“Do you suppose the clergyman would take the child?” murmured Aunt Kate.
“Why do you want to go to live with the minister?” asked Tom with curiosity.
“’Cause he reads the Bible so beautifully,” declared Bella. “Why! it sounds just like pa reading a play. The Reverend Driggs is an educated man like pa. But he’s got an awful raft of young ones.”
“A poor minister,” said Aunt Kate briskly. “I am afraid that would not suit.”
“If the Driggs family is already a large one,” began Ruth doubtfully, when Bella declared:
“Miz Driggs had two pairs of twins, and one ever so many times. There’s a raft of ’em.”
Helen and Jennie burst out laughing at this statement and the others were amused. But to Ruth Fielding this was a serious matter. The placing of Bella Pike in a pleasant home until her father could be communicated with, or until he appeared on the scene ready and able to care for the child, was even more serious than the matter of going without breakfast, although Jennie Stone said “No!” to this.
“We’d better set up an auction block before the door of the hotel and auction her off to the highest bidder, hadn’t we?” suggested Helen, who had been rummaging in her bag. “Here, Bella! If you want a shirt-waist to take the place of that calico blouse you have on, here is one. One of mine. And I guarantee it will fit you better than Heavy’s did. She wears an extra size.”
“I don’t either,” flashed the plump girl, as the boys retreated from the room. “I may not be a perfect thirty-six——”
“Is there any doubt of it?” cried Helen, the tease.