Chapter XXVII: A Bold Attempt

"Isn't it romantic?"

"And to think of all that poor girl suffered!"

"I'd like to get hold of that miserable guardian of hers."

"She has pluck, all right, to get out and hustle for herself."

"Isn't she pretty!"

"I do hope she gets all over her exposure."

"Oh, yes, she is coming on finely."

Rather disjointed talk, I am afraid, but that is exactly the way it went on--the motor girls and the boys discussing the story of Nancy Ford.

It was evening, and the boys had called to see the girls in the bungalow of the latter. Nancy had been visited by the doctor, who had reported her much improved. The telling of her story seemed to have taken an anxiety off her mind, and with food and medicine she was rapidly regaining her healthy young strength.

There had been rather a dramatic scene when Jack and Ed were first allowed to see Nancy. They both started back, and Jack exclaimed:

"It's the girl!"

"And you are those nice boys--how odd," Nancy had said.

"Please explain," begged Cora.

"You know," said Jack. "The night Ed and I got lost. It was Nancy we met and gave a ride in my auto."

"I suspected it all the while," said Cora, with a smile. "But I said nothing."

"It was a mere accident," explained Nancy. "I was just on one of the little trips I took after I ran away from the office, and I miscalculated my distance. It was awfully nice of your brother to help me."

"Oh, Jack is always nice," said Cora, smiling.

"That means you buy the candy, old man," spoke Ed, with a laugh.

"Well," drawled Jack, as he stretched out lazily on a sofa, later on, "now the only thing left to do is to find that Mrs. Raymond, and everything will be cleared up."

"That, and putting that mean Mr. Cross in--in jail!" said Bess, with a vehement gesture.

"Would you be so cruel?" asked Walter.

"What else can you do with him?" demanded Belle. "He has certainly been mean enough to warrant being sent to prison."

"'In a prison cell I sit!'" chanted Ed.

"Stop!" commanded Cora. "Nancy may be sleeping, and the doctor said it was very important for her to sleep."

"Then we'd better clear out of here," was Norton's opinion. "She'll never get any rest while this crowd holds forth. Come on, Eline, I'll take you to a moving picture show."

"Not after what has happened to-day," declared Mrs. Chester. "You young people have had your own way all day, and now I want you to quiet down. Boys, you will have to go home soon. Girls, it's almost time you were in bed."

"Aunt Susan is asserting herself," remarked Jack, _sotto voce_. "But don't count on me, Aunt Susan. I am immune."

"You'll go with the rest," she told him.

They sat about for some time longer, discussing the strange tale related by Nancy. Then came good-nights.

Cora went to see Mr. Haley, the light keeper, next day. She told him what Nancy had related.

"Lobsters and crawfish!" he exclaimed, clapping together his brown hands. "Begging your pardon, of course, for using that sort of language, miss, but my feelings sure did get the best of me. And so this Nancy Ford can clear my sister's name?"

"She can and she will. I have wired for mamma's lawyer to come down, and he will arrange matters. There is only one difficulty."

"What is that?" and the keeper of the light looked worried. "You mean that there is a possibility that my sister may even yet be guilty?"

"No; but where are we to find her?"

"That's so. Poor Margaret! Where can she be keeping herself? If she would only come to me--or write, I could let her know that it was all right. And so those men were the robbers, after all?"

"It seems so, from what Nancy says."

"Strange. I knew Margaret could not be guilty, but how to prove it was the hard part. When can we arrange it?"

"As soon as we can find your sister."

"Oh, dear! And I haven't the least idea where to look for her."

"Don't worry," suggested Cora, gently. "We found our waif from the sea most unexpectedly, and I am sure we will find your sister the same way."

"Not in a wreck, I hope," said the light keeper, with a smile. "We don't want any more wrecks on this coast. Which reminds me that I must see to the light."

"It was no fault of your light that this wreck came," said Cora. "Everybody says that."

"I'm glad of it. If I had thought that my light failed, I--I'd never want to live longer," and his voice trembled.

"The steering gear got out of order," said Cora. "Nancy told me that. They could not control the vessel in the storm."

"That's always bad. Well, if we can find my sister all will yet be well. I can't thank you enough for bringing me this good news."

"I am glad I had it to bring," said Cora, brightly.

Nancy Ford continued to gain in strength, and the day came when she could go out. There was a little celebration and the boys wanted to get up an auto or a motor boat party, but Cora drew the line.

"Some other time," she said. Her mother's lawyer came to Sandy Point Cove, and looked over some papers that Nancy had brought away with her. His opinion was that the dishonest guardian could be removed by the court, and he promised to take charge of matters. Nancy was much relieved.

"But where can we find Mrs. Raymond?" she asked.

"It will take time," said the lawyer. "I will set some private detectives to work, and advertise, advising her that she can be proven innocent if she will come forward."

Then came happy summer days. Nancy was adopted by the motor girls, and stayed with them in the bungalow. They went on long runs, or in trips in the boats on the beautiful bay.

They were always welcome at the lighthouse, and Mr. Haley liked nothing better than to sit and talk with the boys and girls, telling them sea stories, or listening to their little adventures.

But the search for Mrs. Raymond did not progress very rapidly. Nothing was heard from her. In the matter of removing Mr. Cross as Nancy's guardian, the procedure had to be slow, as there were complications. But the lawyer was attending to matters, and promised that soon all would be straightened out.

By means of his representatives the lawyer, a Mr. Beacon, heard indirectly from Mr. Cross, but could not capture him. The latter was furious at the escapade of his ward, and threatened to have her brought back to him. In the matter of the robbery he insisted that Mrs. Raymond was guilty.

It was one glorious summer day when Cora had taken the whole party out for a spin. In her auto were Eline and Nancy, the others distributing themselves in the various cars as suited their fancy.

Several times, as they motored along the roads, they were passed, or passed themselves, a low, rakish motor car, of a dull dust color. Two men were in it, and once or twice they favored the occupants of Cora's car with rather bold stares.

"I wonder who they can be?" asked Eline.

"Well, if they keep up this monkey business much longer I'll find out," declared Jack.

"Go easy, please," suggested his sister.

The only incident, or, rather, accident that marred the trip, was when Cora's car suffered a puncture. It was on the run home.

"You go on," she called to the others. "I can fix it."

"No, I'll do it," offered Jack. Perhaps the presence of Nancy in the car induced him to linger, together with Ed, who rode with him.

"All right," assented Cora, not sorry to be relieved of the task.

As Jack was struggling with the tire irons, the rubber shoe being a most obstinate one, the low racing car that had several times passed them, again hove in sight. Cora was helping Jack, and Eline and Nancy had strolled down the road to gather a few wild flowers.

The racing car stopped, one of the men leaped out, and made a dash toward the two girls. Eline, looking around, screamed, and Nancy, hearing her, added to the exclamation.

"My guardian! My guardian!" she cried. "I won't go--I won't go!"

"Quick, Jack!" cried Cora. "They're trying to take Nancy away. You must stop them!"

Jack, holding a heavy tire iron in his hand, leaped forward toward the two girls. The man had almost reached them, when there was heard the loud honk of an auto horn coming around the bend of the road.