Part 26 (2/2)
”What can have happened?” e?”
”I've no doubt it can be explained sione to a neighbor's house and failed to notice the time Then she may be storhbor's house, and leave her own alone, with a lot of s up, the front door open and a beating rain co down,” said Grace, positively ”Not such a neat housekeeper as the woman here seelanced around the well-ordered rooot to think up a different reason than that, Betty Nelson”
”Besides, what of thehere--at least one, for there's a hat on the front rack,” put in A at supper time,” declared Betty
”Besides, maybe that hat is just kept there to scare tramps,” said Grace
”I've often heard of a lone wo a et aof supper reetting nearly tih that rain to your sister's house, Grace”
”No, we'll have to wait Oh, dear! Isn't this a queer predicament to be in, and not a chocolate left?” she wailed, as she looked in the box
”Eically
The rain still descended It was not, for theas hard as at first, but there was a steadiness and persistency to it that did not encourage one in the belief that it would soon stop The big drops dashed against the s interle of the house the gale howled quite fiercely, and in the parlor, where there was an open fireplace, it ca mournfully out into the room, with its old horsehair furniture, the pictures of evidently dead-and-gone relatives, in heavy gold frames, while in other frames were fearfully and wonderfully made wreaths of flowers--wax in so the medium in which nature was rather irls stood at the s, staring drearily out They could just see a house down the road on the other side In the other direction no residences were visible--just an expanse of rain-swept fields And there see country road
”Oh, but this is lonesoh
”Girls, what are we to do?” deo on to my sister's,” declared Grace ”What will she think, if we don't come?”
As if in answer, the stor down in ”sheets, blankets and pillow cases,” as Mollie grio--in this downpour,” declared Betty ”It would be sheer madness--foolishness, at any rate We would be drenched in an instant, and perhaps take cold”
”If there was only some way to let your sister know,” spoke Mollie ”I wonder if there's a telephone?”
It needed but a little survey to disclose that there was none
”If we could only see soan A, that doesn't amount to much,” interrupted Grace ”When I wrote I told her it was not exactly certain just what day ould arrive, as I thought we ht spend ht What's worrying ht--we can't have any supper--we--”
”Girls!” cried Betty, with sudden resolve, ”there is only one thing to do!”
”What's that?” the others chorused
”Stay here We'll get supper here--there must be food in the house If the people coht--there's rooh”