Part 34 (1/2)

”She'll be back in a moment,” said Eunice, mopping off the little hot head with a practised hand. ”You sit still and get cool. Really, 'Liza ought not to let you run around this way, in the hot sun.”

”Just what I came out to say,” said auntie, appearing in the doorway. ”I came down to tell you, my dear little girls, that it is much too hot to run around this way any more. You must sit down and rest till after dinner. Where's Cricket?”

”She's hided, and we can't find her anywhere,” repeated Zaidee.

”She will come out presently, when she finds you aren't looking for her any more,” said auntie, sitting down. ”How fares our n.o.ble editor?”

”Your n.o.ble editor has most finished,” said Eunice, surveying, with pride, her neatly printed pages. ”If you could only stay next week, Hilda, we'd let you print a number.”

”I would just as soon as not,” said Hilda. ”I can print very nicely. I'd like to. I'd put big, beautiful fancy capitals for the 'Echo,' and the names of the stories in fancy capitals also, and I'd draw tail-pieces.”

Eunice and Edna exchanged glances.

”It's a very great pity you can't stay,” said Edna, with marked politeness. ”We can't do tail-pieces.” The two little girls, Hilda and Edna, were just enough alike to clash very often, though Edna was never given to bragging, as Hilda sometimes was, and she was much more unselfish.

”I can draw very well,” said Hilda, serenely, and with perfect truth.

Like Edna, she had a dainty touch.

The minutes pa.s.sed by, and still Cricket did not appear. Presently auntie raised her head, and listened.

”I thought I heard Cricket calling,” she said, ”but I don't hear it again.”

A moment later, Eunice suddenly said:

”There certainly is some one calling. Is it Cricket?” She stood up to listen better. A m.u.f.fled cry was certainly heard.

”Children! Eunice!”

Eunice shot off the piazza.

”Yes, Cricket, where are you?” running around the house. In a few moments she reappeared from the other side.

”Where can she be? I ran all around the barn, too. Hark! there it is again! Cricket! where are you?”

And again every one heard the same m.u.f.fled cry, ”Eunice!”

”Now it sounds _in_ the house,” said Mrs. Somers, going in.

They all joined in the search, running in every direction, and trying to locate the indistinct sounds. She was evidently in trouble, but they could not imagine why she did not tell them where she was. Somebody suggested the garret, and they all trooped up there and searched every corner in vain. Then closets, even to the rubbers-closet under the stairs, were investigated. If they stood inside the house, her call seemed to come from outside. If they went out, she seemed to be calling from inside. After the barn and woodshed were searched, there was really no place for her to conceal herself in.

”This is certainly the strangest thing!” said Auntie Jean, at last in despair. ”Cricket, dear child, where _are_ you?” looking up at the trees.

”I don't know!” wailed a voice so near them that they all jumped. They were near the open cellar window, where the coal was put in.

”Down cellar!” cried Eunice, darting away. ”She must be caught somewhere!”

But down cellar, the sounds, though still audible, were more vague than ever.

”It really sounds in the furnace,” suggested Eunice, hopefully, going forward. She threw open the door, rather expecting to see Cricket crouching in a bunch in the fire-box. But no! it was guiltless of Cricket, as every other place had been.