“But Marie Louise is a Philadelphian,” protested Florence.
The sharp, insistent ring of the telephone interrupted the conversation, and Marjorie hurried off to answer it. In a moment she was back again.
“They’re safe—and all right!” she announced, joyously. “They’re waiting for a taxi, and will be here in about twenty minutes.”
“But where are they, and where have they been?” demanded Mrs. Munsen.
“Somewhere in town—I couldn’t understand just where. They were unavoidably detained; they said they’d explain when they get here.”
The girls put in the next twenty minutes of waiting in discussing Alice’s and Marie Louise’s possible reason for being away. At last they all agreed that the ghost at the haunted house could have no possible connection with this adventure, and generally agreed that the girls must have gone to a show. Nevertheless, when Alice and Marie Louise actually reached the porch steps, this was the first question they were greeted with:
“Did the ghost kidnap you girls?” It was Mae who asked it.
“No,” answered Marie Louise, dropping into a chair, and removing her hat; “no, the ghost didn’t get after us—we went after the ghost!”
“What do you mean?” cried two or three of the girls at once.
“Tell us the whole story!” urged Florence.