The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross | Page 9

buxom as Janet, and Janet was as well built a girl, even, as Laura
Belding. The invalid had shrunken none in body or limbs. She owned,
too, a very attractive smile, and she held out both hands to greet her
young visitors.
"I am delighted!" she said in a strong, quick voice, which matched her
smile and bright glance perfectly. "Why, Janey, you may go out every
evening, if you will only bring back with you such a bevy of fresh,
sweet faces. Introduce me--do!"
The introductions were made amid considerable gaiety. Mother Wit
took the lead in telling Mrs. Steele who they were. Later Janet related
the accident on Market Street, which had led to her acquaintance with
the three girls of Central High.

Laura's keen eyes were not alone fixed upon Mrs. Steele while they
talked. She took into consideration everything in the house. There was
no mark of poverty; yet the Steeles lived in a house in a poor
neighborhood and one that was positively out of repair, and they
occupied only a small part of it.
When the three girls came out again and Janet had gone in and closed
the door, Laura was in a brown study.
"Wake up, Mother Wit!" commanded Jess. "What do you think of the
Steeles-- and all?"
All Laura Belding could say in comment, was:
"Odd!"

CHAPTER IV
THE MYSTERY MAN
The three boys who had set off to find the car that had knocked down
the stranger on the icy street were as mysterious the next day as they
could be. At least, so their girl friends declared.
Being Sunday, there was no general gathering of the Central High girls
and boys, but Laura, naturally, saw her brother early. He was coming
from his shower in bathrobe and slippers when Laura looked out of her
own door.
"What sort of fox-and-goose chase did Short and Long take you and
Lance away on?" she demanded.
"Oh, I don't know that he was altogether foolish," said Chet doubtfully.
"Then did you really find some trace of the car?" cried Laura, eagerly.
"Well, we found a car. Yes."

"'Goodness to gracious!' as poor Lizzie Bean says. You are
noncommunicative, Chetwood Belding. What do you mean--you found
a car?"
"Laura," said her brother, "I don't know--nor does Lance, or Short and
Long--whether the fellow we suspect had anything to do with that
accident or not."
"Oh!"
"And we don't want to get him in wrong."
"Who is it?" demanded his sister, bluntly.
"No. We won't tell anybody who it is we suspect until we make further
investigations."
"I declare, you are as mysterious as a regular detective! And suppose
the police do make inquiries?"
"They will, of course,"
"And what will you boys tell them?"
"Pooh!" returned Chet, going on to his room to dress, "they won't ask
us because they don't know we know anything about it"
"I guess you don't know much!" shouted Laura after him before he
closed his door.
It was the same when Jess Morse met Lance Darby on the way to
Sunday School.
"Ho, Launcelot!" she cried. "Tell us all the news--that is a good child.
Who was that awful person who ran down the man last night? I hear
from Dr. Agnew that they had to patch the poor victim up a good deal
at the hospital. Did you boys find the guilty party?"
"I don't know that we did," said Darby. "You see, nobody seemed to

see the license number of the automobile."
"But didn't Short and Long have suspicions?"
"Well, what are suspicions?" demanded the boy. "We all agreed to say
nothing about it unless we have proof. And we haven't any proof--as
yet."
"Why, I believe you are 'holding out' on your friends, Lance," declared
Jess, in surprise. "For shame!"
"Aw, ask Chet--if you must know!" exclaimed Lance, hurrying away.
As it chanced it was Bobby Hargrew who attempted to play inquisitor
with Short and Long, meeting the boy with the youngest Long, Tommy,
on the slippery hill of Nugent Street Tommy was so bundled up in a
"Teddy Bear" costume that he could scarcely trudge along, and he held
tightly to his brother's hand.
"For goodness' sake!" exclaimed Bobby, when she saw Tommy
slipping all over the icy sidewalk, "what is the matter with that boy?"
"He hasn't got his sea-legs on," grinned Short and Long.
"You mean to tell me he is nearly five years old and can walk no better
than _that?_" exclaimed Bobby teasingly. "Why, we have a little dog at
home that isn't even a year old yet, and he can ran right over this ice.
He can walk twice as good as Tommy does."
"Hoh!" exclaimed that youngster defensively. "That dog's got twice as
many legs as I have."