Part 20 (1/2)
”You just listen here, Daddy Norwood,” Jessie cried ”Perhaps you'll be glad to hear about Bertha She is little Henrietta Haney's cousin, and Henrietta expected Bertha to cotown
”Well, the day that Bertha was expected, she didn't co our radio And ere walking into toe heard a girl screairl being pulled into an autoirl was this?” asked Mr Norwood, quite in earnest now ”A girl you and Amy knew?”
”We had never seen her before, Daddy And I am not positive, of course, that she was Bertha, Henrietta's cousin But Aht be And now you tell about toht be the sahtfully ”Tell me what the tomen looked like Describe theed, even after this length of time, to re car and the fleshy one who had treated the girl so roughly Mr Norwood exclaimed at last:
”I should not be at all surprised if that were Martha Poole and Mrs
Bothwell The descriptions in a general way fit theirl Jessie and Amy saw abused in that way is surely the maid orked for Mrs Poole”
”Oh, Robert! can it be possible, do you think?” cried his wife
”Not alone possible, but probable,” declared Robert Norwood ”Jessie, I aet the little girl frotown some day soon and letabout her cousin's looks that will clinch the matter At least, she can tell us her cousin's full name, I have no doubt”
”It's Bertha for a first naerly ”And I supposed it was Haney, like Henrietta's”
”The girl I a for is not named Haney, whatever her first naet to the botto if I can, Jessie Let me see this little Henrietta who kills snakes with such adhed
It was, however, no inconsiderableshe hurried over to the Drew house to tell A in the irl and her to with those women Amy said this with a serious shake of her head You could tell!
And when, on further discussion, Jessie reht out another discovery
”Bothwell! I never did!” ejaculated Aht she looked like somebody I knew And she drives a fast car--I'll say she does Jess Norwood! where were our wits? Don't you re about Sadie Bothwell, whose husband was one of the first automobile builders, and she has driven in professional races, and won a prize--a cup, or so? And her picture was in the paper”
”That is the person Daddy refers to,” Jessie agreed ”I did not like her at all”
”Ho! I should say not!” scoffed Amy ”And I wasn't in love with the fat woled
”I guess she wouldn't follow 'e about”
”But where do you suppose they took Bertha--if it was Henrietta's cousincarried off?”
”Now, dear child, I ahter nor----”
”Nor one of the Seven Sleepers,” laughed Jessie ”So you cannot prophesy, can you? We will go down to Dogtown this afternoon and see if Mrs Foley will let us bring Henrietta back to see Daddy”
”The child hasn't been up to see you at all, has she?” asked Amy
”Why, no”
”Maybe the woman won't want her to come Afraid somebody may take little Hen away from her Did you see the child's hands? They have been well used to hard work I have an idea she is a regular little slave”