The Orchard Secret

by Cleo F. Garis

  CHAPTER XIII Aftermath

  While Sim, in the room the three girls shared, undressed with wearyslowness, Terry and Arden sat like youthful inquisitors and shot questionafter question at her until the whole foolish episode was at last laidbare before them.

  "Sim, you must have had a touch of the sun, or something, to do what youdid," Arden said spiritedly.

  "It's all over now, Arden--there's no use crying over the straw thatbroke the camel's back or the spilled milk that got in the eye of theneedle in the haystack, or something," Terry remarked soothingly.

  "Thanks," murmured Sim. And then, with sudden energy: "But, oh, girls! Iforgot to tell you the most exciting part! We came in as far as we couldon the back road--you know, where it circles the college grounds near theorchard and finally comes out at the main highway?" She lookedquestioningly at her hearers.

  "Yes, we know," said Arden, and Terry nodded, adding:

  "Let's hear it all."

  "Well, I thought," went on Sim, "that we had better stop for a minute tosee if there were any lights in this dorm before we went any farther. Sowe did, but I didn't notice just where we were, as I was looking so hardtoward where I knew you two would be, and on the watch for me, I hoped."

  "As we were," said Arden.

  "Yes. Thanks a lot. But listen to this." By Sim's manner Terry and Ardenknew something startling was to be told--something so startling that, forthe moment, it drove from their minds the thought of having been caughtby the stern dean.

  "Suddenly," said Sim, "away down at the far end of the orchard, I saw alight bobbing about!"

  "Ye gods, Sim! Did Mr. Newman see it? What was it?" demanded Ardenexcitedly.

  "He saw it, and so did the chauffeur, for he said something about whysomeone should be out in a gloomy old orchard at that time of night witha lantern. I was frozen with horror!" Sim was enjoying herself andwatching the eyes of the girls widen with surprise.

  "Well, go on!" whispered Terry. "What did you do?"

  "We didn't say a word--just sat there in the car and watched the lightcoming closer. I felt sure it was someone looking for me."

  "For you?" gasped Arden.

  "Well, I mean trying to find out who was coming back to college so late,against the rules--afraid they'd find me out, you know."

  "Oh, yes," Terry murmured.

  "Pretty soon," resumed Sim, "we said that it was someone carrying alantern--holding it down low so it was only shining on the ground."

  "Don't stop, Sim--tell us who it was!" Terry begged.

  "I don't know who it was. He didn't pass very close, and from the way hewas carrying the lantern I could only see his legs and part of one hand,but--" Sim paused dramatically--"he seemed like a young man."

  "Did he see you?" Arden blurted out.

  "Perhaps; though if he did, he didn't seem to care. He went stumbling onhis way toward Bordmust. Then I came out of my daze and told Mr. Newmanwe'd better be getting on our way. Of course, he thought it queer that aman should be out that hour of night near a girls' school, but I passedit off by saying it was the watchman on his rounds. But, girls, itwasn't, though even the little I could see made me feel he belongedaround here. But, here's a question, a hard one, really: What do yousuppose he was doing in the orchard after midnight?"

  "I can't imagine. It's all very queer. And," went on Arden, "I hope itjust stays merely queer. But now, to be practical--much as I know youhate to be that way, Sim--I think we had all better get some sleep. We'llhave to see Tiddy in the morning, and we had better have our wits aboutus when we do." Arden yawned. The conference was ended. The girls gotinto bed. The light was extinguished. Silence settled over the room.

  Terry, as usual, lost no time in getting to sleep. Sim, utterlyexhausted, was sighing heavily as she burrowed under the blankets.

  But Arden was never more wakeful. All the various adventures the girlshad shared in the past were as clear in her mind as though she werewatching a motion-picture film of them. She tossed and turned. Throughthe gloom Arden fancied she could see again the face of the man describedin the reward placard in the post office.

  Arden was still certain that, somewhere, she had seen that face before.The fright she and her chums had in the orchard, was, in some way, linkedwith the lantern man Sim had seen that night. Then, intruding upon thatsituation, it was borne to Arden that the swimming pool was in ashopeless a shape as on their arrival at Cedar Ridge.

  What would Sim do now?

  And what would happen at the morning interview with Miss Tidbury Anklon,the severe dean? Arden was desperate. She would never get to sleep atthis rate. As quietly as she could, she arose, went to her bureau, andmanaged, by feeling, to find the bottle of aspirin tablets. She swallowedone, taking a few sips of unpleasantly tepid water from the glass at herbed-side table, and tried to compose herself again. She noticed that Simand Terry were breathing like tired, sleeping children.

  Arden lay flat on her back, as she had read somewhere this was a goodthing to do when one could not get to sleep. Closing her eyes tightly,she began to count:

  "One! Two! Three!"

  Suddenly the white woolly sheep leaping gayly over a black fence becamehuge red apples rolling toward her as she was stretched helpless on theground. She put up her arms to ward them off, but to no avail. Soon shewas covered completely by an immense pile of the fruit. Her voice, as shesought to cry for help to Terry and Sim, would not sound. She tried invain to crawl out from beneath the heap of red apples as hard as stones.

  "Arden! Arden! You're dreaming! Wake up!"

  Sim was shaking her gently. Slowly Arden returned to consciousness. Sheraised herself on one elbow and stared dazedly about the dim room.

  "Sim--I've had such a horrid dream!" Arden took a deep breath and sat up."Oh, dear, it's almost morning!"

  She had, in truth, slept nearly the night through. A gray dawn, shot withglints of the rising sun, pressed against the window.

  "In a few hours we'll be in Tiddy's office," Arden sighed. "I wish it wasall over!"

  Sim had nothing to say to this. She reached over and tugged at theblankets covering the still slumbering Terry, saying:

  "You might as well wake up, too. It's morning."

  Terry grunted sleepily. "What? Oh--it's you, Sim. I remember. Today's theday. What time is it?"

  "Seven-thirty," supplied Arden, looking at her watch. "Let's get dressedand have it over with. We can see Tiddy in an hour."

  Yawning and stretching, the girls dressed and started down for breakfast.