CHAPTER XXIV
ABOUT “PLAIN MARY”
Mr. Hammond and the actors with him had no idea of the nature of the accident that had happened to the Stazy. From the extreme end of Beach Plum Point they could merely watch proceedings aboard the craft, and wonder what it was all about.
The manager could, however, see through his glasses that Ruth Fielding was at the wheel. Her face came out clear as a cameo when he focused the opera glasses upon her. And at the change in the girl’s expression he marveled.
Those ashore could do nothing to aid the party on the motor-yacht; and until it got under way again Mr. Hammond was acutely anxious. It rolled so that he expected it to turn keel up at almost any moment.
Before the blasts of rain began to sweep across the sea, however, the Stazy was once more under control. At that most of the spectators made for the camp and shelter. But the manager of the film corporation waited to see the motor-yacht inside the shelter of Beach Plum Point.
The rain was falling heavily, and not merely in gusts, when Ruth and her friends came ashore in the small boat. The lamps were lit and dinner was over at the main camp. Therefore the automobile touring party failed to see Bella Pike or hear about her arrival. By this time the girl had gone off to the main dormitory with Mother Paisley, and even Mr. Hammond did not think of her.
Nor did the manager speak that evening to Ruth about the hermit’s scenario or his interview with the old man regarding it.
The three girls and Aunt Kate changed their clothing in the little shack and then joined the young men in the dining room for a late supper. Aunt Kate was to stay this night at the camp. There was a feeling of much thankfulness in all their hearts over their escape from what might have been a serious accident.
“Providence was good to us,” said Aunt Kate. “I hope we are all properly grateful.”
“And properly proud of Ruthie!” exclaimed Helen, squeezing her chum’s hand.
“Don’t throw too many bouquets,” laughed Ruth. “It was not I that tore Jennie’s cape out of the propeller. I merely obeyed the skipper’s orders.”
“She is a regular Cheerful Grig again, isn’t she?” demanded Jennie, beaming on Ruth.
“I have been a wet blanket on this party long enough. I just begin to realize how very unpleasant I have been——”
“Not that, Mademoiselle!” objected Henri.
“But yes! Hereafter I will be cheerful. Life is worth living after all!”
Tom, who sat next to her at table (he usually managed to do that) smiled at Ruth approvingly.
“Bravo!” he whispered. “There are other scenarios to write.”
“Tom!” she whispered sharply, “I want to tell you something about that.”
“About what?”
“My scenario.”
“You don’t mean——”
“I mean I know what has become of it.”
“Never!” gasped Tom. “Are you—are—you——”
“I am not ‘non compos,’ and-so-forth,” laughed Ruth. “Oh, there is nothing foolish about this, Tom. Let me tell you.”
She spoke in so low a tone that the others could not have heard had they desired to. She and Tom put their heads together and within the next few minutes Ruth had told him all about the hermit’s scenario and her conviction that he had stolen his idea and a large part of his story from Ruth’s lost manuscript.
“It seems almost impossible, Ruth,” gasped her friend.
“No. Not impossible or improbable. Listen to what that man on Reef Island told me about this hermit, so-called.” And she repeated it all to the excited Tom. “I am convinced,” pursued Ruth, “that this hermit could easily have been in the vicinity of the Red Mill on the day my manuscript disappeared.”
“But to prove it!” cried Tom.
“We’ll see about that,” said Ruth confidently. “You know, Ben told us he had seen and spoken to a tramp-actor that day. Uncle Jabez saw him, too. And you, Tom, followed his trail to the Cheslow railroad yards.”
“So I did,” admitted her friend.
“I believe,” went on Ruth earnestly, “that this man who came here to live on Beach Plum Point only three weeks ago, is that very vagrant. It is plain that this fellow is playing the part of a hermit, just as he plays the parts Mr. Hooley casts him for.”
“Whew!” whistled Tom. “Almost do you convince me, Ruth Fielding. But to prove it is another thing.”
“We will prove it. If this man was at the Red Mill on that particular day, we can make sure of the fact.”
“How will you do it, Ruth?”
“By getting one of the camera men to take a ‘still’ of the hermit, develop it for us, and send the negative to Ben. He and Uncle Jabez must remember how that traveling actor looked——”
“Hurrah!” exclaimed Tom, jumping up to the amazement of the rest of the party. “That’s a bully idea.”
“What is it?” demanded Helen. “Let us in on it, too.”
But Ruth shook her head and Tom calmed down.
“Can’t tell the secret yet,” Helen’s twin declared. “That would spoil it.”
“Oh! A surprise! I love surprises,” said Jennie Stone.
“I don’t. Not when my chum and my brother have a secret from me and won’t let me in on it,” and Helen turned her back upon them in apparent indignation.
After that Ruth and Tom discussed the matter with more secrecy. Ruth said in conclusion:
“If he was there at the mill the day my story was stolen, and now submits this scenario to Mr. Hammond—and it is merely a re-hash of mine, Tom, I assure you——”
“Of course I believe you, Ruth,” rejoined the young fellow.
“Mr. Hammond should be convinced, too,” said the girl.
But there was a point that Tom saw very clearly and which Ruth Fielding did not seem to appreciate. She still had no evidence to corroborate her claim that the hermit’s story of “Plain Mary” was plagiarized from her manuscript.
For, after all, nobody but Ruth herself knew what her scenario had been like!