“It must have been robbers!” she cried, jumping up from her chair in excitement. “They probably bound and gagged Anna, and by this time our tea-house is in ruins! There isn’t a minute to lose—”
“Wait a second, Marjorie!” cautioned Ethel, grasping the other girl’s hands, and holding her still. “If those things had happened the police would have found out and let us know. But I will telephone headquarters again—and you and Lily get the car and go down to the tea-house.”
“Yes, you’re right, Ethel,” admitted Marjorie, struggling to get control of herself again, “and we’ll do as you suggest.”
The walk to the garage where Lily kept her car and the ride to the tea-house were just enough to restore Marjorie’s equilibrium. By the time they had reached their destination, she was conversing in quite her usual manner.
“We’ll have to close for today, won’t we?” asked Lily, as they turned into the drive.
“That all depends upon the state in which we find things,” answered Marjorie. “If we have been robbed of much, of course it will be impossible—”
“Hold on, there, girls!” interrupted a somewhat gruff, masculine voice. “We want to examine the driveway for tracks.”
Lily stopped the car instantly, and, looking back towards the garage, distinguished two policemen, intently studying the sandy gravel of the drive.
“There are the tracks of the Ford we came in last night,” remarked Marjorie, as she jumped out of the car. “And they have not been disturbed!”
“You got the woman’s story from one of our party?” asked Lily, approaching the policeman.