The Orchard Secret Page 27

  CHAPTER XXVII A Telegram

  For a moment it seemed as if the young man was going to deny Arden'sstatement or at least flee from the scene. But again he smiled in adisarming and friendly fashion, shrugged his shoulders as though gettingrid of another weight, and, spreading his hands in a helpless andsurrendering gesture, said:

  "Yes, I am Harry Pangborn. You have found me out. I thought it wouldn'tbe long after I shaved off my mustache. Well, I'm just as glad ithappened this way since it had to happen. I was about to end the littlemasquerade, anyhow."

  "Oh, please let us end it!" begged Arden. "I mean if we are allowed totell----" She seemed confused and blushed.

  "Yes, I know," said young Mr. Pangborn. "Well, have it your way. I wouldrather see you profit by it than anyone else. You did me a favor thenight the ram came at me."

  "But what does it all mean?" asked Sim.

  "Why did you give up your inheritance of millions to come here as agardener's helper?" asked Terry.

  "It's a short story, simple enough, and perhaps you may not believe it,"said Harry Pangborn, "but I just didn't want my inheritance."

  "Not your grandfather's wealth?" asked Arden.

  "Well, perhaps it would be more exact to say I was in no hurry for it.Oh, I'm not going to pass it up altogether," he laughed. "But here's thestory briefly. As the poster explains, I disappeared about the time I wasto inherit a large sum. But there was nothing criminal in it, and Iwasn't kidnaped as some thought. All my life I have wanted to be theowner of a big farm estate, ever since I used to go to my grandfather'sfarm when I was a boy. I knew I could inherit the farm all right, but Iwanted to know something about running one, especially an orchard, sinceI hope to raise fancy apples.

  "I figured that the best way to learn from the ground up, so to speak,would be to get a job on a farm or an orchard. I knew I couldn't do itunder my own name. I'd have a lot of tabloid paper reporters after me--amillionaire apple grower and such rot. So I just quietly disappeared, asI knew those in charge of the estate I was to inherit would object, and Iroved around. I finally landed here, and I may say I like the place verymuch." He smiled frankly at the three attractive girls. "I likedeverything about it but the ram. But now the time has come to end themasquerade. I've learned what I wanted to learn. Old Anson is a goodteacher, if he isn't all he should be in other ways. He taught me manysecrets of the soil."

  "Why did you happen to come to Cedar Ridge?" asked Arden. "The postersaid you might be found around here."

  "I know it did. I ran a risk in coming here. But I didn't just happen to.You see, my grandfather and Rev. Dr. Bordmust are old college chums. Ihad that in mind when I came to this college farm as assistant gardener.In case of accident I wanted someone who knew me to know where I was. SoI told my story to your chaplain, swore him to secrecy, though muchagainst his will, and then I just let matters drift along.

  "More than once Dr. Bordmust urged me to give up what he called my madscheme, and he half threatened to disclose everything. But I prevailed onhim to wait just a little longer. But finally, one night just before hewas hurt by the ram, he came to see me in my garden residence and said hewould keep silent no longer. Then, as I had gotten all I wanted to in theway of apple knowledge, I agreed to do the disclosing myself. This madeDr. Bordmust easier in his mind. It was when he was going home throughthe orchard, after leaving me, that he was attacked. I can't tell you howbadly I felt over it."

  "Yes, it was too bad," agreed Arden, still gasping with astonishment.

  "Say," broke in Sim, "was it you who rang the alarm bell?"

  Harry Pangborn smiled again and said:

  "No! It was Anson who did it."

  "Anson!" chorused the surprised three.

  "Yes. I am on my way to the dean now, before I go to town, to tell hershe had better get rid of her gardener. I can do it freely, as it can beproved I have no ulterior motive since I am giving up my place. But oldAnson is a man with a warped mind and a queer sense of humor."

  "Why did he ring the bell?" asked Terry.

  "And how?" asked Arden.

  "He reached up with a long-handled rake and tangled the teeth in therope," said Mr. Pangborn. "That was his method. As for his reason, well,it may have been one of several.

  "But slyly ringing the alarm bell with the rake and then running awaywasn't all of his peculiar sport," went on Mr. Pangborn.

  "What else did he do?" asked Terry.

  "Once I caught him perched up on the ledge of one of the high gymnasiumwindows, peering in. He jumped down and ran away as I came along thewalk, but I had a chance to see him, and also to note that he was wearingsome kind of a mask, that of an evil old man."

  "Oh!" gasped Sim. "The face you saw at the dance, Arden!"

  "Yes, it must have been," Arden agreed.

  "Oh, then you saw that trick?" asked Mr. Pangborn.

  "I just had a glimpse of a face at the window," Arden answered. "Then thebell rang, and we all hurried out to try to solve the mystery."

  "Yes, that was the night," young Mr. Pangborn agreed.

  "But what could he hope to gain by such a trick?" asked Arden. "He reallydidn't frighten me."

  "I think that was to have been the start of a campaign on his part for acertain purpose," the late Tom Scott answered. "He probably thought thegirls would report to the dean about a strange face peering in at themout of the night. Then Anson, very likely, might have offered to drivethe Peeping Tom away, which he could easily do by just ceasing his ownantics. In this way he would be commended, I think he expected."

  "How strange!" murmured Sim.

  "He must be crazy!" echoed Terry.

  "Do you think," asked Arden, "that he may have done it all as a joke?Perhaps he was joking the time he threatened Terry and me."

  Mr. Pangborn indicated his disbelief in the joke theory by shaking hishead. Then he added:

  "He may have had very queer ideas as to what was a joke, but I reallythink he was building up a case for himself."

  "A case for himself?" asked Terry.

  "Yes. When he had rung the bell enough times and it had become a sort ofterrifying mystery, I think he intended to have it solved in a way thatwould not implicate him and so gain credit and perhaps a raise in wages.That's only a theory, but it may be true. One night I spied on him,discovered his trick, and was preparing to denounce him when the chaplainforced me to give up my masquerade. So it's all over, and you are thefirst, outside of Dr. Bordmust, who knows my secret. And I suppose youwon't keep it long?"

  "We just can't!" said Arden. "As soon as I saw you coming along just nowI knew you were the man of the poster. I half recognized you before, butthe mustache deceived me. I've done a lot of foolish things trying toremember the two faces--yours and the one on the poster."

  "Well, anyhow, Arden," said Sim, "it was fun doing it."

  "Yes, it was," Arden agreed. "But, Mr. Pangborn, will you let us notifythe police or lawyers and claim the reward?"

  "I would prefer to have you notify the lawyers," he said genially.

  "We don't want the money for ourselves," Terry made haste to explain. "Weare going to give it to the dean to have the swimming pool repaired forSim."

  "For Sim?"

  "Yes," exclaimed Arden, indicating the blushing Miss Westover. "Shethreatens to leave college because she can't go in the pool."

  "Arden!" rebuked Sim.

  "Then you will let us notify the lawyers that you are here?" persistedArden.

  "Please!" begged Terry in a way she had.

  "Well," he laughed, "I suppose I must. I guess my little adventure isover. Go on--tell on me!"

  "How wonderful!" cried Arden, while Sim and Terry looked at each otherhappily.

  "I had about made up my mind, Arden," said Sim, "not to go home afterall. Now, of course, I'll stay, with the prospect of the pool. I'll stayuntil I'm sent home."

  "That's fine, Sim!" Arden declared. "Everything is coming out sobeautifully!"r />
  "We can have the pool fixed, Sim isn't going to leave us, and the horridold ram is caught," murmured Terry.

  "And the mystery of the bell is explained," added Sim.

  "Have you a piece of paper?" suddenly asked Mr. Pangborn after a vainsearch in his own pockets.

  "We nearly always carry books and papers," said Sim, "but thismorning----" She looked helplessly at her chums.

  "Here!" exclaimed Arden. "Use the back of this envelope. It's the letteryou gave me to keep, Sim. I was always afraid she'd mail it herself if Ileft it around," she explained to Terry, "so I've been carrying it withme."

  She handed the crumpled envelope to the young man, who had managed tofind a pencil, and he wrote on it quickly. He handed the envelope back toArden.

  "There," he said. "That's a telegram to my lawyers. Sign your name, sendit, and the reward is yours."

  "You won't run away meanwhile, will you?" asked Arden shyly.

  "No, I'll stay around or go and give myself up, as you direct--just soyou'll get the money." He seemed happy to comply.

  "Thanks, so much!" Arden said warmly. "Do you mind if we go send thistelegram right away--before we have to report in class?"

  "Run along," he said, laughing. "I'll go telephone my people and relievetheir anxiety. Though I don't really believe they were worried. I'vetraveled pretty much around the world alone and been out of touch withthem for months at a time."

  "Good-bye!" chorused the three freshmen as they literally "ran along" tothe main building to telegraph the surprising message to the lawyersnamed on the poster. Harry Pangborn, a quizzical smile on his face,watched them go.

  "Well, it was fun while it lasted," he murmured as he swung on throughthe orchard. "And I think it did me good. Those are mighty pretty girls.I wouldn't mind knowing them--after I come into my kingdom," he chuckled."Perhaps I may. Who knows?"

  The girl at the college telephone switchboard was almost as excited asthe breathless Arden, who asked to be connected with Western Union andthen dictated the startling news of the missing heir.

  "This will be something for the papers!" thought the telephone operator.And it was--later.

  Terry and Sim waited impatiently outside the booth for Arden to emerge.Girls clustered around them, and many were the exclamations of wonder,delight, and surprise as the news was told.

  "Now we must go inform the dean," said Terry as she came out, flusteredbut triumphant.

  On the way to Miss Anklon's office the girls passed the college postboxes, where each girl had a niche of her own, with a dial lock, forincoming mail. Sim begged them to wait while she looked in her box. Therewas a letter slanting to one side.

  "Oh, I have one!" Sim announced as she twirled the combination and tookout the missive.

  "Who's it from?" asked Terry before Sim had half read it. But she wasquick to answer:

  "It's from Ed Anderson. He wants me to go to a dance during theThanksgiving holidays. I didn't think he'd ever speak to me again afterthe way I disappeared at the tea dance."

  At this news Arden and Terry decided to look in their boxes.

  "You're not so much!" Terry cried. "I have a letter myself. It's fromDick Randall!"

  "Me too!" announced Arden, succinctly if not grammatically. "It's fromJim Todd."

  "What fun!" exclaimed Sim. "And the holidays begin the end of next week."

  CHAPTER XXVIII A Disturbing Message

  Hardly realizing the good fortune that had come to them so unexpectedly,and while they were rejoicing over their letters and the prospects of theThanksgiving holidays, with dances in the offing, Arden, Terry, and Simsaw one of the college messengers making her way toward them through athrong of other students. For the messengers were young women who, likethe waitresses, were working their way through Cedar Ridge by makingthemselves useful to the dean.

  "I have a message for you," said this girl, without smiling. She lookedat Arden but included Sim and Terry.

  "A message for me?" Arden exclaimed. Could the Pangborn lawyers have sentthe reward money by telegraph already?

  "Yes, you three young ladies must report to the dean at once."

  "Whew!" faintly whistled Sim.

  "What's the idea?" asked Terry.

  "I'm sure I don't know," answered the bearer of what was generallyconsidered ill tidings. "But you had better see her at once."

  "Come on!" urged Arden. "Let's get it over with. I had half a mind to gothere, anyhow, and tell her the news."

  "Maybe she's heard it already," suggested Terry.

  "More likely," suggested Sim gloomily, "she's heard we were trying toflirt with the good-looking assistant gardener and we're going to beexpelled. If she sends us home, Arden, don't you give her a penny of thatreward money!"

  "No!" exclaimed Terry. "Not a cent!"

  "Well," said Arden doubtfully, "I don't know----" and then she urged hertwo chums on toward the dean's office while little groups of other girls,among which strange rumors were filtering, watched the three freshmen,with a variety of expressions.

  "Come in," greeted Miss Anklon as Arden knocked. And when Sim and Terryhad filed in behind her it needed but one look at the smiling face of thedean to let them know they were meeting her on a different footing thanever before.

  "For Tiddy was actually _grinning_!" Sim told some of her friends later.

  "Please be seated, young ladies," invited the dean, indicating chairs."And, not to make them anxious seats for you, I may say that news of yourgood fortune has preceded you here. Mr. Pangborn has just left me and hastold me all about it. I congratulate you, and I hope you will put thereward money to good use."

  In a chorus Arden, Terry, and Sim breathed audibly in relief.

  "And about the bell," went on Miss Anklon. "I am sorry if, even remotely,I suspected you or any of the girls of that trick. I shall make a publicannouncement about it. Sufficient to say now that I have dismissed Mr.Yaeger as gardener and we shall have a new one in a few days. I neverrealized what a strange mind he had until Mr. Scott--I should say Mr.Pangborn--enlightened me."

  Arden and her chums began wondering if this was all the dean had summonedthem for--to congratulate them and inform them about old Anson. It wasnot in her nature to be thus trifling.

  "This is not all that I asked you to come here for," resumed the littledark-faced dean. "It was to warn you----" Her telephone rang, and she hadto pause at a most critical point as she answered into the instrument,saying: "I am engaged now. Call me in five minutes." Then to the waitingthree: "I want to warn you not to talk too much about this matter forpublication, for I realize that it must get into the papers and I desireno unseemly publicity for the college. Also, I wish to caution you aboutwildly spending that thousand dollars reward which, Mr. Pangborn informsme, will soon come to you. I wish----"

  "Oh, Miss Anklon!" Arden could not refrain from interrupting, though shearose and bowed formally as she did so. "Didn't Mr. Pangborn tell youwhat we are going to do with the money as soon as we get it?"

  "No, he didn't."

  "Wasn't that nice of him?" whispered Sim to Terry. "He knew we would geta kick out of telling for ourselves."

  "Why, Miss Anklon," went on Arden, "we have decided, we three, for Terryand Sim will share the reward with me, we have decided to donate it tothe college."

  "To the college?" The dean plainly was startled.

  "Yes. To repair the swimming pool."

  A momentous silence followed Arden's dramatic announcement, and then thedean said, "Oh!" and "Ah!" and "Er!" She was plainly taken by surpriseand was as near to being flustered as the girls had ever seen her. Butshe found her voice and usual poise in a moment and said, with as muchwarmth as she was capable of:

  "Why, young ladies, this certainly is most generous of you. I cannotadequately thank you now. That will come later--more formally andpublicly. But are you sure you want to do this?"

  "Oh, yes, Miss Anklon!" answered Sim and Terry together.

&nbs
p; "We decided that long ago," added Arden.

  "Well, it is indeed fine of you," Miss Anklon said, fussing with thepapers on her desk and not looking at the girls. "You have shown a verylaudable college spirit." The three freshmen smiled a little weakly andshifted about. "I can be generous, also, young ladies!" the dean remarkedmore firmly as she looked at them again. "I think your gift deserves someimmediate recognition. That is--suppose we forget all about your beingcampused?" she asked, and smiled disarmingly.

  "Oh!" murmured Arden and her chums. For they had felt hampered by thecampus rule even though they had not strictly kept it. Then Arden added:

  "Thank you ever so much! We appreciate it ever so much!" And she toldherself: "Hang it, I meant to say 'greatly' in that second sentence." Butthe dean smiled again, held up a restraining hand as Terry and Simevinced indications of opening up a barrage of thanks, and with adismissing gesture said:

  "I suppose you will want to tell all your friends the good news. You maygo now, and--I hope you enjoy yourselves!"

  "Really, she's human after all!" murmured Sim as the three hurried downthe hall to find anxious girls awaiting them.

  Then such talk as buzzed in Cedar Ridge was never known before! Arden,Terry, and Sim were overwhelmed with questions, and their room resembledTimes Square at a subway rush hour.

  "This rates another pantry raid!" declared Toots Everett who, with othersophomores, came in to congratulate the three.

  That second pantry raid was much more successful than the first, whichhad, however, ushered in the solution of the orchard secret and theending of the peril beneath the gnarled trees.

  "Well, here's to our holidays!" exclaimed Arden at the midnight feast,drinking from a glass of milk in one hand. The other held a piece of pie.

  "Long may they wave!" chanted Sim.

  "Pass me some chicken," mumbled Terry.

  A week later, after many crowded hours, and perhaps it may be said afteras minimum an amount of study as was ever noted in Cedar Ridge, Arden andher friends were waiting on the station platform at Morrisville for thetrain that was to take them home for the Thanksgiving recess.

  Jerry Cronin, the taxi-man who had first driven the three to the college,was sauntering around waiting for a fare. He smiled at the girls, andthey nodded. They knew him better now, for they had frequently used hiscar.

  "I guess you're glad it's all over," he remarked, coming closer to wherethey stood and taking off his cap.

  "What?" asked Arden.

  "That there orchard business. You know," he was almost whispering now, "Icouldn't tell you about it at first. I dassn't. But I warned you, didn'tI? Here's how it happened. Now that old Yaeger is gone I can tell. Icaught him up to some of his tricks once, making scares and all that. Andonce I saw him drive that old black ram into the orchard at night. Icouldn't figure out why, but now I know. That there young gardener toldme. Yaeger was planning some credit for himself.

  "Yep, I caught him at it, and when he saw I knew, he threatened that if Itold he'd see that I didn't get any more college taxi trade, so I had tokeep still. But now I'm glad I can tell."

  "And we're glad it's over," said Terry.

  The girls resumed their own talk as the taxi-man walked away.

  "Wasn't it thrilling when Arden gave the dean the reward check!" Simexclaimed, her arm through Terry's.

  "It certainly was! And wasn't Harry Pangborn nice when he posed for thosenewspaper photographers?" Sim inquired.

  "Swell!" laughed Arden. "And the party the girls gave us last night inthe gym--lovely! Everything has been just wonderful. I can hardly wait toget home to tell Mother and Dad all about it. I could write so little inmy letters."

  "Don't forget our dance Thanksgiving eve," Sim reminded her chums.

  "As if we'd forget--when those nice boys are coming!" exclaimed Arden.She turned to look at the college. The buildings were outlined by aglorious red sunset. "I can understand, now, how one becomes attached toone's Alma Mater. Cedar Ridge _is_ a dear old place," she concluded.

  "And to think," murmured Sim, "I wanted to leave it!"

  "Oh, well," said Terry, "I can understand. I'd have done the same thingif I was as crazy as you are, Sim, about being an expert swimmer anddiver. You couldn't help it."

  The girls lapsed into silence and looked at the gray stone buildingsstanding so bravely in the gleam of the red sun. The chapel spire seemedto pierce the blue sky and the white clouds now beginning to be tintedwith rainbow colors. Bordmust Hall seemed to peer shyly at the departinggirls from its distant hill. In the window of his official manse, Dr.Bordmust, recovering from his injury, looked out of a window near whichhe was propped up and smiled.

  The girls waved friendly hands at him, and he waved in return.

  "A jolly gentleman, after all," commented Terry.

  "We must call on him when we come back," suggested Arden.

  "I suppose we will be coming back," murmured Sim.

  "Of course!" exclaimed Arden. "We're going to have a lot more adventuresat Cedar Ridge."

  "But I doubt if any will be like the ones we've just finished," laughedTerry.

  That remains to be seen. And those who are curious to learn may do so inthe next book of this Arden Blake mystery series. It will be entitled_The Mystery of Jockey Hollow_.

  The girls walked on.

  "Look!" Sim suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the swimming pool soon to berepaired. Its windows were a glory of red and gold from the setting sun."It's doing its best to announce the fact that it will no longer be adespised vegetable cellar. Oh, girls, I'm so happy!"

  "So say we all of us!" chanted Arden.

  The puffing train came at last and stood at the station, panting forbreath, it seemed, as if to get up courage to take away so many happy,laughing, chattering, and joy-bubbling students. As it pulled out of thestation along a row of bare trees, the three freshmen of 513 had aglimpse of the stone deer of the campus looking at them with startledeyes.

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  Transcriber's note:

  --Silently corrected a few typographical errors (but left nonstandard spelling and dialect as is).

  --Rearranged front matter to a more-logical order.