He handed her one little green booklet. She glanced over it and mumbled a lot of stuff through which she had to pa.s.s in order to get at what was wanted. Then she paused. "Oh, yes, there"s a place on the Woodland Branch railroad called Hemlock Grove. Of course, that must be around the corner from Hemlock Bend."
They all agreed that it must be. Then to take the trip--they would not wait for three days. Mr. Rand said that would be absurd, but when the boys should return to the hotel, which would be that afternoon, they would all start out in their cars. They would make a double hunt--for Cora and for Leland.
"It is a long trip," said Mr. Rand, "but I will take the big car, and Benson--couldn"t do it without Benson--and we will be able to ride or to walk almost the length and breadth of the county."
From that moment until the boys did return the young ladies were all excitement getting ready for the trip.
"I just feel now that something will happen," declared the optimistic Betty. "If four girls and four boys, besides the best man in New England, to wit, my daddy, cannot find them, then, indeed, they are lost."
"Oh, I, too, feel so anxious," sighed Bess. "I think the run will do our nerves good, if nothing else."
"And I feel exactly as if I were starting out to meet Cora," declared Belle. "Oh, what would I give----"
"We all would," interrupted Hazel.
"But to think that Leland should put us to trouble just now when our hands and hearts are so full," wailed Dr. Robbins.
"Well, as misery likes company, perhaps our trouble will get along better in pairs," said Hazel, without knowing exactly what she meant.
Jack entered the corridor. His handsome, dark face was tanned to a deep brown, and he looked different. Had he news?
"Where is Mr. Rand?" he asked.
"Just calling to the garage," said Belle, a note of question in her answer.
"Well, girls, we have found something. We have found Cora"s gloves!"
"Oh, where?" It was a chorus.
"On the road to Sharon. I found one--Ed the other."
He took from his pocket the gloves. They were not very much soiled, and had evidently only lain in the road a short time.
"They are the ones she wore the night of the ball, when she disappeared," said Belle, looking at them carefully.
"Then we will take that road and search every inch of it," declared Bess, also inspecting the gloves. "The dear old things!" and she actually pressed them to her lips. "I feel as if you had brought us a message from Cora."
"Those gloves have never been out of doors a week," said Jack seriously. "They have been carried there--placed there--just to throw us off the track. We will start out in the opposite direction."
"To-night?"
"As soon as you girls can get equipped. We must find Cora now or----"
"We will find her," cried Bess. "I know we will. Oh, just let us get on the road! I think the cars will scent the trail! I feel as if I were simply going out to meet her by appointment."
It was a brave effort, for the girls felt anything but certain. So many hopes had arisen and been dashed down! so many clews had been followed, only to be abandoned! so many messages had been sent in vain!
But with such hope as they could muster up the party in four automobiles started out from the Tip-Top. Without exception every guest was interested in the case, and as the motorists chugged off many were the wishes of good luck that were wafted after them.
To find Cora! to find Leland! or----
Another disappointment would seem too cruel. Walter declared he could pick a trail they had never yet followed. Betty said she knew a very dark and dangerous pa.s.s, where she had lost her bracelet. Belle wanted to go by the river road, so that when it was actually left to Bess to decide, as she was next in authority to Cora in the Motor Girls" Club, she spoke for the way through the woods, straight up into a rough and s.h.a.ggy pa.s.s.
"They would never dream of an automobile getting up there," she declared, "and if she is in hiding they have taken her far away from the good roads."
Wonderful for Bess! Wonderful, indeed, is the instinct of love!
Scarcely had they turned into the wooded way than they espied smoke stealing up through the trees.
"There must be some one over there," declared Bess, the first to make the discovery. "See! Yes, there is a flag!"
"Oh, maybe they are those dreadful Gypsies," murmured Belle. "Let us wait for Mr. Rand and the others."
"I am too anxious to see," objected her sister. "The rest are all within calling distance. See, there are the boys. Let us hurry into the side road. Whoever they are, they have had wagons up here."
It required careful driving to cover the pa.s.s, for the roadway was newly made, and by no means well-finished. Great stones continually rolled out from under the big, rubber wheels, and Bess was on the alert to use the emergency brake, although the road was somewhat up hill.
She feared the motor would stop and that they might back down.
"See!" she exclaimed, "there are children! They must be Gypsy lads and la.s.sies."
Over in a clump of evergreens could be seen some children, playing at a campfire. Yes, they might be Gypsies.
"Wait! wait," called Jack and Ed, who had now observed that the place was inhabited. "We will go in first."
"All right," called back Bess, a little sorry that she could not have had the glory of doing the investigating alone.
By this time most of the searching party had reached the spot.
"We will get out and walk over," suggested Jack, his voice trembling with antic.i.p.ation.
It was growing dusk, and the smoke seemed to make the woods more uncanny, and the depths blacker and more dismal.
The children in the underbrush had climbed up into the low trees to get a view of the automobiles.
Jack, Ed and Walter were making their way through the brush to reach the spot whence the smoke was coming.
Mr. Rand and his men were hurrying over from the cross road.
"Go slow!" he called, with the disregard of speech that makes a saying stronger.
"All right," answered Jack. "We"ll take it carefully."
"It"s a camp!" exclaimed Walter, "and Gypsies, I"ll wager."
"Oh, I am so frightened!" cried Belle. "Yet I would brave them alone for the sake of dear, darling Cora."
"Of course you would," Betty a.s.sured her, as she picked herself up from a fall over some hidden root.
Dr. Robbins had secured a stout stick, and she made her way with more care over the uncertain footing.