But he was inclined to invest his savings in rather risky enterprises, and I imagine he was swindled out of most of it. It seems to me that I have heard something of that kind, though I don't recall it clearly." "I would like to go over to the cottage as often as I can in the next few days to see what I can do to help, if you have no objections," remarked Nan. "None whatever," rejoined Dr. Prescott. "In fact, I shall be very glad to have you do so, provided, of course, that you don't let it interfere with your school work. You can go now, Nan. You must be tired after the strain and excitement of this afternoon, and I would suggest that you go to bed early." Nan bade the principal good-night and hurried up to her room, where she found a group of her special friends all on the qui vive to learn of her interview. [Pg 37] [Pg 38] [Pg 39] [Pg 40] CHAPTER VI A GLORIOUS PROSPECT "Hail, the conquering heroine comes!" cried Rhoda Hammond, as Nan entered the room. "I see she didn't eat you up," remarked Bess with a smile. "I suppose you are disappointed," laughed Nan, as she threw herself into a chair. "It would have been delightfully exciting if she had, wouldn't it? But talking of eating, let me have some of those chocolates, you stingy thing." The last remark was addressed to Laura, who languidly took up the box of confections and handed it over to Nan. "Where's Grace?" asked Nan, as she helped herself and cast her eyes over the group. The question was answered by Grace herself, who at that moment burst into the room, waving a letter excitedly in her hand. "Oh, girls, what do you think?" she exclaimed breathlessly. "We never think," drawled Laura. "At least, my teachers tell me that I never do." "Has some distant relative died and left you a fortune?" hazarded Bess. "Better than that," cried Grace jubilantly. "Can anything be better than that?" queried Laura. "Tell us, Grace," adjured Nan. "Don't keep us on the anxious seat." "I'm going to Palm Beach!" exclaimed Grace joyously. "Do you hear, girls? I'm going to Palm Beach for the winter...