It appeared. Like an old, gray castle on the Rhine, such as she and Bess had read about, the sprawling, huge building was outlined against the sky on which the glories of the sunset were reflected. The little town in the valley was scarcely discernible save for its twinkling evening lamps; but the Hall stood out boldly on the headland--a silhouette cut out of black cardboard, for not a single lamp shone there.
CHAPTER VIII
THE BOY AT THE STATION
Bess was in a great bustle as the train slowed down for Freeling. She gathered all their possessions, that nothing might be missed this time, and then started for the door with only her shopping-bag and raincoat.
"You're forgetting something, Bess," cried Nan.
"Oh, no!" returned her chum, her eyes opening very wide and very innocently. "Can't be possible. Suit-case, bag, coats, lunch box--I wish you would throw _that_ away, Nan! Sure, that's everything."
"Yes. But you forget I'm not a dray-horse," Nan said drily. "Come on and take your share of the load for once."
"Oh! I forgot," murmured Bess, faintly, as Nan proceeded to load her down.
They got out on the platform and the train steamed away. Professor Krenner had disappeared. They did not know that he had remained aboard the train, which stopped at a flag-station a mile up the track--a point nearer to his cabin than Freeling proper.
There were a few bustling passengers in sight, but none of them were girls. Even Linda Riggs had disappeared.
"What shall we do?" asked Bess, helplessly. "Not a soul to meet us, Nan!"
"Well, you didn't expect all the girls would turn out with a brass band to greet us, did you?" chuckled Nan.
"But surely there must be some means of conveyance to the Hall!"
"Shank's mare, maybe," returned her cheerful chum.
"You can laugh!" cried Bess, as though she considered Nan's serenity a fault. "But I don't want to climb away up that hill to-night in the dark, and with this heavy old suit-case."
"Quite right. That would be too big a premium placed upon education,"
laughed Nan. "Let us ask."
A man with a visored cap who was hurrying past at this juncture, was halted and questioned.
"'Bus for the Hall? Yes, Miss. Just the other side of the station if it hasn't already gone," he said.
"There! we've lost it," complained Bess, starting on a run.
"Impossible! How could we lose it when we never have had it?"
"Oh, you can be funny----"
They rounded the corner of the station just as a pair of slowly-moving horses attached to a big, lurching omnibus, were starting forward. The man driving them leaned down from the seat, speaking to somebody inside the 'bus.
"Sure there ain't no more of you to-night, Miss?" he asked. "Dr.
Prescott said----"
"I know there's no more of me, Charley," Miss Linda Riggs' voice interrupted tartly. "And if you don't hurry along you won't get your usual tip, I can tell you _that_!"
"Oh!" murmured Bess, hanging back.
"She's trying to run away with the school 'bus," declared Nan, in some anger. "Now, she sha'n't do that, Bess!"
"Let her go," begged Bess. "I don't want to ride with her."
"Pshaw! I'm not dying for her company, either," Nan confessed. "But I want to get up to that Hall to-night."
The omnibus had completely turned around, heading away from the station.
"Hi, there!" cried Nan.
"Drive on, Charley," commanded Linda Riggs, loudly.
The 'bus driver evidently did not hear Nan's call. The latter dropped her bag and tossed her own coat to Bess.
"I'm not going to let him get away from us," she cried.
But Bess seized her arm. "Oh, don't! Let's not have another quarrel with that Riggs girl right here."
"Dear me! I haven't quarreled with her at all, yet," said Nan, somewhat amused.
"She's--so--mean," began Bess, when Nan interrupted:
"Well! we'll just beat her to it at that!"
"Oh, how, Nan?"
"We'll get there first."
"But, _how_?" asked her chum again.
Several automobiles were standing beside the platform and Nan swiftly approached the driver of the nearest one.
"Do you know how to get to Lakeview Hall?" she asked of this person.
"Why--yes," he said. "Of course."
Nan saw that he was only a young boy; but he wore gauntlets, had goggles attached to his cap, and was evidently old enough to drive the car.
"Can you take us up there?" Nan asked.
"Why--yes," again rather doubtfully.
"Come on, Bess!" called Nan, with satisfaction. "We'll beat that Linda Riggs after all."