"I'm afraid they will miss it," murmured Rose, as the two sisters, now so changed in expression, watched the boys make their way through the sand. "Oh, Rose! Aren't you happy!" exclaimed Nellie. "Now we can do as we please." "But Aunt Delia might send us to the reform school for running away," mused the older girl. "Oh, I can't think she would do that!" "But think of all she has done! I am afraid to trust her." The tooting of the excursion boat could be heard as the vessel steamed out. Wistfully the girls looked over the broad expanse of water, out to the track made by the smoke from the _Columbia_. "We might have gone back home," sighed Nellie. "I would rather stay here--I feel we have some friends. Those girls----" "But why did they chase us about so?" "They wanted to find us--perhaps. That was nothing against them." "Do you think the man in the candy kitchen would take us back? The detectives must have gone back on the boat, and we needn't be afraid now." "Why, Nellie dear, perhaps the detectives are up at that store watching for us. We can't go there unless we want to----" "Where can we go?" cried the child. "Oh, dear me! What a dreadful thing it is--to be orphans!" and she began to cry. "There's no use crying," said Rose, although her own eyes were brimful. "We have got to go somewhere for the night." "Let's go to the cottage--to the automobile girls' cottage." "I am able to work, and I want to work," insisted Rose stoutly. "They need girls at every hotel, that young lady in the kitchen told me." "But I am so tired--so hungry--and so--sleepy! Rose, let us sleep right here. We are not afraid of anything now." "Who are those people coming?" asked Rose as a number of figures could be seen, outlined against the strip of sky that hung over the point of land. "There's quite a crowd," said Nellie. "I guess we will have to walk along." But running ahead of the others came a boy. He was waving his cap and shouting something! "It's Andy!" murmured Rose. "Oh, he got left!" "And--look there!" cried Nellie. "Those are the detectives after us! We must run! Maybe they don't know the diamonds are found and will arrest us. I should die of shame then. We must run!" "We can't," replied Rose miserably. "Oh, yes, Nellie. They have us this time," and sinking down in the sand she clasped her hands and looked up. "Let us ask--mother in heaven--to take care of us!" she said reverently. Then they waited until the detectives came along. CHAPTER XXV THE TRUTH! THE WHOLE TRUTH! "Rose! Nellie!" shouted Andy. "Get up! What's the matter?" The girls raised their eyes and saw before them not only the detectives but Jack and Cora Kimball, also Ed Foster. "Come, girls," began the taller of the two officers from Squaton. "You seem to be having a pretty hard time of it. What are you crying for?" "Oh, we didn't take the earrings!" sobbed Nellie. "And we don't want--to go--to the reform school!"