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Page 26
Frightened, hungry, weary, and nervously staring into that shadowy
doorway, they waited--waited hoping that someone might come before
anything happened to make their terror greater.
At the great house on the avenue, there was wild excitement. At the end
of the sitting, Aunt Lois had gone to the little room, expecting to find
two tired children who would be eager to go home. The sitting had been
longer than usual, and she would reward them for their patience by
stopping at the confectioner's on the way home and purchasing some fine
candy for them.
"I am to come to you again on Thursday," she said. "Very well, I will
try to be prompt. The children must be tired of waiting. If you are
willing, I'll bid you 'Good afternoon' here, and go out by the side door
with them."
Without waiting for him to reply, she had hastened to the smaller room,
only to find that it was empty.
She was not at all frightened.
Her first thought was that the long afternoon had been tedious, and they
had gone home.
"I shall find them on the piazza waiting for me," she said. "Rose would
have asked if she might go, but I had told her not to interrupt while he
was painting."
Gentle Aunt Lois had no thought of being angry. Instead, she was sorry
that the hours had dragged so heavily for Rose and Polly.
She purchased two fine boxes of candy, smiling as she walked along with
her parcel, that was to be a surprise.
She walked slowly because she was very tired. She wondered that Rose did
not run to greet her.
"Where are the children?" she asked, as the maid opened the door.
"Sure, they've not been home since they went out with you," said the
maid.
Aunt Lois sank on the great hall chair, and the frightened maid thought
that she was ill.
"Are ye faint, mum?" she asked, "an' will I be gettin' ye a glass o'
water?"
"Call the coachman," said Aunt Lois.
"Sure, I don't want to be bold with advice, but I'd not like ter see ye
goin' out fer a ride feelin' like ye do now. I'd think--"
"GET the coachman!" said Aunt Lois, and the girl, now thoroughly
frightened, did as she was bid.
Nora ran at top speed to the stable, crying, as she reached the door:
"Oh, John, John! Miss Lois is come home, an' she's talkin' o' goin'
right out ter ride, an' her sick, an' she wants ye ter come to her in
the hall now, an' me not knowin' what ter do, at all!"
"Hi! Now calm down like a good lass, and tell a man what you need. I
can't make sense out of what you said. Now, then?"
"Oh, come in, come in!" cried Nora, and turning, she ran toward the
house, the coachman following, muttering something about girls never
having their wits about them.
But when he reached the house, and heard that Rose and charming little
Princess Polly were missing, his kindly face looked very serious, and he
promised to get help and make a thorough search of the town.
He called the gardener and a boy who had been helping him, and then came
the question as to where to look first.
In the street some boys were playing ball, among them, Lester Jenks.
"It might be that they were around the neighborhood, but haven't yet
come home," ventured the gardener.
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