The Girls of Hillcrest Farm; Or, The Secret of the Rocks

by Amy Bell Marlowe

  CHAPTER XXII

  THE HIDDEN TREASURE

  "I'm going to call up the governor--and mom--and Lucy--and Jinny," gaspedthe young fellow, who had so suddenly laid claim to being Mrs. Castle'sgrandson. "I just want them to _see_ you, Grandma. Why--why, _where_ didyou ever get those duds? And for all the world!--_you're knitting!_"

  "You can call 'em up, Tommy," said the old lady, placidly. "I've got thebit in my teeth now, and I'm going to stay."

  "Can we drive in here?" asked Master Tom, quickly, of the girls, whom heinstinctively knew were in charge.

  "Yes," said Lyddy. "Of course any friends of Mrs. Castle's will bewelcome."

  Tom sang out for the chauffeur to turn into the lane, and in a minute ortwo the motor party stopped in the grass-grown driveway within plain viewof the people on the porch.

  "Will you look at who's here?" demanded Master Tom, standing with his legswide apart and waving his arms excitedly.

  The rather stout, ruddy-faced man reading the Sunday paper dropped thesheet and gazed across at the bridling old lady.

  "Why, Mother!" he cried.

  "Grandma--if it isn't!" exclaimed one young lady, who was about nineteen.

  "Mother Castle!" gasped the lady who sat beside Mr. Castle on the rearseat.

  "Hullo, Grandma!" shouted the other girl, who was younger than Tom.

  "I hope you all know me," said Grandmother Castle, rising and leaving herknitting in her chair, as she approached the automobile. "I thought someof sending for some more clothing to-morrow; but you can take my order into-day."

  "Mother Castle! what _is_ the meaning of this masquerade?" demanded herdaughter-in-law, raising a gold-handled lorgnette through which to stareat the old lady.

  "Thank you, Daughter Sarah," returned Mrs. Castle, tartly. "I considerthat from _you_ a compliment. I expect that a gown, fitted to my age andposition in life, _does_ look like a fancy dress to you."

  "Ho, ho!" roared her son, suddenly doubled up with laughter. "She's gotyou there, Sadie, I swear! Mother, you look just as your own mother usedto look. I remember grandma well enough."

  "Thank you, Rufus," said the old lady, and there were tears in her eyes."Your grandmother was a fine woman."

  "'Deed she was," admitted Mr. Castle, who was getting out of the carheavily. He now came forward and kissed his mother warmly. "Well, if youlike this, I don't see why you shouldn't have it," he added, standing offand looking at her plain dress, and her cap, and the little shawl overher shoulders.

  The girls and Master Tom had already kissed her; now Mrs. Castle theyounger got down and pecked at her mother-in-law's cheek.

  "I'm sure," she said, "I've always done everything to make you feel athome with us, Mother Castle. I've tried to make you one of the familyright along. And you belong to the same clubs I do. Surely----"

  "That's just exactly it!" cried the little old lady, shaking her head. "Idon't belong in the same clubs with you. I don't want to belong to anyclub--unless it's a grandmothers' club. And I want simple living--andcountry air----"

  "And all these Rubes?" chuckled Mr. Castle, waving his hand to take inthe surrounding country.

  "Quite so, Rufus. But you would better postpone your criticisms until----Ah, let me introduce my son, Mr. Colesworth," she added, as the oldgentleman and Harris appeared from the side yard. "And young Mr. HarrisColesworth, of the Commonwealth Chemical Company. Perhaps you've heard ofthe Colesworths, Rufus?"

  "Bless us and save us!" murmured Mr. Castle. "You're from Easthampton,too?"

  The old lady continued to introduce her family to the Brays, to Mr.Somers, and even to Professor Spink. The latter came forward with aflourish.

  "Spink--Lemuel Judson Spink, M.D., proprietor of Stonehedge Bitters, andDiamond Grits, the breakfast of the million," the professor explained,bowing low before Mrs. Rufus Castle.

  "And these two smart girls I have adopted as grandchildren, too," declaredthe older Mrs. Castle, drawing Lyddy and 'Phemie forward. "These are thehard-working, cheerful, kind-hearted girls who make this delightful homeat Hillcrest for us all."

  "Oh, Mrs. Castle makes too much of what we do," said Lyddy, softly. "Yousee, 'Phemie and I are only too glad to have a grandmother; we do notremember ours."

  "And, God forgive me! I'd almost forgotten what mine was like," said Mr.Castle, softly, eyeing his old mother with misty vision.

  "Well, now!" spoke the old lady, briskly, "do you suppose you couldfind enough in that pantry of yours to feed this hungry mob of peoplein addition to your regular guests, Lyddy?"

  "Why--if they'll take 'pot luck,'" laughed Lyddy. "Literally 'pot luck,' Imean, for the piece de resistance will be two huge pots of baked beans."

  "And such beans!" exclaimed Grandmother Castle.

  "And such 'brown loaf' to go with them," suggested Harris Colesworth.

  "And old-fashioned 'Injun pudding' baked in a brick oven," added Mr. Bray,smiling. "There is a huge one, I know."

  "I am not sure that there wasn't method in your madness, Mother," declaredMr. Castle. "All this sounds mighty tempting."

  "And it will taste even more tempting," declared the elder Mrs. Castle.

  "Let the hamper stay where it is," commanded her son, to the chauffeur."We'll partake of the Misses Bray's hospitality."

  The younger Castles, and the gentleman's wife, might have been in somedoubt at first; but when they were set down to the long dining table,with Lyddy's hot viands steaming on the cloth--with the flowers, andbeautiful old damask, and blue-and-white china of a by-gone day, and theheavy silver, and the brightness and cheerfulness of it all, they, too,became enthusiastic.

  "It's the most delightful place to visit we've ever found," declared MissVirginia Castle.

  "It's too sweet for anything," agreed Miss Lucy. "I hope you'll come thisway in the car again, Dad."

  "I reckon we will if Grandma is going to make this her headquarters--andshe declares she's going to stay," said Master Tom.

  "Do you blame her?" returned his father, with a sigh of plenitude, as hepushed back from the table.

  "Well! I can't convince myself that she ought to stay here; but you're allagainst me, I see," said their mother. "And, it really _is_ a delightfulplace."

  The Bray girls were proud of their success in satisfying such a party; andLyddy was particularly pleased when Mr. Castle drew her aside and put aten-dollar note in her hand.

  "Don't say a word! It was worth it. I only hope you won't be over-run byauto parties and your place be spoiled. If you have any others, however,charge them enough. It is better entertainment than we could possibly getat any road house for the same money."

  And so Lyddy got ten dollars toward her kitchen range.

  While the ladies were getting into the tonneau, however, Miss Brayoverheard a few words 'twixt Harris Colesworth and young Tom Castle thatmade her suspicious. She came out upon the side porch to wave themgood-bye with the dish-cloth, and there were Harris and Tom directlybeneath her.

  And they did not observe Lyddy.

  "All right, old man," Master Tom was saying, as he wrung the youngchemist's hand. "The governor and I _were_ a bit worried about grandma,and your tip came in the nick of time.

  "But," he added, with a chuckle, "I had no end of trouble getting Mom andthe girls to let James come up this way. You see, they'd never been thisway over the hill before."

  "Now," said Lyddy to herself, when the boys had passed out of hearing,"here is another case where this Harris Colesworth deliberately puthis--his _nose_ into other people's business!

  "He knew these Castles. At least, he knew that they belonged to grandma.And he took it upon himself to be a talebearer. I don't like him! Ideclare I never _shall_ really like him.

  "Of course, perhaps grandma's son and the rest of the family might begetting anxious about her. But suppose they'd been nasty about it andtried to make her go home with them?

  "No. 'Phemie is always saying Harris Colesworth has 'such a nice nose.'It is nothing of the kind! It is too much i
n other people's business tosuit me," quoth Lyddy, with decision.

  Her opinion of him, however, did not feaze Harris in the least. Mr. Somerswas inclined to be stiff and "offish" since the previous evening, butHarris was jolly, and kept everybody cheered up--even grandma, who wasundoubtedly a little woe-begone after her family had departed--for awhile, at least.

  It was a little too cool yet to sit out of doors after sunset, and thatevening after supper they gathered about a clear, brisk fire on thedining-room hearth, and Harris Colesworth led the conversation.

  And perhaps he had an ulterior design in leading the talk to the WidowHarrison's troubles. He said nothing at which Jud Spink could takeoffense, but it seemed that Harris had informed himself regarding theold woman's life with her peculiar husband, and he knew much about BobHarrison himself.

  "Say--he was a caution--he was!" cried Harris. "And he kept folks guessingall about here for years. The Pritchetts say Bob was a ne'er-do-wellwhen he was a boy----"

  "And that is quite so," put in Professor Spink. "I can remember the waythe old folks talked about him when I was a boy about here."

  "Just so," agreed Harris. "He made out he was entitled to a pension fromthe government, for years. And he always told folks he had brought afortune home from the war with him. Let on that he had hidden it aboutthe house, too."

  Professor Spink's eyes snapped, and he leaned forward.

  "You don't reckon there is anything in that story; do you, Mr.Colesworth?" he asked.

  "Why--I don't--know," said Harris, slowly, but with a perfectly graveface. "As I make it out, when the old fellow died the widow made searchfor this hidden treasure he had hinted at so often; but when the lawyersfound out that he was entitled to no pension--that he'd lied about_that_--and that about all he had left her was a mortgage on the place,Mrs. Harrison gave up the search for money in disgust. She said as he'dlied about the pension, and about other things, why, of course he'd liedabout the hidden treasure."

  "And don't you think he did?" asked Spink, with so much interest that theothers were amused.

  "Humph!" responded Harris, gravely. "I don't know. He _might_ have hiddenbonds--or deeds--or even bank notes."

  "Pshaw!" exclaimed Mr. Bray, laughing. "That's imagination."

  "You need not mind, Professor," said old Mr. Colesworth, sharply. "Ifthere is money, or treasure, hidden there in the house, or on the place,and you have bid the place in, as I understand you have, it will be'treasure trove'--it will belong to you--if you find it."

  "Ha!" ejaculated Professor Spink, darting the old gentleman rather anangry glance.

  "I don't know whether it is altogether talk and imagination, or not,"said Harris, ruminatively. "Cyrus Pritchett was with Bob Harrison when hedied. And he says the old man talked of this hidden money--or treasure--orwhat-not--up to the very time be became unconscious. He had a shock,you know, and it stopped his speech like _that_," and Harris snapped hisfinger and thumb.

  "It sounds like a story-book," said Grandma Castle, complacently.

  "It doesn't sound sensible," observed Lyddy, drily.

  "I'm giving it to you for what it's worth," remarked Harris,good-naturedly. "Mr. Pritchett was sitting up with Harrison when the oldman had his final shock. Harrison had been mumbling along to Cyrusabout what he wanted done with certain of his possessions. And he says:

  "'There's that hid away that will be wuth money--five thousand in hardcash--some day, Cy.'

  "Those are the words he used," said Harris, earnestly, and watchingProfessor Spink from one corner of his eye. "He was sitting up, Cy said,and as he spoke he pointed at---- Well," broke off Harris, abruptly,"never mind what he pointed at. He died before he could finish what hewas saying."

  "Is that the truth, Harris Colesworth?" demanded 'Phemie, regarding himseriously.

  "I got it from Lucas. Then I asked his father. That is just the way thestory was told to me," declared the young fellow, warmly.

  "And--and they never found anything?" asked Mr. Bray.

  "No. They searched. They searched the old pieces of--of furniture, too.But Mrs. Harrison gave it up when it was found that Bob had been such a--aprevaricator."

  "He probably lied about the fortune," said Mr. Bray, quietly.

  "Well--maybe," grunted Harris.

  But Lyddy remembered that Harris had already told her that he proposed togo to the vendue and buy in several pieces of the widow's furniture. Didthat mean that Harris really thought he had a clue to the hidden treasure?