The Motor Girls at Camp Surprise; Or, The Cave in the Mountains

by Margaret Penrose

  CHAPTER V--COUNTERFEIT TICKETS

  Cora laughed melodiously. Belle and Bess looked at her with just a shadeof indignation in their eyes.

  "I didn't think you'd be such--such, well, I won't say cowards," Coravoiced, when the gale of merriment had passed. "But I think, Belle, thatyou would rise above the occasion, even if Bess----"

  "Now what is there she can do that I can't?" demanded the plump twintruculently. "I guess if it's a question of bravery, I'm as willing asshe is to go to Camp Surprise."

  "I thought you'd be," Cora observed.

  "But is it a question of bravery?" asked Belle.

  "What else?" her sister demanded.

  "Well, from the way in which Cora told it, I should think it would needsome members of the Society for Psychic Research to get to the bottom ofall those queer manifestations. Cora Kimball!" Belle suddenly exclaimed,sitting up in her chair. "You haven't been hoaxing us; have you? Thisisn't a joke; is it? I mean all those things really did happen; didn'tthey?"

  "My! what a lot of questions to set off at once," objected Cora. "But Ican answer them all by saying that I have given the story to you just asit came to me. As far as I know, it's no joke, and the way the furniturebehaved, or rather, was made to act, is strictly true."

  "And you are still going to Camp Surprise?" asked Bess.

  "Certainly. Why not?"

  "Well--er--that is---- Oh! of course I know there's no such thing as aghost," said Belle. "But, at the same time, even if those thingshappened by human agencies--as naturally they did--it might make it veryunpleasant for us up there."

  "Nonsense!" cried Cora. "It will make it all the more interesting. Thinkof the fun we can have, organizing ghost-detecting parties, sitting upuntil all hours of the night, daring the boys to sit with us. And then,after all, finding out it is only the tricks of some alleged fun-lovingperson, or perhaps boys of the neighborhood."

  "Do you really think so, Cora?" Belle asked.

  "Why, yes."

  "I don't know," murmured Bess, thoughtfully.

  "Come! Where has all the bravery of the Motor Girls vanished to?"demanded Cora with a silvery laugh. "We didn't act thus timidly when wesolved the secret of the red oar on Crystal Bay. And perhaps----"

  "Cora's right!" interrupted Belle.

  "She generally is," contributed Bess.

  "There's a secret here, and we will solve it!" her sister went on. "Ididn't look at it that way before, but I see it now. We mustn't bedriven away, or kept from going just because of these rumors. We'll goto Camp Surprise and surprise those who are making such a fuss there. Iwonder some one hasn't done it long ago."

  "Just what I was about to remark," came from Cora. "I'm glad to see thatyour natural courage has come back. I thought it would. We haven't beentogether on various quests for nothing. Now we'll prove ourselves trueMotor Girls, and get at the bottom of these surprising happenings. Youwon't back out?"

  "Never!" affirmed Bess.

  "Cross my heart!" laughed her sister, with the old, familiar, childishgesture of emphasizing a statement.

  "Then it's all settled. Now let's go home. Jack and Walter said theywere going over to Meadport to-day to see if any word had been receivedthere of my missing auto. They may have returned with some news."

  "Why was Meadport regarded so favorably?" asked Bess.

  "Well, a constable there sent word to our police that there had been anumber of petty robberies committed in the neighborhood. A number ofthefts would take place in one night, and so far apart that the onlyprobable theory was that the thieves used an auto. Jack thought my dearcar might be used for such base purposes, so he and Wally went overthere to-day."

  "Let us hope they have good news," said Belle, as with her sister andCora she entered the Robinson automobile and headed back for CheerfulChelton.

  "Nothing doing," announced Jack, as his sister and her chums came insight of the Kimball home, and saw him with Walter, sitting on thebroad, shady piazza. "Absolutely nothing transpiring, as the poetsaith."

  "College hasn't improved your slang any," observed Bess.

  "No, I guess I'll have to take a P. G. course to accomplish that. I am abit rusty. Wally, suppose you give them a sample."

  "Spare us," murmured Cora. "Was there really no news, Jack?"

  "Not an atom, or even a molecule. Which is smaller, Wally? I forget."

  "Same here. Anyhow they hadn't caught those Meadport thieves, so whetherthey have your auto or not, Cora, my dear, remains yet to be proved."

  The young people talked on, the conversation reverting naturally to CampSurprise.

  "What do you think it all means, Jack?" asked Bess.

  "Kids playing tricks," declared Jack tersely. "So it didn't scare yougirls out from going?"

  "Of course not!" declared Bess indignantly. A look passed from her toCora, from Cora to Belle--and that was all.

  "That's right!" chimed in Walter. "Don't let a little thing like thatscare you away. We'll get at the bottom of this mystery."

  "When do you plan to go?" asked Cora of her brother.

  "As soon as Wally can get his new suit that he's ordered from that nobbytailor."

  "Don't you believe him," cried Walter, thumping his chum on the back."I'm as ready as he is. He's waiting for one of those sport shirts----"

  "Go on! I wouldn't wear one!"

  "Well, make up your minds, and we'll all go together," urged Cora. "Wecan go up in the motor boat as far as possible, and take buckboards therest of the way. We'd like to have you boys on hand when we begin theinvestigation of Camp Surprise."

  "Oh, ho! Afraid?" laughed Walter. "I thought there was a mouse in thewoodpile somewhere, Jack, my boy!"

  "Nothing of the sort!" came from Cora. "Besides, you're thinking of themouse and the lion. It is an African gentleman of color who makes thewoodpile his habitation."

  "That's right," admitted Walter. "I never was very good at datesanyhow."

  "Fig paste is more to your liking. Have a chocolate," urged Bess.

  "We want you along to bear testimony when we have routed out themischief-makers," said Cora, after the laughter had subsided. "Yourbungalow is near ours, and we can call to you to come and hold thedisturbers when we capture them."

  "Is that what you're going to do?" asked Jack.

  "Certainly," returned Belle, as if the girls had never hesitated.

  "Well, it would be a pity to disappoint you," Walter declared. "We'll gowhen they do, Jack. But--whisper--they'll be more than a week yet. I knowgirls."

  "You only _think_ you do," mocked Cora. "We'll be ready before you are."

  Then they began to talk seriously and plan for their summer outing. Itwas not the first time they had been away together, the boys and girlsoften going to the same resort and occupying adjacent bungalows orcottages. In this way they divided such work as there was, andmultiplied the possible good times.

  Mrs. Kimball was to go to the Thousand Islands with her sister, whichleft Jack and Cora free to do as they pleased. Mr. and Mrs. Robinsonwould, as usual, occupy their seashore cottage, but Bess and Belle wouldnot join them there until later in the season, going first to CampSurprise with Cora.

  "Well, now it's all settled," declared Cora, after a season of talk."We'll go to Camp Surprise two weeks from to-day. I'll tell mother, andhave her write to Mrs. Floyd to have everything in readiness."

  "Even the ghosts?" demanded Walter.

  "Even the ghosts," agreed Cora, accepting the implied challenge.

  "Good!" cried Jack.

  A few days after this the three girls, all of whom belonged to a churchhome mission society, went to take some medicine and food to an oldwoman who was one that the society looked after. This dependent livedsome distance out of Cheerful Chelton, and the Robinson twins broughttheir car in which to carry the baskets of food.

  They had done their little errand of mercy and on the way back Coraproposed that they stop at Ye Olde Spinning Wheel for some tea or icecream, as the girls preferred.


  They had the place practically to themselves, as it was not the hourwhen most motorists stopped for refreshments. Cora and her chums spoketo the manager, and noticed that she seemed a bit downcast.

  "What is the matter?" asked Cora.

  "Oh, it's something that happened last night. You know I told you I hadtwo tickets for the opera. My friend gave me the money to get them, andI bought them off the two young fellows who were here one day lastweek."

  "Yes, it was the time my auto was taken," Cora said.

  "Of course! I ought to have remembered. Well, I bought two tickets forthe opera from those men at a reduced price."

  "And couldn't your friend go with you?" asked Belle sympathetically.

  "Oh, yes. He came for me all right. But when we went to go in theywouldn't let us."

  "Who wouldn't let you, those two young men?" asked Cora eagerly.

  "No, I only wish it had been the young men. I'd have had 'em arrested.But the doorkeeper would not let me and my friend in on those tickets."

  "Why not?" asked Bess.

  "Because he said they were counterfeit. And after my friend had given mehis good money for them. I was that angry I could have cried!Counterfeit tickets! What do you know about that?"