NAN SHERWOOD AT PALM BEACH

OR

STRANGE ADVENTURES AMONG THE ORANGE GROVES

BY

ANNIE ROE CARR

Author of "Nan Sherwood at Pine Camp," "Nan Sherwood's Winter Holidays," "Nan Sherwood at Rose Ranch," etc.

_ILLUSTRATED_

NEW YORK GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY PUBLISHERS

BOOKS FOR GIRLS

BY ANNIE ROE CARR

THE NAN SHERWOOD SERIES

NAN SHERWOOD AT PINE CAMP Or The Old Lumberman's Secret NAN SHERWOOD AT LAKEVIEW HALL Or The Mystery of the Haunted Boathouse NAN SHERWOOD'S WINTER HOLIDAYS Or Rescuing the Runaways NAN SHERWOOD AT ROSE RANCH Or The Old Mexican's Treasure NAN SHERWOOD AT PALM BEACH Or Strange Adventures Among the Orange Groves

GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT 1921, BY GEORGE SULLY & COMPANY

_Nan Sherwood at Palm Beach_

_Printed in the U. S. A._

[Illustration: The music carried them far away on golden wings of melody. (_See page 190_)]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. THE CRASH ON THE HILL 1 II. NEARLY A TRAGEDY 13 III. THE OLD LADY 20 IV. SOLVING A PROBLEM 27 V. CALLED TO ACCOUNT 34 VI. A GLORIOUS PROSPECT 41 VII. IN THE DORMITORY 47 VIII. ON THE ROAD 55 IX. THE JOY OF GIVING 62 X. A MIDNIGHT FEAST 69 XI. A DANGEROUS PLOT 76 XII. ALMOST A DISASTER 85 XIII. THE WILY STRANGER 94 XIV. GREAT EXPECTATIONS 104 XV. WE'RE OFF! 114 XVI. FUN AND NONSENSE 123 XVII. THE MYSTERIOUS MEN 131 XVIII. A STARTLING REVELATION 138 XIX. AN ATTEMPTED THEFT 147 XX. THOSE MEN AGAIN 156 XXI. THE BEGINNING OF ROMANCE 165 XXII. PALM BEACH AT LAST 173 XXIII. A TROPICAL PARADISE 181 XXIV. NAN IS FRIGHTENED 188 XXV. MOONLIGHT 198 XXVI. WORTH A FORTUNE 208 XXVII. WALTER TO THE RESCUE 217 XXVIII. CAUGHT 228 XXIX. "WHEN THE SPIRIT MOVES" 237

ILLUSTRATIONS

The music carried them far away on the golden wings of melody (Page 190) _Frontispiece_

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: Nan Sherwood at Palm Beach by Annie Roe Carr
• 2: Before them stretched Lake Huron
• 3: Don't ever let Linda Riggs hear you say anything like that
• 4: Asked Rhoda Hammond in an amused whisper of Nan
• 5: The sled yielding to her slightest touch
• 6: She swerved the sled in that direction
• 7: Nan's best girl friend in Tillbury was Bess Harley
• 8: Are all told of in Nan Sherwood at Rose Ranch
• 9: Bess did as her chum suggested
• 10: Who had already started for the woodshed
• 11: The three girls promised to hurry
• 12: We've sent for a doctor and a nurse
• 13: The girls had often teased Nan about Walter
• 14: And Nan and Bess entered the Hall
• 15: And Nan and Bess did full justice to it
• 16: Nan flushed at the words of praise
• 17: Gasped Rhoda almost breathlessly
• 18: That's the very swellest hotel even in Palm Beach
• 19: Rhoda had switched off the light
• 20: Are you going to wear at Palm Beach
• 21: Bragley as well as for ourselves
• 22: When that horrid old rising gong sounded
• 23: Bragley is going to have some spread
• 24: Ellis opened the door at their knock
• 25: They're in that bottom drawer there
• 26: Bragley as she opened one paper after another
• 27: The snowball landed directly in the man's face
• 28: Exclaimed Nan enthusiastically
• 29: Laura contented herself with saying
• 30: I guess that has disposed of Linda for the rest of the night
• 31: Cupp swept the room with flashing eyes
• 32: This is all the way around the campus
• 33: And just when Sherwood is opposite the furnace
• 34: Then through the crowd came Linda Riggs
• 35: Doctor Beulah will soon find out when it was done
• 36: But Linda may have dropped it down there since the explosion
• 37: But I must single out Nan Sherwood
• 38: But could you inform me where the Widow Bragley lives
• 39: Bragley had seen so much money
• 40: I'll see Davis and Jensen and set them on the girl's track
• 41: Nan and Bess were filled with delight and excitement
• 42: Momsey never used to be so slow
• 43: Called Bess as she reached them
• 44: In spite of the fact that Bess was tugging at her elbow
• 45: Here I was just about forgetting Linda
• 46: Nan interrupted with a chuckle
• 47: Admitted Bess with suspicious promptness
• 48: Who is to take the upper berth
• 49: She started with Bess down the long bustling platform
• 50: Nan gave instructions to the chauffeur
• 51: Finished the irrepressible Bess with another giggle
• 52: Nan had never seen a harbor like this before
• 53: Whom his companion called Jensen
• 54: Bess had gone sprawling on the floor
• 55: Murmured Nan and her face was a study
• 56: I never Bess began indignantly
• 57: You aren't stuffing cotton in the keyhole
• 58: Who ever heard of keyholes having the earache
• 59: Suddenly Nan clutched her friend's arm and pointed excitedly
• 60: Pacing excitedly up and down the small stateroom
• 61: As they filed slowly down the gangplank
• 62: They heard Linda answer contemptuously
• 63: Announcing my arrival in Jacksonville by a street fight
• 64: Cora is a regular lady's maid to Linda now
• 65: Where the room engaged for Nan and Bess was located
• 66: Nan obediently went over the whole story
• 67: But Nan was surprised to find Mr
• 68: Jacksonville itself seemed to them very much like any busy
• 69: I think Linda must be following us
• 70: As she gazed up at the Royal Poinciana Hotel
• 71: Nan and Bess were delighted with their room
• 72: That's the Royal Poinciana tree
• 73: Announced the girl from Tillbury promptly
• 74: Maybe Rhoda will give you lessons
• 75: That Linda slipped entirely from their minds
• 76: But ran posthaste to her bathhouse
• 77: Brought strange comfort to Nan
• 78: At which practical suggestion Bess merely grunted
• 79: Since Nan refused to dance that night
• 80: I get so tired of the hot ballroom
• 81: I I guess I am a little headstrong about it
• 82: They reached Sunny Slopes about noon
• 83: Looking down at Nan with a kindly smile
• 84: As Nan knew the minute she heard his voice
• 85: And in another moment she saw Walter running toward her
• 86: You ought to get some bloodhounds on their trail
• 87: We've seen Linda innumerable times
• 88: Jacob Pacomb and his business methods
• 89: Linda had turned on Cora in a fury
• 90: No one at Lakeview Hall knows that I I did that
• 91: Over there crossing the lobby
• 92: I reckon we do want Jacob Pacomb
• 93: We'll get this Pacomb where we want him
• 94: Pacomb had made five other grants