Part 26 (1/2)
Tom looked rather sober at this. He hesitated a moment. He wanted to ask his pettish sister a question, but evidently did not know how to go about it.
”It can't be helped now, I suppose. They will be back after a while.
Where were they going besides to that crazy fellow's island?”
”Just there. That's all.”
”Come on and watch me eat. I'm starved.”
”Thanks! I watched the pythons fed at the zoo once,” said Helen with unwonted sharpness. ”I will sit here till the scene of savagery is over.
You can come back.”
”You are in a fine mood, I see,” observed Tom, and went off chuckling.
Nevertheless, he was not feeling very happy himself over the thought that Ruth and Chess Copley were out on the river together.
”Looks mighty fishy,” muttered Tom Cameron. ”I could punch 'La.s.ses' head, the way I feel.”
These thoughts seemed to take Tom's appet.i.te away. To his sister's surprise, he returned in a very few minutes to the front porch of the bungalow.
”I told you that you had boa-constrictor habits,” she gasped. ”Why, Tom Cameron! you must have swallowed your supper whole.”
”I didn't swallow as much as I expected,” returned the young man, smiling. But he grew serious again. ”How long was Chess going to stay out in his boat?” he asked.
”You don't suppose that I saw him go?” asked Helen, with surprise.
”Do you know that it is after eleven o'clock?” said her brother. ”If they went no further than that crazy man's island, what do you suppose is keeping them?”
”Mercy's sake! is that the time, Tommy-boy? Why, the crazy man himself must be keeping them! Do you suppose the King of the Pipes has captured Ruth and Chess?”
”Don't try to be funny,” advised Tom. ”It may be no laughing matter.”
”Well, I like that!”
”I don't think that Chess would keep her out so late if everything was all right. Sure they were not going to Copley Island?”
”Sure. The girls have gone away. There's no fun going on there.”
”Well, of course the motor-boat may have broken down. Such things happen,” said Tom reflectively.
”Now you have got me stirred up,” cried Helen. ”I had no idea it was so late. And Ruthie does not believe in late hours.”
”She would not stay out on the river with me half the night, that is sure,” grumbled Tom.
”Oh, Tommy-boy!” exclaimed his sister, ”I don't believe she cares so much for Chess. I really don't.”
”Well, that is not here nor there. What's to be done? Where's Mr.
Hammond--or Willie?”
”They haven't got back from Chippewa Bay with the _Gem_.”