“Why—why—you blessed people! How very dear of you to come and go with me to-day,” she stammered. “With Mary Louise to help, I just can’t lose that man again.”
Josie clapped her hands in enthusiasm, and then dug with such unbounded energy into the grapefruit at her plate that her “dear friends” blinked and ducked with great agility.
“Grandpa Jim must go to bed this minute, but we’re ready to go right away,” directed Mary Louise. A few minutes later she kissed the kindly Colonel and watched him mount the stairs. Then turning, she joined Danny and Josie O’Gorman who were already climbing into the waiting auto.
O’Callahan was at the wheel with a tall policeman seated beside him, while Josie, Mary Louise and Danny were seated in the tonneau. Both Mary Louise and Danny must have dozed after their long night ride, for they woke with a start as the automobile slowed down in front of the Brown bungalow.
As Danny stepped from the car he stooped and quietly picked up a small gold pencil half buried in the sand; he knew the pencil and the monogram “J. O’H.” O’Hara had dropped it as he left the automobile that first day and had failed to find it when he searched for it. Clearly then, the uncle that he loved was here and in sure danger.
All that Danny could do was to keep still and watch. And watch he did to no avail. The place was searched from top to bottom. The Browns were graciousness itself, accepting Josie’s apologies for intruding with amusement.
“You are afraid some man is hidden here?” the woman had inquired of the girls, a faint sneer upon her beautiful mouth.
“I shall have to ask you to let us investigate thoroughly,” returned Josie decidedly, and the woman smilingly stepped aside.
Then she shrugged her shoulders. “You see we have no secrets,” she said.