“That might be accounted for by the tan from the open-air life,” replied Cora. “And then, too, it would be easy to color it artificially.”
“I didn’t know girls ever did such things,” interrupted Jack with a pained expression.
“And then too,” went on Cora, unheeding, “when her sleeve fell back, I saw that her arm was white. But what I’m trying to get at especially is whom she looks like. She resembles some one that I’ve seen before, but I can’t remember who it is.”
“What do you suppose made her act so queerly when I spoke of the stealing of your purse?” asked Bess.
“It wasn’t the robbery itself that startled her,” said Cora. “It was the name of the man, Higby. He was mentioned twice, and each time she looked frightened.”
“I wonder if she knows him,” murmured Belle.
“He said there were lots of girls who would be glad of his company,” laughed Bess. “Perhaps she is one of them.”
“There was no liking in that look of hers,” replied Cora emphatically. “It was positive alarm.”
“If a mere man may break into this discussion,” said Jack humbly, “you fair detectives haven’t yet told us why that pirate over there took the girl away from us.”
“That’s easy,” interposed Walter. “He was jealous. It was my fatal gift of beauty that worried him. The girls all fall for it—I mean, are attracted by it.”