"I'm beginning to think it just never was," Grace remarked, as she contentedly munched some chocolates that Frank had laid on her altar. "Will is terribly worried about it. He thinks since he is in the secret service that he ought to investigate it."
"How can he if there isn't anything to investigate?" asked Betty. And in truth there seemed some reason in her query. "It makes me angry every time I think of it."
"Yes, the fellows say Will even talks in his sleep about the cave," Amy volunteered. "Probably they exaggerate, but I don't wonder he is all on edge about it."
"And we have to leave so soon, too," Mollie commented. "We haven't much more time to look for it."
"It doesn't seem possible we have to go back home in less than a week," sighed Amy. "I just hate to leave this place."
"To change the subject," said Betty, "I wonder what's keeping the boys. Let's get the lunch and go to meet them."
The girls agreed, and Betty ran in to get the luncheon and tell Mrs. Irving where they were going.
Before they had gone more than a hundred feet from the house they were met by the boys, who seemed in a great hurry.
"Oh, did we keep you waiting?" Roy inquired anxiously, evidently relieved to see them. "Old Will here disappeared and we had to go on a still hunt to find him."
"Yes, he still has that confounded cave in his head. I'd given the thing up. Why worry about a thing you can't find?" Frank demanded.