Chapter IX: Gathering Clouds

The word which the lighthouse keeper had received was rather indefinite. It was a letter from his sister, but it only confirmed that which he already knew.

"And it doesn't give me any address where I can write to her!" he complained when Cora had paid him a visit, in response to the invitation given by Rosalie during the swim. "It's postmarked at--maybe you can see it, my eye-sight isn't what it used to be," and he held the envelope out to Cora.

"Edmenton," she read. "That's in this State."

"Yes, but what good would it do to write to her there?" he asked. "She evidently doesn't want me to know where she is. Just read the letter, Miss."

It was not long and in effect said that Mrs. Raymond would not come back to her relatives until she had found Nancy Ford, and cleared her name of the suspicion on it.

"Don't try to find me," wrote Mrs. Raymond, "as I am going from place to place, working where I can. I am seeking Nancy. I thought she might have gone back where she used to live, but I wrote there and she had not arrived. I must search farther. I am doing fairly well, so don't worry about me. Some folks have been very kind--especially some young ladies. I will tell you about them when I see you, brother--if I ever do."

"She must mean you--the time of the fire," said the light keeper. "I'm sure I'm much obliged to you for befriending my sister."

"Oh, it was nothing," protested Cora. "I wish we could have done more. I am sure we could have, had she not gone off in such a hurry. But we can't blame her, for she was very nervous and excited."

"Poor Margaret," murmured Mr. Haley. "She was always that way. She tells me not to worry--but I can't help it."

"I suppose not," agreed Cora. "You might try writing to Edmenton. The postmaster there might give you a clue, or tell you some one who could give information."

"I'll do it!" exclaimed the keeper of the light. "It will give me something to do, anyhow," and he set to the task.

Cora had called at the light alone, not knowing what the nature of the communication might be that the keeper wished to make to her. It was the day after Belle had bravely struck out for herself in the water.

Cora said good-bye to Rosalie, who was busy about her household duties, and waved to little Dick, who was playing on the beach. Then, getting into the _Pet_ in which she had come to the lighthouse float, Cora turned the bow toward the little dock at the foot of the slope on which the bungalows were perched.

"Well, you were gone long enough!" complained Jack when she got back. "I've been waiting for you."

"What for?" she asked. "Has anything happened?"

"Nothing except that we fellows have heard of a motor boat we can hire cheap for the season, and we want to run over and look at it. The fellow who has it is on the other side of the Cove. Can I take the _Pet_?"

"Certainly, Jack. We girls are going to the life-saving station, anyhow. You'll be back before lunch; won't you?"

"I should guess yes!" exclaimed Walter, who had come up. "We wouldn't miss our rations for anything."

Jack and his chums were soon speeding across the bay. There was quite a sea on, for the wind was rising, and there seemed to be indications of a storm. But a number of boats were out on the water, and the _Pet_ was a staunch craft. Also, Jack and the other boys were able to manage her, and all were excellent swimmers.

Cora and the girls went on to the life-saving station not far from their bungalow. They were much interested in the method of launching the boat, and the captain explained how it would right itself if capsized, and also bail out the water that entered in a storm.

"What do you do when you can't launch a boat?" asked Belle.

"Use the breeches buoy," answered the grizzled old salt. He showed how by means of a mortar a line was fired aboard the wreck, and how, by a sort of pulley arrangement, the persons in danger could, one at a time, be pulled ashore, sitting in the "breeches buoy."

"It's just like some of those apartment house clothes lines on high poles," said Bess; "isn't it?"

"I never heard it called that afore," remarked the captain of the coast guard, "but I s'pose you could call it that if you was a mind to. If you'll stay around a bit you'll see our drill."

The girls were delighted, and eagerly watched while the mortar was fired, the cylindrical shot carrying the line out to an imaginary wreck. Then one man played the part of a shipwrecked mariner, and was hauled over the sand, while Cora took several photographs of him.

"We've got her!" exclaimed Jack, as the girls returned to the bungalow. "She isn't much for looks, but she can beat the _Pet_!"

"Who?" asked Cora, thinking of something else.

"The motor boat we hired. Come on out and we'll give you a race."

"Let's!" exclaimed Belle.

"My, but you're getting brave!" observed Ed. "The time was when a race frightened you even if you read of it in the papers."

"I did not!"

"She can swim now," commented Bess.

Motor maids and motor boys went out on the bay in the two motor boats. The craft Jack and his chums had hired was not very elegant, and she seemed to be rather uncertain about starting, and when she did the engine appeared to be protesting most of the while. But the boat made good time, and though it did not really beat the _Pet_ (much to the disappointment of boastful Jack) it kept well up with Cora's speedy craft.

For a week or more the young people enjoyed to the utmost the life on the coast. More people came to the little summer resort, and several social affairs were arranged.

There were swimming races, in which the girls and boys participated, even Belle entering in the novice class. But she won no prize, nor did she expect to.

"I just wanted to show Jack Kimball that I didn't have to wear a life preserver nor be anchored to the shore!" she declared with spirit.

"I humbly beg your pardon!" said Jack, with a bow.

Then there were motor boat races, in which the _Pet_ did herself proud, coming in first in her class. The boys had great hopes of the _Duck_, as they had re-named the boat they hired, but when they were doing well, and not far from the finish line, with every prospect of winning, something went wrong with the ignition, and they were out of it.

There were affairs on shore too, several dances to which the girls and boys went. Then there was a moving picture performance semi-occasionally, and some other plays. Altogether the summer was a happy one, thus far.

Nothing was heard of Mrs. Raymond, though her brother wrote a number of letters, and of course the missing Nancy Ford was not located. Though Jack and the boys insisted on staring at all the pretty strangers they met, playfully insisting that Nancy might be one of them.

"Of course she's bound to be good-looking," said Ed.

"Naturally," agreed Jack.

"How do you make that out?" Cora wanted to know.

"Everybody named Nancy is good-looking," asserted Norton, with his lazy drawl.

The girls laughed at this reasoning.

"Let's go for a long run to-day, Sis!" proposed Jack one morning, when he called at the girls' bungalow. "We can take our lunch, run around the lighthouse point, into the Cove on the other side, and have a good time. There's said to be good fishing there, too."

"I'll go if the others will," she agreed, and when she proposed it to them the girls were enthusiastic about it. Soon two merry boatloads of young people were speeding over the sun-lit waters of the Cove.

"We have to go right out on the ocean; don't we?" asked Belle with a little shiver as she looked ahead at the expanse of blue water.

"Only for a little way," said Cora. "Just round the lighthouse point. Then we're in another bay again."

"Are you afraid?" asked Eline.

"N--no," said Belle, bravely.

As they went on the sky became overcast, and Cora looked anxiously at them.

"I'm afraid it's going to storm, Jack," she said.

"Not a bit of it!" he cried. "I'll ask this fisherman," and he did, getting an opinion that there would be no storm that day. Reassured, they went on.

The sea was not a bit rough and even Belle's fears were quelled. They went past the light, close enough to see Rosalie waving at them. High up in the tower they could note Mr. Haley and his helper cleaning the great lantern and lens.

They reached the other bay in due time, but the gathering clouds grew more menacing, and Cora was for putting back.

"No," urged Jack. "Let's stay and eat our lunch. If it gets too rough we can leave our boats here and walk back over the point. It isn't far."

So the girls consented. The clouds continued to gather.