CHAPTER XXIX
"WHEN THE SPIRIT MOVES"
"Oh, I'm so excited," said Grace, looking from Walter to Nan. "Justthink, Nan! Everything happened just like a story."
"Well, I must say," said Bess emphatically, "that for my part I'm gladit's over. I may be able to sleep to-night without expecting to bestabbed in the back."
"Goodness! they weren't after you," said Nan practically. "I wasthe--the----" she paused for a word and Walter obligingly supplied it.
"Goat?" he asked.
"Goat," she agreed with a smile.
"Oh, but you were wonderful, Nan," said Grace worshipfully. "I neverwould have had the courage to face those men the way you did."
"But if it hadn't been for Rhoda, they might have got away even then,"said Nan generously, and Rhoda flushed with pleasure.
"I'm glad if I helped at all," the girl from Rose Ranch said modestly.
It was not till the girls were alone in their room that they rememberedthe unopened morning mail. Nan had been holding her letters tight in herhand through all the excitement. They opened them without much interest,for even letters could hardly hope to compete with the excitement ofthis morning.
One of Nan's letters was from Momsey, and she put it away with a tendersmile, for she always saved the best till the last. Then she opened theother letter, which was from Laura Polk, and immediately herindifference changed to interest.
In the letter, which Nan read aloud, Laura recounted excitedly to Nanhow Dr. Prescott had found that Linda was responsible for the wreckingof the steam plant and that Linda's father would undoubtedly be asked topay the bill for repairs.
"Does she say how they found out?" questioned Bess quickly.
"One of the servants saw Linda down there with some rope. She was takensick and went home for a while, and did not know anything about thetrouble at the school. But she is well now and ready to go back to herwork, and in talking to Doctor Beulah the story came out."
"I'm mighty glad Doctor Beulah knows," said Bess. "I don't suppose anyof us could have told on Linda, but she deserved to be found out--thehorrid thing."
"I don't suppose Linda can help her disposition," said Grace mildly. "Iheard mother say once that she was her own worst enemy."
"I suppose she is," said Rhoda skeptically. "But that doesn't make uslike her any better!"
Then Nan put down Laura's letter and turned to Momsey's. It was a long,long letter, and she read it over twice.
"Dear Momsey!" she murmured to herself. "How much I will have to tellyou when I see you again!"
A few hours later Mr. Mason came back with the news that Jacob Pacombhad been arrested for the crooked swindler that he was.
It seemed that at the time he had sold the property to Mrs. Bragley'shusband, Pacomb had made five other grants, and, now that the propertyhad proved more valuable than he had hoped for, he was trying underhandmeans to recover it.
The men who had made life miserable for Nan for the last few weeks andhad almost wrecked Bess's temper and who were now gracing twin cells inprison, were simply agents of Pacomb's.
"So now everything is settled happily," Mr. Mason finished. "We can goback to Palm Beach whenever the spirit moves us."
The spirit did not move them for several days, however, for Sunny Slopeswas a pretty place and the surrounding country beautiful. Also Nan hadtelegraphed the joyful news to Mrs. Bragley and, since she had giventhe address of the hotel where they were staying, she was eager toreceive a letter in answer from the widow before they went back to theRoyal Poinciana.
"Although I do hope she writes soon," she had confided to Walter. "For Iam really getting homesick for Palm Beach again."
The girls went to see Linda the day after Nan received Laura's letter,but found that she and Cora had left without leaving word of any kindfor any of them.
"Poor Cora!" Bess said, as they made their way down to the street. "Iguess she hasn't had any easy time of it since she let the cat out ofthe bag to me about Linda."
At last the expected letter came from Mrs. Bragley, and the girlsgathered around Nan eagerly as she read it aloud. One had only to readthe first line to tell that the old woman was overjoyed at her goodfortune. The letter fairly overflowed with gratitude to Nan for what shehad done.
"It has lifted a weight from my shoulders, my dear, such as you will never know," the letter finished. "At least I hope and pray that you may not. And if the time ever comes when you need help, don't be afraid to come to a lonely old woman, who will be proud and happy to pay back a little of the debt she owes you."
"That's worth every disagreeable thing we went through, isn't it,girls?" Nan asked, looking up at them with shining eyes. "Isn't itwonderful to be able to make somebody just a little bit happier becausethey have met you?"
"Maybe that's why we are all so happy," said Bess gaily, flinging herarms about her chum. "Because we have you, Nan Sherwood."
"Now with Nan's villains and Linda off our minds," drawled Rhoda,sinking lazily down into the depths of a big chair, "we ought to be ableto enjoy ourselves."
"Will we!" cried Grace softly. "Just you watch us!"
The next morning they started back for Palm Beach. Walter asked Nan toride with him, and she surprised herself as much as him by accepting theinvitation.
She was feeling joyously care-free and venturesome this morning, and itwas wonderful to be beside Walter in the car with the sweet wind rushingby and the country unfolding in tropical luxuriance at every turn.
"Oh, Walter, aren't you glad you're alive?" she asked of the youth ather side.
Walter's eyes were happy as he turned to her.
"You said it," he answered fervently.
Just then Bess, in the car ahead, looked back at them. Was it only Nan'simagination again or did the look seem to say, more plainly than anywords could have done:
"Nan Sherwood, what did I tell you?"
But Nan just then did not care what Bess thought. She was very happy andthat being so she meant to enjoy herself thoroughly during the remainderof her stay in Florida.
And now, with many good times still in store for them at Palm Beach, wewill say good-bye to Nan Sherwood and her chums.
THE END
Nan Sherwood at Palm Beach; Or, Strange Adventures Among The Orange Groves Page 30