Now that the fan was in her possession she was so relieved that she did not care to lay the blame on him, but with the proof in her pocket, she felt weighed down as if she were the guilty one.
"'How could Phil do such a thing!" she thought. "No wonder he didn't stop to talk to me! I should think he would slink by without hardly speaking!" Bet's indignation was at fever heat. At this moment she wished he were there to make him face the evidence she had against him.
The three girls had no difficulty in getting permission to stay with Bet. Mrs. Stacey laughingly suggested that Kit be adopted by the Baxters and then she would never have to come home.
"Now girls, we will take turns in guarding the fan. Two at a time through the night," said Bet. "But if you think I'm going to let the fan out of my possession, you're mistaken. Right now, I'm going to fasten it around my neck! And what's more, I'm going to sleep with it on."
"But a thief may come and carry you away, fan and all!" exclaimed Joy.
"Not if we are guarding her!" Shirley assured them. "Where will we sleep?"
"Shirley and Joy must have the room across the hall, and Kit will sleep with me. Two of us must always be together. I have the feeling if one of you girls had been with me the other night, the fan might not have been stolen at all."
"Let me have the first watch, then," said Shirley. "I'm such a night owl anyway, that I won't mind staying awake. Joy and I can watch until two o'clock, then we'll waken you."
The girls caught the thrill of the night watch and almost hoped a thief might come so they could capture him.
"Someone may try to kidnap Bet, if he thinks she has the fan on her," suggested Kit.