The news so suddenly divulged by Andy confused Cora.
What did he mean by getting the reward? Of course the diamond earrings must have been found--he said that distinctly enough, but had they been hidden by the orphan girls, as was the case which contained the gems?
"Cora," called Belle, "Nannette is hungry. Come up to the candy kitchen, and we will show her how they make salt water taffy."
"All right," replied Cora. "Of course you must be hungry, Nannette, you had to leave home so early."
It was difficult to make their way through the steady stream of people that poured up the long pier. Cora walked ahead, while Bell and Bess, on either side, protected the deformed child.
"Oh, I can smell the taffy!" exclaimed the girl, as they neared the candy kitchen.
"Yes, so can I," agreed Cora. "It would almost make one hungry."
They were now in front of the store with the big gla.s.s windows.
Through this gla.s.s could be seen the workers in the exhibition kitchen. There were a few girls in white ap.r.o.ns, and high white caps, doing up pieces of "taffy" in papers, and working beside them were two men, also clad in white linen. The men were popping corn over a gas stove.
"Look," said Belle. "That is how they make it. Stand here a moment and watch."
The girls drew up in front of the window. As they stopped two men from the excursion boat also paused to observe the candy makers.
Cora turned and looked at the men. A remark one made about "runaways"
had attracted her attention.
"Oh!" she suddenly gasped. Then she clutched Belle"s arm.
"Come on," she whispered. "I don"t care to stand here."
"What"s the matter?" asked Bess, noting the change in Cora"s face.
"Those are--the detectives," she whispered. "I don"t want to get in conversation with them. Come on."
But both men were looking directly at Cora. She felt it was too late for her to try to escape their scrutiny.
"Look! Look!" exclaimed Bess. "There are----"
But at that instant two girls behind the gla.s.s window in the candy kitchen came forward with their trays of freshly-made candy. Both girls looked through the window--directly at Cora and at the others with her.
"Nellie and Rose!" exclaimed Belle.
"Oh!" gasped Cora, "if I only could tell them the diamonds are found!"
For a single instant the two girls in the caps and ap.r.o.ns stood like statues. Then they evidently saw the two men who stood directly back of Cora.
With a scream that penetrated the distance and the gla.s.s windows, the two unfortunate girls dropped their trays on the counter, and dashed out of the store into the kitchen, showing fright and terror as they ran.
"They saw the detectives," declared Cora. "Oh, I must reach them! But in this crowd!"
Some one tapped Cora on the shoulder.
It was one of the Squaton detectives.
CHAPTER XXIV
THE TWO ORPHANS
"Oh, Rose! I can"t go another step! Let them catch us if they want to.
I think I--a--am going to--die!"
"Nellie dear, try to keep up. We will be at the station soon. And you know those were detectives from home! Oh, try to keep on!"
"I--can"t! I"ve got to stop!"
The girl sank in the sand like the poor, tired, frightened little thing that she was. Rose put her arms round her sister, and her tears fell on the sunburned cheek that lay so helpless there, supported only by an arm equally sunburned, and equally exhausted.
"Oh, we will surely be caught," moaned Rose. "Don"t you think, when you rest awhile, you can go on, Nellie, dear? You were always so brave, and so strong."
"We have got to stop some time, Rose. Why should we go on like this? I am almost dead for sleep, and I feel as if I could go to sleep right here."
Rose kissed the sad little face, and brushed back the rudely cropped hair, that lay in ringlets on Nellie"s head. "It has been awfully hard, little sister," she said; "perhaps we had better give up and go back!"
The words seemed to startle the child, who lay on the sand. Instantly she sat bolt upright.
"Go back!" she repeated. "To that place! We might better die here!"
"Then why should we not see the detectives, and tell them all about it? Surely Aunt Delia will not be allowed----"
"But she has been allowed," insisted Nellie. "Hasn"t she treated us badly for years? And who was there to stop her? Who is there to stop her now?"
"Perhaps those young ladies could help us," sobbed Rose. "We may have done wrong to run away from them."
"I did like that dark girl," a.s.sented Nellie, rubbing her aching eyes, "and she did say she would see us again."
The two sisters were on an isolated patch of the beach and had been trying to make their way to the railroad station. In taking this sandy walk they had avoided the regular traffic path, but the heavy traveling had been too much for the younger one, who was plainly beginning to feel, and show, the signs of her perilous adventure since the day when she ran away from the strawberry patch of Squaton. It was late in the afternoon, almost dusk, but the happy shouts of the excursionists could be heard for a mile along the beach. Here and there groups of boys who had left the crowds were to be seen digging holes in the sand, and capering about with all their energy, to have their very best fun in that one last hour allowed before the big boat would sail away, and carry them off home again.
"There come some boys," said Rose. "Try to stand up, they will be sure to stop and gawk at us."
Nellie sat up, but made no effort to stand. Presently the three boys came romping along.
As Rose had guessed, they did stop and look at the girls; stared at them not rudely but in wonderment, for Nellie and Rose were too far away from merrymakers to be mistaken for members of the excursion party.
"Oh!" exclaimed Nellie, catching sight of one of the boys.
"Well, I never!" gasped the boy at the same moment. "If there ain"t Nellie and Rose!"
"Oh, Andy!" cried Nellie, "do come and talk to us. We are not afraid to trust you. Don"t say who we are--don"t mention our names!"