Chapter XXVI: Council of War

The girl had told her story in such a simple and straightforward way that, combined with the candor in her eyes, it carried conviction to the sympathetic hearts of her hearers. And their eyes were moist as they listened to the pelting of the rain and thought of the fugitive making her way through the lonely woods, her footsteps dogged with terror.

She sat looking from the eyes of one to the other, and was comforted by what she saw there.

"You poor, dear girl!" cried Cora, springing up and giving her an impulsive hug. "You've had an awful time of it, but we're going to do our best to straighten things out and make you forget your troubles."

"Of course we know who the rascal was that threatened you," said Bess. "It was that man Higby."

"He was the one," admitted Nina.

"You say that he used to know you in Roxbury," put in Belle. "Was he employed in the same store with you?"

"Not only that," returned Nina, "but _he was the man who said that he saw me take the purse!_"

"He, of all men!" exclaimed Bess. "When I saw him in the very act of slipping back Cora's purse after he had taken it!"

"But why should he have tried to put the theft on you rather than anybody else?" asked Belle.

"I think he had a grudge against me," answered Nina. "He had been too familiar in his manner toward me, and I resented it. He was angry and told me that I would be sorry. But I don't think that would have been enough to make him go as far as he did. He worked in the same part of the store that I did, and I have thought since that perhaps he took the purse himself. Then, when the search for it was coming close to him, he got scared, and slipped it under my counter so that the blame would fall on me."

"A cur like that oughtn't to be allowed to live!" cried Bess in hot indignation.

"Of course, I don't _know_ that he stole it," qualified Nina; "but his eagerness to put the matter on some one else makes me think he might have done so. And even if he isn't a thief, he knew that he was telling a falsehood when he said he saw me take it."

"But why should he threaten you now?" asked Belle. "The whole matter has blown over long ago as far as he's concerned, and he's in no further danger. I can understand how the coward might have lied in a moment of fright to save his own skin. But why should he be cold-blooded enough to keep on persecuting you now?"

"He's got some purpose in view," replied Nina, "and he wants to make me help him by threatening to expose me if I don't. I don't know what it is, but from what I know of him I'm sure it's something wrong. He said he'd see me again tomorrow and tell me his plan. I told him I wouldn't have anything to do with him or his plans, but he only grinned and said he guessed I'd rather help him than go to jail. I ran away from him then, and later on I made up my mind to come here."

"You did just exactly right," declared Cora. "We'll take care of you until everything is made all right. But you'll have to keep close to the house, so that nobody besides ourselves will know you're here."

"How about the gypsies?" asked Belle. "Won't they make a search for you?"

"I suppose they will," answered Nina. "You see," she said with a little pitiful smile, "they regard me as one of their assets. I make a good deal of money for them from the visitors to the camp. But apart from that, some of them are really fond of me, and I feel the same way toward them. They took me in when I was in extremity, and in their way they have been kind. I never want to go back if I can help it, but I will always have a feeling of gratitude and affection for them."

"And so you ought," returned Cora. "But all the same your natural place is with your own people, and you mustn't have your life spoiled. We'll set things in motion the first thing to-morrow morning--or rather this morning," she smiled, as she looked at her watch. "Good gracious, girls, it's after two now! We simply must get to bed."

They put out the light and stole upstairs, where, after bestowing Nina comfortably, they were soon sound asleep.

But Cora was astir early, for she wanted to forestall the appearance of Nina at the breakfast table by notifying Aunt Betty and the boys of all that had happened in the night.

"A miracle!" cried Jack, as he came down the stairs three steps at a time, followed by Paul and Walter. "Cora is up before the rest of us!"

"Fair goddess of the rosy-fingered dawn,"

quoted Walter.

"You boys stop your nonsense now and listen to me," smiled Cora. "I've got something very important to talk over with you."

"The new fall styles, perhaps," chaffed Walter.

"It's about the gypsy girl," began Cora.

"The gypsy girl!" exclaimed Jack, pressing his hand to his brow. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"She's upstairs sleeping," said Cora simply.

The effect was electric. The young men dropped their foolery at once.

"What do you mean?" asked Jack, staring at her.

"You're joking!" cried Walter.

"How did she get here?" queried Paul.

"She came last night about twelve o'clock," replied Cora, quietly enjoying the shock she had given. "I heard her knocking at the door, and got up and let her in."

"But why didn't you call us?" asked Jack.

"I didn't want to rouse the house," Cora answered. "I made sure that it was a woman before I opened the door."

"But that might have been a trap," reproved Walter. "She might have had confederates with her who would have forced their way in as soon as the door was opened."

"I didn't think of that," admitted Cora. "I knew it was Nina--that's the name she goes by--and I took her in. The poor thing was drenched from head to foot and was nearly frightened to death. We gave her dry clothes and something to eat and put her to bed."

And then to the boys and to Aunt Betty, who had entered while they were talking, Cora told in detail what she had learned of the gypsy girl's story.

The others listened intently, breaking in frequently with questions. Aunt Betty was full of sympathy, though a little dubious about this new element brought into the life of Kill Kare.

The sympathies, too, of the boys were aroused, though their feelings took the form of bitter indignation against Higby. They would have jumped at the chance to form a vigilance committee and thrash him within an inch of his life, if it could have been done without disagreeable publicity for the girls.

As to the mystery itself, they were not as keenly interested as the girls were in solving it. They had a masculine hatred of seeming to pry, and they foresaw a whole lot of possible complications in the presence of the newcomer. But after all, their chivalry was aroused by the girl's plight, and they cheerfully promised to do all they could to get her out of it.

"On general principles I object to Kill Kare's becoming an orphan asylum," laughed Jack. "But you can count on us, sis, to take off our coats and work like beavers to set things right. Eh, fellows?"

"You bet!" replied Walter in his somewhat slangy manner.

"Watch our smoke," prophesied Paul, and grinned broadly.