“All right. I could drink all the wateh there is! Let it run and run to get fresh and ice-cold!”
All this conversation was carried on in subdued tones. Evelyn decided that she would show her bravely by going back to her room alone, but Hilary paused at the parting of the ways and watched her scampering through the corridor to her room, which she entered, after giving one hasty backward glance to make sure that no ghost or human was entering behind her.
CHAPTER V
SENIOR BASKET-BALL
Upon returning to her room, Hilary was too wide-awake to sleep and dropped upon the window-seat in the dark study room, drawing around her Cathalina’s steamer rug which happened to be there. The wind was sighing through the trees. She could hear the sound of the waves upon the beach not far away, and another louder sound came from the lake as well, that of some motor. “A boat or a plane,” thought Hilary, looking out through tree-tops, “I believe it is a plane. Perhaps they are trying out the hydroplanes though it is rather late for that.” Just then there came a flash from where the shore line was located. “A search-light,” was Hilary’s thought, but no steady sweeping light continued, only two or three flashes. Hilary leaned out of the window, looked in all directions and was rewarded by seeing dim flashes far down the lake. Two or three times the signals were repeated, then no more.
For five or ten minutes, Hilary still sat by the window thinking over the occurrences of the night, then went to the table where her own clock was still ticking out the hours, so carefully watched that evening when they were hurrying their lessons through. Flashing her light on its familiar face, she read that it was one o’clock, yawning a little, she stole gently back into her bedroom without waking Lilian, tucked a comfortable pillow under her head, threw back her heavy brown braids to a position where they would not annoy her, and was soon in a dreamless sleep.
But Hilary had come to a decision while she sat looking out of the window. Whatever it was in which Captain Holley was concerned, it was evident that Louise was meeting him and was taking advantage of the old tradition to play the ghost and make the girls afraid to go through the halls at night. It was no single prank to be winked at. Miss Randolph should know the whole story from beginning to end.
In the morning, therefore, the performances of the night were related to an interested audience of three, as the girls of Lakeview Suite dressed for breakfast, and Hilary said that she had determined to tell Miss Randolph. “What do you think, girls?” she asked.
“You are right, Hilary,” said Lilian, without hesitation.
“Are you going to tell her about me, too?” asked Betty, “and the cave, and everything?”
“Yes, unless you have some objection.”