ON GUARD

Bet was still clutching the precious fan in a tight grip that had not relaxed for a second since she found it in the Hermit’s Hut.

“I just knew you’d find it, Bet,” said Auntie Gibbs. “I told you so over and over again!”

Even Bet, whose nerves were at the snapping point, had to smile at the old lady who was always in the right and sure to exclaim: “Didn’t I tell you so!”

“Now let’s have a look at that queen’s fan. I never rightly noticed it, before it was stolen.” The old man held out his hand.

“Here it is, Uncle Nat,” said Bet proudly, as she unwrapped the treasure from the dusty handkerchief. Then she gave a little gasp which was immediately smothered in a cough, as she stuffed the handkerchief into her sweater pocket.

“What’s the matter now, Bet?” Kit cried excitedly.

“Nothing at all. Must have taken a cold. My throat seems raw.” Bet took the fan, opened it and held it out to Uncle Nat.

“Well, well, well!” exclaimed the old man. “So that’s the queen’s fan! Are you quite sure it’s the one, Bet? Doesn’t seem fancy enough to be worth all that money.”

“All I can say is that it ain’t much to look at,” sputtered Auntie Gibbs. “It’s a nice enough fan, but I wouldn’t give a dollar for it. If I were a queen I’d want one with ostrich plumes and lots of gold on it.”

“Queens are funny like that!” Uncle Nat shook his head. “But I can’t understand how anyone would want it at a price like that. I wonder if Colonel Baxter isn’t joking with you about it?”

“You know Daddy wouldn’t do a thing like that. His letters have been so full of joy at the prospect of a sale.”

“And, Bet dear, isn’t it good that we found it before he got back? It has saved him a lot of worry. I do think we are the luckiest girls in the world,” cried Shirley Williams.

“The lucky Merriweather Girls! We’re living up to the ideals of our club, and Lady Betty!” Joy kissed the tips of her fingers toward the portrait, then whirled about on her toes.

Bet rushed up to her room and taking her father’s picture from her desk, whispered, “Oh Daddy, you can trust me!” She looked at it a long time, then kissed it as she replaced it on the desk.

“So far, so good!” exclaimed Kit as she joined Bet. “We’ve found the fan but we haven’t found the thief, and until that is done we won’t be able to clear the suspicion against Phil. Everybody in town is blaming him.” Kit’s voice showed her indignation.

“Let’s phone him! He’ll sleep better tonight if he knows the fan has been found,” suggested Joy as she and Shirley came into the room.

“Girls, do me a favor, don’t tell anyone tonight. If it gets around town that we have the fan, the thief may come and try to get it again. Until it is in the safety deposit box at the bank, I’ve not kept faith with Dad. And tomorrow is Sunday. I have to guard the fan for two nights instead of one.”

“That’s true. Someone might try to steal it again. Wish we were staying all night with you, Bet,” said Kit.

“Please do, girls. I don’t want to be left alone, I’ll phone and ask!” and Bet ran to the telephone.

Bet needed their presence to keep her from brooding over something that she could not talk about with them, for the handkerchief that had been wrapped around the fan, bore the initials P.S.G. in one corner. She recognized it as one of Phil’s handkerchiefs. There was no doubt about it.

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.

“If he does, Bet, he’ll have to kidnap all four girls, for we’ll stand by you!” Joy put her arms protectingly around Bet.

“I’d love to catch the thief, lock him up in a closet, send for Chief Baldwin and have him arrested. That would end the mystery of the queen’s fan.”

“And that’s what I call romantic bunkum,” laughed Auntie Gibbs. “You’ll all go to bed tonight and get your rest! Uncle Nat will hide the fan so no one will get it.”

At which there was a loud protest from all the girls. They had no intention of being cheated out of any of the thrilling romance of the fan.

Bet was tucked into bed with all the tenderness that one bestows on a small child and was made to promise, hand on heart, that she would not step outside her room for any reason whatever, unless one of the girls was with her.

Shirley had no difficulty in keeping awake until two o’clock but she did have trouble in keeping Joy’s eyes open.

“I’d let you sleep, honey, only I gave Bet my solemn promise that we’d both stay awake.”

“It’s all right, Shirley. Just give me a dig if I nod. I won’t mind. We’ve got to help Bet!” Joy yawned and stretched.

But it did seem a long time to Joy before Shirley said, “Time’s up!” and together they crossed the hall to waken Bet and Kit. They had been sitting just inside the door of their room where they could watch up and down the hall. Nothing disturbing had happened.

“Time to get up? Why it just seems as if we’d been asleep a second!” laughed Kit.

“That’s your bad luck, then,” exclaimed Joy, “for my watch says it’s after two.”

Bet and Kit jumped out of bed, and Bet put her hand on the fan and patted it.

“It’s still safe, girls! I don’t think we’ll be disturbed tonight.”

“Listen to her, Shirley!” yawned Joy. “She’s going to say that we can all go to sleep now that it’s her turn to guard the fan.”

“Indeed I’m not! I have no intention of leaving the fan unguarded. You forget that I’m on my honor to get this into the safety box on Monday!”

“Next watch is from half past two to half past six! Run along and get to sleep!” ordered Kit. “We’ll guard the treasure with our lives.”

Shirley and Joy made a dash for their own room, but gave a shriek as they reached the door. A figure clad in ghostly white was gliding down the long hallway.

Bet leaped into action at once. “Here girls, stand by me! Now remember, if they kidnap me, they will have to take all four.”

They peered cautiously into the hall and Bet snapped on the light, and let out a scream of laughter.

“It’s just Auntie Gibbs! I forgot that she takes her daily exercise at this hour. She’s always prowling around to see if the doors and windows are locked.”

“What are you children doing?” demanded Auntie Gibbs. “Get into bed this minute or you’ll get your death! I’ll tell Colonel Baxter when he comes home.”

This was the daily threat that the old woman made to Bet, who, not having any fear of her father, smiled serenely. All went to their rooms. Shirley and Joy cuddled down under the covers and were soon asleep. And when Auntie Gibbs was in her own room, Kit and Bet began their watch.

At dawn they awakened Shirley and Joy.

“Bet Baxter, you’re cheating!” came Joy’s sleepy voice from the blankets.

“I just this minute closed my eyes,” exclaimed Shirley.

“Waking us up the minute we fell asleep! A trick like that isn’t funny. You just think it is!” pouted Joy.

The three girls commenced to giggle and soon Joy was wide awake and enjoying the joke at her expense.

Bet and Kit slept until breakfast time.

“What are we going to do today?” asked Joy as they went down to the dining room. “Let’s think up something specially nice, for school begins on Monday. This two weeks’ vacation just flew by!”

“Whatever it is that we plan, it will have to be something we can do right here at home. I do not intend to go out of the house today.”

“That’s all right. We’ve had lots of good times here in the Manor. Maybe we can manage to have one more,” Shirley laughed happily.

“You know what I’d like to do, Bet?” said Joy, clapping her hands. “I’d just love to call Bob and Phil. They’ll be so glad that the fan is found.”

For a moment Bet was about to object, then fearing to arouse the suspicion of the girls toward Phil she agreed.

What would Phil do when he learned that the fan had been recovered? Would he try to pass it off and appear innocent in the matter? Just how could he face the Merriweather Girls, knowing what they stood for: honor, loyalty and friendship?

But Bet kept these thoughts to herself. Her chums must not know anything about it. She would be loyal to that extent.

Joy called up her brother and then impulsively said, “Just a minute, Bob! Bet wants to tell you the news!”

“Hello, Bet,” came Bob’s voice over the phone.

And Bet tried to make herself speak naturally, “We found the fan, Bob! Isn’t it great!”

“By Jimminy! Hurrah for the Merriweather Girls! Where was it? Who took it?”

“We’ll give you the whole story later. It’s too long to telephone.”

“It sounds mysterious, I can hardly wait!”

“Tell Phil, will you, Bob? But don’t mention to anyone else just at present. I’ll explain when I see you!”

Within an hour the girls heard the familiar tooting of an auto horn in the yard and a loud shout that they recognized as Bob’s, followed by Phil’s more subdued call.

“Those dear boys!” exclaimed Kit. “You know girls, they haven’t been around much lately and I’ve been ever and ever so lonesome. I I like boys!”

“You didn’t have to tell us that, Kit Patten. Just as if we couldn’t see that you’re boy crazy!”

“I am not, Joy Evans! I like boys, but I’m not silly over them. I like them the way I do my kid brother at home and the way I like Powder, my pony.”

“Oh ho, ho! Wait until I tell Bob and Phil. Kit likes them the same as she does Powder, her pony!”

“Oh Joy, please keep still or they’ll hear!” Kit shook the laughing girl but it was too good a joke to keep. As soon as Bet had opened the door, Joy shouted it as a greeting.

“Come on in, boys! Kit says you’re most as nice as her pony. Prance right up and get your lump of sugar and your measure of oats!” teased Joy.

Bob and Phil were so relieved that the fan had been found they entered into the fun. Linking arms they went through a pantomime of fiery steeds being held in check with a tight rein.

Bet laughed with the others, but her heart was heavy over Phil’s insincerity. Auntie Gibbs, who just naturally liked boys better than girls, was doubled over with laughter at their antics. She buzzed around them, took their hats and coats and hung them up.

“Look at that,” pouted Joy. “Why don’t you wait on us hand and foot? Aren’t we as good as the boys?”

“That’s as may be! But girls ought to wait on themselves. That’s what!”

“You’re perfectly right, Auntie Gibbs!” nodded Bob.

“I’d like to know why? Maybe you think we don’t want some attention now and then, even if we are girls,” said Kit.

“Go on with your nonsense! I know you’re only trying to make fun of me. The boys wouldn’t do that!”

“Indeed we wouldn’t, Auntie Gibbs! You are perfectly right,” assented Phil, with a triumphant smile at Kit.

Bet was silent. She watched Phil with a heavy heart. How could he pretend innocence like that?

Just then the jingle of the telephone brought the nonsense to an end. Bet answered it.

“Who? What? Oh Daddy! Daddy! Are you so near, really? Company? Of course, the girls are here and Bob and Phil. Oh thank you, Daddy, you’re a dear. Goodbye!”

Bet left the phone and sank into the depths of a roomy chair. “Dad will be here in a few hours. He telephoned from Albany. Oh, how glad I am that we found the queen’s fan!”