When Marjorie realized that the excitement was all over, she left the keys of the tea-house with her brother and hurried back to tell the scouts the good news. It was still very early in the morning; the sun was just making its appearance above the horizon when she opened the door of the Harris house. Instead of trying to enter silently, she made every effort to signify, by her noisy cheer, the success of her undertaking.
“Hurrah for the Girl Scouts!” she sang out as she reached the foot of the stairs. “Hurrah for their loyal helpers, the boys!”
She was rewarded by a general stir on the floor above; one by one the girls slipped out of their beds, donned their kimonas, and came to the top of the stairs. Lily rushed down and threw her arms around Marjorie.
“You’re safe! You’re safe!” she cried joyously. “Oh, Marj, I’m so thankful!”
“What happened? Tell us!” demanded two or three other girls at the same time.
“Wait till I come up,” replied Marjorie, as she and Lily started to ascend together. “I’ll tell you the whole story, as we finally got it from the chief boot-legger himself—and from Anna!”
“The boot-legger? Anna?” repeated all the astonished girls at once.
Marjorie nodded and led the way into her own room, surrounded by the scouts and Mrs. Munsen, who had joined the group. They all climbed upon her bed, and listened while she recounted, as fast as she could talk, the thrilling details of the capture and confession. They leaned forward breathlessly, admiring her more every moment for her courage and persistence.
“Suppose you had taken our advice and closed the tea-house!” remarked Marie Louise. “We’d never have discovered the real cause of all those mysterious knocks.”
“And that old boot-legger and his family would have gone on getting richer and richer, in opposition to the government!” added Florence.