"Yep, sure it's her," he declared.
"SHE!"' yelled the girls. "Jack!" Cora's voice came, "how can you
so shock our English?"
"Pardon me, ladies," he murmured. "But this is it."
"Painted red," Belle was trying to realize out loud.
"Yes, and it's right becoming," agreed Ed, "but where did she get
the sun-burn?"
"The Mystery of her Complexion, or, the Shade of Her Pretty Nose,"
quoth Jack. "Well, I don't mind. But I would like to get hold of
The Silent Artist of Cedar Lake," he finished, in crude eloquence.
Paul was looking carefully inside the canoe. Presently he stood up
straight, and held a note in his hand. "Let's have the light Jack?"
he asked. "I have something."
Jack held the lantern so that it's gleam fell on the paper. "Miss
Cora Kimball," they both read, then they handed the paper to Cora.
It was enclosed in an envelope of very fine linen; Cora saw this
instantly, for she felt, as well as saw, the texture. Just as she
was about to tear open the missive a thought occurred to her.
"I had best wait until I get indoors," she said. "I might drop
something out of it here and break the charm."
A murmur of disapproval followed this remark. But Cora won out, and
with much apprehension carried the strange letter inside. Under the
light she looked first at the signature. It was Brentano!
CHAPTER XX
LAUREL'S FLIGHT
"What is it? What is it?" demanded the girls in chorus.
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