"Who gave you such orders?" demanded Tabitha in bewilderment, rubbing her eyes to make sure she was not dreaming.
"Your father. I met him in the city just as I was about to board the train for Silver Bow."
"But--but--"
"No "buts" about it," put in Myra, still sucking her injured tongue.
"I accidentally ran up against Mrs. McKittrick in Los Angeles, knew her at once because Mercy looks so much like her, discovered that she was planning to come back here before school opened; so I just attached myself to her and came along--"
"Aha!" crowed Gloriana jubilantly. "Then all that tale about finding the Eagles" Nest without help was a--fib!"
Myra"s face crimsoned and her tell-tale eyes dropped, then lifted again, twinkling like twin stars. "Huh!" she giggled, "our detective again! Say, are you going to catch that train at three o"clock? If so, just take wings to your feet and fly for home. Mrs. McKittrick can hear all about everything when you get back. The children are alive and well, and that"s the main point. I told her everything you had written me and--"
"Myra Haskell!"
"Well, she was on her way home and "twas time she knew." She glanced across at Mrs. McKittrick, who smiled back through her tears. "And she says you are bricks. Also I told the station agent to send up his rig for your trunks, and if you don"t make haste pretty lively, he"ll be there before we are. I suppose your trunks are at your own house?
That"s where I told him to call. Now sling out the duds you"ve got here, and I"ll pack them while you are getting slicked up. No, Mrs.
McKittrick, I don"t want another bite to eat, and it"s evident from the looks of the house that either these folks don"t get dinner, or else they have already eaten it."
"We"ve had it," volunteered Irene, "but it wasn"t very good."
"Irene McKittrick!" gasped her mother.
"She is right," laughed Tabitha. "To-day was sc.r.a.p dinner. We have it once a week to get rid of all the odds and ends. However, it isn"t very popular. No, thanks, we won"t need a lunch put up for us. If we get hungry before we reach Los Angeles, we"ll patronize the diner.
Sorry we can"t stop to tell you all the news, but if Dad said we must go back on this train, I suppose we must. Where are you staying, Myra?
Avalon? Catalina Island?"
"The very same."
Tabitha clasped her hands together and drew a deep breath. "How perfectly splendid!"
"I guess I"m dreaming," murmured Gloriana, half aloud, pinching herself vigorously to make sure she was really awake. "Do you get there by boat?"
"Of course, goosie! Did you think we took an airship? Hurry up, slowpokes!"
Laughing and chattering gleefully, the trio gathered up their possessions, made a hurried visit to the Catt cottage, packed their trunks, and were at the station long before the train rumbled its way back to the great city by the sea.
"We are going to have the grandest kind of a time," Myra told them.
"All sorts of high jinks. We"ve got a dandy site for our camp,--a dozen tents--"
"A dozen!" cried Tabitha in a panic. "Why, who are with you? I thought it was just your family."
"You knew Gwynne was there?"
"Yes, but she wouldn"t occupy a dozen tents. I"m scared!"
"You needn"t be," mocked Myra soothingly. "I"ll bet you will vote it the jolliest bunch you ever got mixed up with."
"Do I know any of them?"
"Do you consider yourself acquainted with Gwynne and me?"
"Of course. I meant any of the others."
"Well," Myra spoke dubiously, "if you don"t, I think you will get acquainted easily." And with that remark she adroitly turned the conversation and managed to avoid that subject during the rest of their journey.
When the train drew into the dingy little depot the next morning, and the trio gathered up their wraps preparatory to alighting, Tabitha was suddenly heard to e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e, "Why, there is Dad! And he"s talking with--Miss Pomeroy, as sure as I"m alive! Myra Haskell, is Miss Pomeroy occupying one of those twelve tents?"
Myra glanced hastily through the iron gates, saw that Tabitha was right, and demurely nodded her head.
"Then I can imagine who the others are."
"Bet you can"t! At least, not all."
"Bet I can!"
"Who, then, smarty?"
"Grace Tilton, Bessie Jorris, Jessie Wayne, Julia, Chrystie--_is_ Chrystie there?"
"Wait and find out," teased Myra.
"Possibly Madeline and Vera,--in fact, all our bunch."
Myra merely laughed, and as they were now spied by Mr. Catt and his companion, there was no further opportunity for discussion; for, after a hasty greeting all around, the man seized all the grips he could manage, and made for the street, saying briskly, "We must hurry. The boat goes at ten, and it is quite a ride to San Pedro."
"I hope," panted Tabitha, trotting along at the rear of the procession, tugging a heavy suit-case, "that you don"t have your fun in such a hurry."
"What do you mean?" Myra demanded.
"Well, it"s been nothing but hustle since we started out yesterday afternoon, and I was just wondering if that"s the atmosphere of your camp, too."
"Perhaps you will think so," laughed Myra; "for there certainly are few idle minutes with us."
"How long has the bunch been at Avalon? Surely not all summer, or you never could have kept it secret for such a while."
"No," Myra acknowledged, "only--but there, not another question till we reach Catalina. Then you can ask all you want. I"ve said too much already. First thing I know, you will guess the rest of our surprise."
And the girl resolutely closed her lips.
"_Rest_ of the surprise," mused Tabitha to herself, when further questions failed to bring forth any more information, and Myra was devoting her attention to quiet Gloriana. "I wonder what it can be.
Seems as if there had been about all the surprises one human being could expect in twenty-four hours. Who would ever imagine that Dad would go on a jaunt like this? Isn"t it great to be alive in this day and age?"
She fell to dreaming over the many changes that had come to pa.s.s in her life during one short year, and was only roused from her revery by Myra"s gripping her shoulder and shouting in her ear, "The boat is whistling its warning now. Not a minute to spare. Run, Kit, run!"
And again the little company tore frantically down the street toward the dock where the _Cabrillo_ was tugging at her anchor, waiting for the signal to steam away to the Enchanted Isle on her daily voyage.
It was the first time either Tabitha or Gloriana had been on the ocean; and with rapturous hearts they drank in every detail of their brief trip, counted the flying fish that darted out of the water on either side of them, watched the foam dashing high against the bow of the vessel, wondered at the long ribbon of silent water which the ship left in its wake, and were sorry when suddenly Myra called, "There"s the island. We are almost there. Now for the fun! There"s a bride and groom on board."
"How do you know?"