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Page 56
"Thank you," bowed Madge sedately. "We will go with you."
Mrs. Hilliard, a stout, comfortable looking old lady, received the
wanderers with true Southern hospitality. Without waiting to hear
their story, she insisted that they change their bedraggled clothing
for two comfortable looking dressing gowns which she laid out for them,
and by the time they had washed their faces and hands and dressed their
hair they found a hot supper ready for them in the dining room.
"We are so sorry to have troubled you," declared Madge apologetically,
as Mr. Hilliard entered the dining room when they were finishing their
meal. "Now we must tell you who we are and how we came to be
floundering in the marsh so late in the evening."
Beginning with their visit to the island that morning Madge related all
that had transpired during that long day of adventures. Judge Hilliard
shook his head disapprovingly as the tale continued, but listened with
grave interest to the part of the story relating to Mollie, the
sailor's daughter.
"This girl of whom you speak is like the girl in the fairy story, who
has a cruel step-mother and an ogre of a father," he commented when the
story had ended.
"Of course she is," answered Madge; "only our girl is not in a fairy
story, she is real. I can't believe that that dreadful Mike Muldoon is
her father, and I know there must be some way to take her from him and
make her happy."
"We are going to save her yet," declared Phyllis stoutly. "I don't see
just how we are to manage it, but to-morrow we are going to try again.
How far are we from Fisherman's Island?"
"About thirty miles," Judge Hilliard replied. "I have telephoned to
the nearest town to let your chaperon know you are safe. The message
will be taken over to your houseboat tonight, and I will take you home
in the morning. My mother insists that you remain here tonight. She
will join us in the library in a few minutes."
"Thank you again," said Madge gratefully. "It was very thoughtful in
you to send a message to our friends. In the morning we wish to go
first to the Belleview Hotel. We wish to see a friend of ours who is
staying there. Her name is Mrs. Curtis."
"Mrs. Curtis is an old friend of mine," said Judge Hilliard in pleased
surprise. "I have known her ever since I was a little boy. Now I have
something to say to you that may interest you. I told you I was a
judge. It is my business to look into people's legal difficulties.
This trouble which concerns your friend looks to me as though it might
have a legal side to it. We are in the State of Maryland. Fisherman's
Island is in my jurisdiction. Suppose I issue an injunction forbidding
the marriage between Mollie and the sailor, and take you up to the
island in the morning to see it served. I have a steam yacht, and I
think I shall take along two court officers or policemen, who will
terrify your dreadful Captain Mike. At any rate, I'll see justice done
his afflicted daughter, if I have to take the law in my own hands."
Madge clapped her hands joyously. Tears stood in Phil's dark eyes.
"Oh, how splendid!" she breathed.
At this juncture Mrs. Hilliard entered the library, and after a little
further talk the two girls announced themselves as being quite ready to
retire.
"Be ready at seven o'clock," Judge Hilliard reminded them, as he bade
his guests good night. "We shall reach Captain Mike's shanty boat
before he has time to proceed with the marriage. They won't expect you
at your houseboat until after breakfast, and I hope to have three girls
to deliver aboard, instead of two."
Phyllis and Madge dropped asleep that night the instant their heads
touched their pillows. They had asked to share the same room, and as
they had sleepily undressed, they congratulated each other on the fact
that Mike Muldoon's cowardly act had resulted in nothing but good to
them. It looked as though it might even prove a boomerang to him.
By seven o'clock the next morning the girls had breakfasted and said
good-bye to Mrs. Hilliard, after promising to visit her at some future
time.
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