Betty handed the glass to Cathalina, and turning, saw a man who was tying up one of the vines and had turned to look at her. Betty caught a flashing look of recognition and then the man’s back was quickly turned. Betty was instinctively on guard, and in even tones continued her low conversation with Cathalina. “Do you get it, Cathalina?”
“Yes, Betty. _You_ look now. It is on that low bush. See?”
The girls satisfied themselves in regard to the wren and went on up the slope toward the old log house, on whose step they sat down to look over the whole place with their field glass, for they had decided that one was enough to bring on a picnic.
Betty glanced around to see if any one was within hearing. “I’ve something to tell you,” she said. “Did you notice the man that was tying up the vines as we came along?”
“Why, yes, I believe I did see somebody, one of the hands, I suppose.”
“Yes, and he gave me the funniest look and hurried to turn his back on us. Now where have I seen those flashing eyes before? I certainly haven’t any acquaintances like that!”
“You have had some queer experiences, Bettina, for a timid little lady like yourself. Think of your friend Captain Holley.”
“I have it, Cathalina. Your suggestion fits. This is one of the men in that boat, way back in our second year at Greycliff, there at that place where afterwards Isabel and I heard somebody in the cave, you know, and then saw Captain Holley come out, and the men carried away the box. You remember that we went there once with Patty last year, but didn’t see anything and were afraid to investigate much.”
“Oh yes. You and Isabel told Dr. Norris or somebody about it, but I guess nobody thought much about it.”
“Everybody had too much to do. Do you suppose Captain Holley is still at the military school? He’s an ‘enemy alien’ now.”
“Yes, he is there. Louise is back, you know, and I heard her say that her brother was coming over to dinner with her Sunday. Louise is a lot nicer to the girls than she used to be, and I heard her say that she was very unhappy to think that her country and her adopted country were at war.”
“I suppose this man is some one who lives around here. But it is funny that he did not want you to look at him. It looks as if there were something out of the way going on, that time at the cave.”