Read Ebook: The Riddle Club at Sunrise Beach by Hardy Alice Dale Rogers Walter S Illustrator

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Ebook has 1597 lines and 45728 words, and 32 pages

"We want to start early, because we have to go to bed early," declared Polly. "Mother says we want to get a good early start in the morning."

Margy gave a wriggle of pure delight.

"Isn't it fun!" she sighed. "We have fireworks to-night and in the morning we are going to Sunrise Beach and this minute we're going to have ice-cream!"

They all laughed at her summing up, but the red, white and blue ice-cream was hailed with a cheer.

It obligingly grew dark as rapidly as possible, and it was decided that the Larue lawn was the best for the fireworks. The mothers were to be the guests of honor and sit on the porch while the three fathers and the children would set off the contents of Mr. Kirby's package.

"There goes a Roman candle!" cried Ward, as one shot up from the dark tree tops that enclosed the Pepper yard.

There was a great hubbub of laughter and talk from the Pepper side porch, where the fourteen members of the Conundrum Club were gathered. They did not seem to be agreeing either, for several voices were arguing loudly that "it's my turn"--"you've had yours"--"you said it was my turn next."

But the Riddle Club forgot to listen when they began their own entertainment. Only one package of the many arranged neatly in the large box Mr. Kirby had sent was labeled. This bore a small card which said, "Set this off when everything else is gone."

"I don't know. Whoopee, look at the pin-wheel!" Jess cried joyously.

There surely had never been such a box of fireworks. Not in River Bend, at least. There were little tiny flat packages that flared into beautiful geometrical figures that spun and whirled and dazzled for long, breath-taking seconds. There were pieces that folded into a tiny space and yet which, when sent up, proved to be large and elaborate and quite beyond the power of any one to name. The Roman candles shot up to the stars--Polly was positive. The colored fire made the yard a place for fairies. They had never seen such fireworks, the Riddle Club were sure.

"My goodness, how long have you been shooting off things?" demanded Carrie Pepper suddenly, out of the darkness. "Did you see ours? We're all through and we were going in when we saw one of your rockets. Where did you get 'em? I thought you only had a few things."

"Come up on the steps, Carrie," Mrs. Larue called pleasantly. "Mr. Kirby sent the children a box of fireworks. Don't you want to stay and see? We must be nearly through, too."

"Seven more left!" announced Fred triumphantly. "Not counting the surprise."

That settled Carrie. If there was a surprise, she meant to see it. Followed by the thirteen other members of the Conundrum Club, she settled down on the steps of the porch and watched critically.

"Oh! Ah!" said every one, as a flower-pot of great brilliancy and wonderful color spread out before their eyes.

"Oh! Ah!" they said for each successive piece, and the Conundrum Club joined in the chorus of admiration.

"What is the surprise?" Carrie whispered to Polly, as she dashed up to get a new piece of punk.

"I don't know--none of us does," said Polly. "Fred is going to touch it off after we light this next piece."

"Well, what do you know about that?" shouted Ward Larue, in amazement.

FULL SPEED AHEAD

"My goodness gracious!" Carrie Pepper gasped. "Good land sakes!" she added, as though the occasion demanded more.

Before the delighted and envious eyes of the watchers, the pin of the Riddle Club was blazing--the gold question mark in the center of the shield. It burned brightly for a few seconds, faded to a red glow, grew cold, and died out.

"Oh!" breathed Polly softly. "Oh, how lovely!"

"Where did you get it?" Joe Anderson asked curiously, forgetting his bandaged hand and the pain it gave him.

"Mr. Kirby sent the box, but I don't see how he could get our pin," puzzled Fred.

"Why, Son, he had that piece made to order," Mr. Williamson explained. "I must say, he has gone to a great deal of trouble to give you pleasure. But I think he would feel repaid if he saw this crowd."

"Well, it was great," said Albert Holmes heartily. "I never saw anything like that. I didn't know you could have fireworks made to order. Good-night, everybody."

"Wait one minute, till I call the roll," said Mr. Williamson. "Polly, Artie, Jess, Ward, Margy and Fred--they seem to be present and accounted for. All right, Mother?"

The children were to go in Mr. Williamson's car and Mr. Larue was to drive the grown-ups. This had been Mr. Marley's plan and, as he pointed out, the advantages were obvious. He didn't think, he said, that grown-up talk as a rule interested the youngsters, and, for his part, he liked to talk without being interrupted with endless questions.

"Of course, Tom, it is rather hard on you," said Mr. Marley, as he swung Artie into the car.

"I am glad to say I know when I am well off," jolly Mr. Williamson informed him. "You'll talk about business and complain of the heat and I'll be listening to plans for the best vacation ever. I wouldn't trade places with you for a farm."

"Gee, I'll bet we forgot the lunch!" exclaimed Fred, as the cars rolled down Elm Road. "Mother told me to put the box in and I never thought of it again."

"Guess we have to starve then," his father answered. "Can't go back. There were chicken sandwiches, too; Mother told me."

Mr. Larue was ahead and Fred stood up and shouted.

"We forgot the lunch!" he called. "I left it on the hall table."

"It's right here, in the car," Mrs. Larue called back. "Don't worry--we haven't forgotten a thing."

This was very comforting for, of course, no one likes to start a long automobile trip without something to eat.

River Bend was a straggling town and followed the river, so that, as soon as the cars turned into a cross-road, they were out of the town. Another turn brought them to the beautiful state road upon which two steady streams of cars were constantly passing.

"Gee, look at the cars!" said Ward. "Most of them are coming toward us. I suppose they're folks coming home from the shore."

"Did you see the shield on that one?" Fred exclaimed. "It was shaped like our pins," and instinctively his fingers sought the little Riddle Club pin he wore on his coat.

"You all have your pins on, haven't you?" said Mr. Williamson. "That would be an easy way to describe you, if you were lost--a boy wearing a pin with a question mark on it. Or one girl--has a pin with a question mark on its face."

"But our names are on the back," Polly reminded him. "Even if we forgot our names, the pins would tell."

As she spoke Polly unfastened her pin and turned it over in her hand. The car lurched suddenly, as Mr. Williamson sent it almost into the ditch in an effort to avoid a reckless driver who had turned out quickly from the line of cars headed toward them. Polly dropped the pin into the grass.

"My pin!" she cried in alarm.

"Did you drop it, Polly? Where? Here, I'll turn in and some of you children run back and find Polly's pin," Mr. Williamson said, bringing the car to a stop under a tree.

"When did you drop it?" asked Jess, opening the door as she spoke.

"Back there, when we turned out for that green car," Polly replied. "I hit the side of our car and that knocked the pin out of my hand."

"I can find it," declared Artie confidently. "I'll bet you it is right in line with that fence post with the sign for orange marmalade on it."

All the children tumbled from the car and hastened back along the road, walking carefully at one side so as not to be in the way of approaching automobiles.

"Orange marmalade!" Fred exploded. "What in the world are you talking about? What has that to do with Polly's pin?"

Artie merely sniffed and ran ahead. When he saw the fence post with the advertisement he had mentioned nailed to it, he walked to a point directly opposite it. Then, while the others hung back and watched him, he scuffled his feet about in the dusty grass that bordered the roadside. Suddenly he stooped and picked up something.

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