The Girls of Chequertrees Read online

  Produced by Al Haines.

  PAMELA READ THE SIGNATURE OF BERYL'S MOTHER THROUGH ABLUR OF TEARS (_P._ 120)]

  *THE GIRLS OF CHEQUERTREES*

  BY

  MARION ST JOHN WEBB

  AUTHOR OF 'THE LITTLEST ONE' 'THE LITTLEST ONE AGAIN' 'KNOCK THREE TIMES' 'THE HOUSE WITH THE TWISTING PASSAGE' ETC.

  ILLUSTRATED BY PERCY TARRANT

  GEORGE G. HARRAP & CO. LTD. LONDON CALCUTTA SYDNEY

  _First published September 1918 by GEORGE G. HARRAP & CO. LTD. 39-41 Parker Street, Kingsway, London, W.C.2 Reprinted February 1923_

  _Printed in Great Britain by Turnbull & Spears, Edinburgh_

  *CONTENTS*

  CHAPTER

  I. THE WINDOW OPPOSITE II. PAMELA RECEIVES A STRANGE INVITATION III. BERYL IV. THE ROOM WITH THE LOCKED DOOR V. MAKING PLANS VI. MILLICENT JACKSON GIVES SOME INFORMATION VII. BERYL GOES THROUGH AN ORDEAL VIII. WHICH CONCERNS A VISIT TO INCHMOOR AND A WOMAN WITH A LIMP IX. ISOBEL MAKES TROUBLE X. PAMELA BEFRIENDS BERYL AND MEETS ELIZABETH BAGG XI. THE WISHING WELL XII. IN WHICH ELIZABETH BAGG PAINTS A PICTURE AND ISOBEL HEARS SOME PLEASANT NEWS XIII. MR JOSEPH SIGGLESTHORNE FORGETS THE DATE XIV. CAROLINE MAKES A DISCOVERY XV. ABOUT A BAZAAR AND A MEETING IN THE RUINED WINDMILL XVI. PAMELA'S WISH COMES TRUE XVII. IN WHICH OLD SILAS LAUGHS AND ISOBEL DANCES XVIII. THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED XIX. BERYL CONFESSES XX. A NEW BEGINNING

  *ILLUSTRATIONS*

  PAMELA READ THE SIGNATURE OF BERYL'S MOTHER THROUGH A BLUR OF TEARS_Frontispiece_

  ON THE FIRST FLOOR LANDING PAMELA POINTED OUT THE LOCKED DOOR

  A WOMAN WHO FROWNED AND PUT HER FOREFINGER TO HER LIPS

  A PAILFUL OF GARDEN RUBBISH DESCENDED IN A SHOWER

  *THE GIRLS OF CHEQUERTREES*

  *CHAPTER I*

  *THE WINDOW OPPOSITE*

  On a cold, damp January evening a woman sat in the dusk of a fire-litroom gazing through the window. For half an hour she had been sittingthere fidgeting impatiently with her hands and feet every few minutes,but never moving from the position she had taken up by the window. Herexpectant gaze was centred on the outline of a house that stood on theopposite side of the village green at Barrowfield.

  From the window, or for the matter of that from the green or the roadthat encircled the green, little could be seen of the house, as the highivy-topped walls which surrounded the garden guarded it jealously fromprying eyes. It was only through the tall iron-rail gate set into anarch in the stone wall that you could ascertain that the house wasflat-fronted and square, a house entirely covered with ivy, out fromwhose dark, rustling leaves many windows peered like deep-set eyes. Abroad gravel path swept from the gate to a flight of white steps thatled up to the front door. The garden, stretching away on either side ofthe path, appeared to be thick and bushy with shrubs and tall old trees.

  This much the woman at the window had observed from the gate, and nowshe was sitting--waiting.

  A little breeze sprang up and scurried through the ivy leaves as if itand they were whispering together about something. Although the houseseemed silent, it was not deserted, for presently, as it grew darker, alight appeared in one of the lower windows and a blind was drawn--a redblind through which the light glowed, seeming to increase in strength asthe house gradually faded into the dusk and was lost to sight.

  The woman who was watching sighed and nervously bit the nail of herthumb.

  "That's where she is," she muttered to herself, gazing at the red blind.

  At that moment the sound of wheels and jingling bells became audible,and a light flickered at the top of the main road that led down to thevillage from the station. The woman frowned and strained her eyestoward the dancing light on the road. It was the station cabapproaching, jogging along at its usual pace, slowly but surely, withstout old Tom Bagg, the driver, snugly ensconced on the box-seat.

  Outside the gate of the ivy-covered house the cab came to a stand-still,and a young girl alighted. She was plainly visible as she paused beneaththe street lamp outside the gate before entering the dark garden,followed by Tom Bagg much beladen and struggling with boxes. In a fewminutes the old cabman came out again, and the cab jogged away back tothe station.

  The woman who had watched all this intently then moved away from thewindow, and, limping slightly as she walked, made her way to the fire.Crouching down on the hearth she poked the fire into a blaze and warmedher cold hands--her eyes fixed broodingly on the leaping flames. Aftera while she pulled a chair toward her and sank into it--still with hereyes on the fire, lost in thought.

  She was aroused from her reverie by the sound of wheels and jinglingbells again, heralding the return of the cab. Instantly she got up,limped back to the window, and peered out.

  Once more the cab stopped at the gate of the ivy-covered house, and thistime two girls got out and passed through the garden gate, followed byTom Bagg still more beladen and struggling beneath boxes and parcels andtravelling rugs.

  The woman watched until old Tom Bagg had departed again, then she gavean odd, short laugh, and for a while stared gloomily out at the closediron-rail gate in the wall opposite.

  Presently she said to herself, "Well--now we shall see!"

  Then she pulled down her blind.