Chapter XXIII: The Harmonica Serenade

"Oh, what is it?" wailed Margery.

No one was able to answer the question for the moment. It was a startling interruption. Even Harriet, though unafraid, could not make up her mind what was the meaning of the outbreak.

Now she saw what the lights were. They were flaring torches made from cat-tails. Then all at once she recalled that the Tramp Club boys played harmonicas. She had heard them play once before.

"Don't be afraid, girls. It is the boys," said Harriet in a relieved tone.

"The boys?" questioned Miss Elting. Then her face lighted up understandingly. "Oh the rascals!" she exclaimed.

The girls now that they knew no danger threatened them stood perfectly still, waiting for the concert to come to an end.

"You may come in, boys, when you have finished your concert," called the guardian. "We have enjoyed the serenade very much."

The music and shouting ceased abruptly. A moment later Captain Baker stepped into the camp. His face was flushed, but there was a certain sheepishness about him that made Harriet Burrell's eyes twinkle.

"Why, Captain! We did not look for you this evening," greeted Miss Elting.

"Thought you had given us the slip, did you?" grinned George. "You'll have to get up earlier in the morning, to do that."

"Oh, won't you though!" chorused his companions trooping in after their captain.

"But how did you find us?" questioned Harriet.

"Easiest thing in the world. We followed Miss McCarthy's car tracks."

"Where to?" twinkled Jane.

"All over the country. You surely led us a fine chase. But we found you, just the same."

Tommy now ventured from the tent.

"Thay, you nearly thcared me to death," she chided. "What do you boyth want?"

"Why, Tommy, they came to serenade us," reproved Miss Elting. "We enjoyed the music very much," she said, turning toward the boys. "If you will sit down and play another selection, we will serve refreshments afterwards. Jane! Will you get the things ready?"

"Yes. But the boys don't deserve it. However, so long as we are going to win the race we can afford to treat them well," teased Jane.

The captain smiled a superior smile.

"We could have gone right on to the end of the route to-day without stopping, if we had wished to do so. But we didn't want to take an unfair advantage of you."

"Oh, no. You boys never do take an unfair advantage, do you?" chuckled Crazy Jane. Miss Elting gave her a warning glance. The captain did not observe it.

"Give them another tune, boys," George ordered.

"First please extinguish those cat-tail torches," requested Harriet. "You will set the woods on fire, if you are not careful. Everything is so dry now that a fire would start very easily."

The torches were ground out under foot, after which the Tramp Club played "Home Sweet Home" on the harmonicas. At a nod from the guardian the girls got out their combs and joined in the tune. The woodland inhabitants probably never had heard a concert like this. It sent the birds hopping from limb to limb in great alarm. Fortunately there were no neighbors near at hand, so only the inhabitants of the forest were disturbed.

Jane that day had purchased a large chocolate cake at a baker shop in the village. She brought this out then disappeared into the tent, emerging a few minutes later with a pail of fruit lemonade, while Hazel, who had accompanied Jane, followed her, bearing cups and glasses. Miss Elting busied herself with cutting the cake and Harriet served the lemonade.

"Well, boys, here's to the candy we're going to have when we get to our journey's end," teased Jane McCarthy, raising her glass of lemonade.

"And here," returned the captain, raising his glass with a flourish, "is to those beautiful handkerchiefs that we're going to wear next to our hearts for years and years to come."

"To the stars that hold our future," teased Harriet.

The captain paused with the glass of lemonade in his hand. He glanced quickly at Harriet Burrell, but the innocent expression on her face told him nothing. Miss Elting saw that George had something on his mind. She suspected what it was. An amused smile played about the corners of the guardian's mouth. There was a smile in Harriet's eyes, too, as she caught and read the thought in the mind of Miss Elting.

After the cake and lemonade had been disposed of, the party of young people chatted for the better part of an hour. Captain Baker, however, appeared uneasy. Twice he essayed to speak then checked himself abruptly.

"It's coming now," whispered Harriet. "He's trying to think of a way to begin."

Miss Elting nodded.

"I have a confession to make," began the captain, in an embarrassed manner.

"A confession!" exclaimed Harriet in a surprised tone.

"Yes, I have. Oh, it isn't for myself alone, but for my friends as well," continued the captain doggedly. The other boys exhibited signs of uneasiness.

"What about, Mr. Baker?" asked the guardian sweetly.

"It is about those melons."

"But, my dear boy, you need not apologize for them. They were simply delicious. I can't tell you how much we enjoyed them." Miss Elting was making it as hard for George as possible.

"It--it isn't that. Oh, what's the use? I don't know how to say it. We hadn't any right to give you those melons, Miss Elting."

"No right? Please explain yourself, Mr. Baker."

"I'll tell you all about it. We took those melons from the farmer's field without leave. We didn't mean to play a mean trick on you, but we did. We didn't think the farmer would accuse you girls of stealing the melons. We're awfully sorry he made such a fuss about it and that you had to pay for them. Will you please let us return to you the money that you paid him. It was our treat, you know."

"Hm-m-m! This is a serious matter," replied the guardian slowly. The girls sat with lowered heads so that the boys might not discover the laughter in their eyes. "I cannot accept the money for the melons. We had better consider the incident closed. It is very manly of you, however, to come and tell us about it. But what induced you to do so?"

"I gueth hith conthcience troubled him," suggested Tommy wisely.

"Yes, I think so. But there was something else," admitted the boy. "It wasn't wholly conscience. We didn't realize how very wrong it was until----"

"Until the Oracle told you," nodded Tommy.

"What!" exclaimed George. The eyes of the Tramp Club were fixed on Tommy. "What do you mean by that?"

Harriet got up and with crossed hands before her, chin lowered, eyelids half veiling her eyes, moved demurely toward the captain.

"Cross my palm with silver and the past and future shall be revealed to you," she mumbled.

George Baker gazed at her, with suspicious, puzzled eyes. All at once he sprang up.

"I know you now! I knew I had seen you before, but I couldn't place you. You were the Star of the East!"

"Yes," admitted Harriet.

"And thhe told your fortune," chuckled Tommy.

Margery and Hazel giggled. Crazy Jane exclaimed derisively:

"Oh, boys, boys! That's the time you got your desserts! We paid you back with interest!"

"It was a mean trick," flared George. "We never would have thought it of you. It was the meanest trick I ever heard of. I'm sorry I made a fool of myself by coming here and apologizing to you."

"Mr. Baker, don't lose your temper," begged Miss Elting, scarcely able to control her voice for laughter. "We have evened our score so let's shake hands and be friends."

"No, thank you. I'm sorry to refuse, but you have made fools of us," retorted George angrily.

"Oh, no. That ith not pothible," piped Tommy.

"Come on, fellows. We will get out of here before they make us angry," urged Captain Baker, snatching up his hat and starting away.

"Please wait," begged Miss Elting.

George shook his head.

"What about our compact?" called Harriet.

"We're going on and win the race. We'll show you that you aren't such athletes as you think. At least you shan't make fools of us at that. Good night."

Captain Baker and his friends strode angrily from the camp. They did not so much as look back. Perhaps the boys were really not so angry as they pretended to be.

"It's too bad. I didn't think they would take it that way," cried Harriet. "I surely thought they would be able to take a joke. Well, what's done can't be undone. There's nothing more to be done except to go on and try to win the race."

Jane had disappeared. Where she had gone the girls did not know. It was some time before she returned and when she did she was excited. Her hair was awry and her face flushed.

"Jane, where have you been?" demanded the guardian.

"I've been scouting. Girls, those miserable boys are planning to play another trick on you. They're going to start to-night and go on without stopping until they get home. What shall we do?"

The girls gazed solemnly into each other's eyes.

"That seems to settle it," spoke up Margery finally. "Well, let them have the race. Who cares?"

"We all care," answered Harriet, springing to her feet. "We simply must win that race now. Everybody will laugh at us if we don't, and I just couldn't stand it to see those boys grinning triumphantly at us afterwards. I don't care so much about the others."

"What would you suggest, Harriet?" inquired Miss Elting.

"Suggest? Why, there is only one thing to suggest. Checkmate them at their own game. We'll start for Meadow-Brook this very night and we'll keep going until we get there. Are you with me, girls?"

"Yes!" shouted the girls.