"Don't be too sure," cautioned the other, "it is not all cleared up
yet."
"But I feel sure," she insisted. "Brentano was too clever to do
anything half way."
"He certainly was a star," Jack admitted. "But I hope he will not
insist upon keeping up the correspondence with Cora. He might give
us the hoo-doo."
They were soon at their dock. The Peter Pan was tied, there, and
that meant that Paul Hastings was at the bungalow. Jack thought
instantly of Paul's employer, the banker, whose name Mr. Starr had
mentioned. It did seem now that things were shaping themselves to
tell all the story.
"Who is the stranger?" Cora asked, noticing a man in a dressing robe
sitting on the little rustic porch.
"I--wonder--" Jack said.
"It's father," almost screamed Laurel, "and he has had his hair cut
and his beard taken off! Doesn't he look lovely!"
"It can't be," Cora said hesitatingly. "That man is so young!"
"He's my dear father, just the same," declared the delighted girl,
hurrying from the boat up to the bungalow.
The man did not turn his head to greet her, but she was not to be
deceived by his little ruse. "What a surprise!" she exclaimed. "I
scarcely knew you."
"But you did know me," he replied, with a happy smile. "I feel
years and years younger, my dear."
"Indeed you look it," Cora said. "I wonder how you ever hid such
good looks."
The nurse was fetching the beef tea, Paul took the cup from her
hand.
Pages:
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184