As soon as the girls left the dining-room they one and all made excuses to go to their own apartments. With the exception of Daisy and Florence, whom Marjorie had informed before breakfast, they were all eager to hear of the project in detail.
“Tell us all about it, Marj!” begged Ethel, when they were seated on the attractively furnished screened porch which opened out of Mrs. Remington’s boudoir. “We want to hear everything!”
“Well,” began Marjorie, “I suppose that the foundation of my plan was laid long ago—when Alice conceived the idea that Mr. McDaniel and Mr. Cryton in their red racer were trying to spy on us. I didn’t exactly believe that, but I did wonder whether Miss Vaughn—or Aunt Emeline, as we called her all along—had arranged for obstacles to be put in our way. Then, when we got here, and learned accidentally that her nephews would have benefited by our failure, I began to suspect not only the Crowell boys, but Mr. Cryton and Mr. McDaniel as well.”
“Nevertheless,” she continued, “I never would have given the matter another thought if we had all received our cars as we deserved.”
“You’re not logical, Marj!” interrupted Florence. “How can you possibly drag Vincent and Clyde into it, when all they do is to affirm our innocence? These two new men are to blame—and they aren’t members of the fraternity that benefits! How do you account for that?”
“Because,” answered Marjorie slowly, “I think it’s all a frame-up, a plot against us, and I think Wallace and Hitchens were bribed!”
“Oh, no, Marj!” protested Daisy. “Surely not! Not by Clyde—I’m sure of that!”
“But just look back,” said Marjorie, “and think over our mishaps. First the puncture due to tacks—scattered by whom?—next the delay at Mae’s, and later at Chicago and the directions which led us through the mud; the stolen food and uniforms—”
“Marj!” exclaimed Lily; “surely you couldn’t blame the boys for that! They’d never take our clothing!”
“Why not?” demanded Marjorie; “for who else would? And they knew our route, and the conditions of our winning the rewards!”