“No, my dear. But how can we help it—when this deputy sheriff manages to find a craft in which to take him away from the island?”
“I wish Nettie’s Aunt Rachel were here,” cried the other Northern girl.
“Even Mrs. Parsons, I fear, could not stop the law in its course.”
“I don’t know. She is pretty powerful,” returned her chum, grinning. “See how nice they have all begun to treat us since Nettie threatened them with the terrors of her Aunt Rachel’s displeasure.”
“Perhaps. But I would rather they were nice to us for our own sakes,” Ruth said thoughtfully. “If it were not for Nettie, and Curly and the concert we want to give for his benefit, I wouldn’t care whether many of them spoke to us or not. And every time that Miggs woman is in sight she makes me feel awfully unhappy,” confessed Ruth. “I don’t believe I ever before disliked anybody quite so heartily as I dislike her.”
“Dislike! I hate her!” exclaimed Helen.
“It’s awful to feel so towards any human creature,” Ruth went on. “And I fear that we ought to pity her, not to hate her.”
“I should like to know why?” demanded Helen, in some heat.
“Mrs. Holloway told one of the ladies the particulars of Miss Miggs’ coming down here, and why she is such a nervous wreck—and the lady just told me.”
“‘Nervous wreck,’” scoffed Helen. “Wrecked by her ugly temper, you mean.”