The Mystery of the Fires by Edith Lavell

Author:Edith Lavell
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781634215725
Publisher: Duke Classics

Chapter XI - Adelaide Ditmar's Plan

*

"There are four new young men at the Royal," announced Jane as she set the table for lunch after their swim that morning.

"Who? How do you know?" demanded Mary Louise.

"Sue Reed told me. She says they used to come to Flicks' every summer for two weeks' vacation. So instead they are staying one week at the Royal Hotel. I don't know their names."

Her chum nodded.

"I know now. I can't think of their names either, but they'll probably come to me. They're Harrisburg people.... But, Jane, how can you take an interest in men when your own boy-friend is in such trouble? Last night you seemed so sad!"

"You can't be sad all the time," replied the other girl. "It doesn't help Cliff any. Besides, I wasn't engaged to him, so I can get a kick out of meeting new men. Can't you, Mary Lou?"

"I don't believe I can at the present moment. I've too much else to think about. But what do you want me to do about them, Jane? Have a party and invite them over?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. Sue asked me to come to her cottage this afternoon to meet them. She said to tell you to come along, in case she didn't see you to invite you herself."

"You go by yourself."

Mary Louise set a plate of chicken salad on the table. "It does look good, doesn't it?" she remarked—"if I do say it myself!"

"Yum! Yum!" agreed Jane. "But what makes you think you don't want to go over to the Reeds' with me?"

"Because—I have other plans for this afternoon."

"The mystery of the fires!" cried Jane, rolling her eyes. "Oh, Mary Lou, forget it for a while and have some fun!"

"No, I can't. I've got to have a talk with the Ditmars."

"You better stay away from them!" warned Jane. "You never can tell what that man might do if he got desperate!"

Nevertheless, Mary Louise was firm in her resolution not to join the young people, and she was thankful that she had stayed home, for no sooner had Jane gone to the Reeds' and her mother to the Partridges' than Mrs. Ditmar herself came to the Gays' bungalow!

"Oh, Mary Louise, I'm so glad to find you alone!" exclaimed the young woman. "Have you any engagement, or can I talk to you for a while?"

"I haven't a thing to do but knit," replied Mary Louise, smiling to herself. "Jane has gone over to the Reeds' to dance, but I was sort of tired, so I thought I'd just take it easy. And I'll be delighted to have you, Adelaide." She addressed Mrs. Ditmar by her first name, for though she had a prefix of "Mrs.," she was, after all, hardly more than a girl. And Mary Louise wanted to make her feel at home.

"Oh, thank you!" replied the visitor, sinking into a chair with a sigh of content.

"You see, I haven't any friends up here at Shady Nook," she explained. "Nothing's turned out right.

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