Faith looked so bewildered that her mother exclaimed: “Why, child! Have you forgotten that you and Esther had your dinner at the mill?”
“But I did not have any dinner,” declared Faith. “It was not dinner time when I ran off and left Esther in the sitting-room. I——” and then Faith stopped suddenly. She resolved that she would not tell her mother that she had given Esther the blue beads,—not until Esther was found.
“Well, I declare. Esther came into the kitchen just as I was preparing dinner, and asked if you girls could not have a picnic dinner at the mill, and I was well pleased to let you. I put some cold meat and bread, a good half of pumpkin pie and some of the pumpkin cakes in a basket, and gave her a pitcher of milk, and off she went. An hour ago she came in to ask for a lunch and I gave her a good piece of molasses cake. Your father was busy skinning the bear, and we gave but little thought to you children. But when I called your name, and found neither of you at the mill, I became alarmed. But where can Esther be now?” concluded Mrs. Carew, looking anxiously about the clearing.
“Go back to the house with Faith and give the child something to eat. Colonel Allen and I will search the mill again,” said Mr. Carew.
“I’m tired,” said Faith, as they reached the house, “and I don’t like Esther.”
“Hush, Faithie. She is your guest. And if she has wandered into any harm or danger I do not know what we can say to Mr. Eldridge,” responded her mother; “but I do not understand about the food,” she added, half to herself, wondering if Esther could really have eaten it all.
Faith looked about the kitchen. “It looks just the same. Just as if the bear had not come in,” she said.
Mrs. Carew brought her a bowl of milk and a plate of corn bread, and another plate with two of the pumpkin cakes.
“I’ll run back to the mill while you eat your supper, Faithie, and see if Esther has been found. When I come back you must tell me what you were turning syrup into the kettle for.”
Faith was hungry, but as she ate her bread and milk she felt very unhappy. She remembered her promise to Esther not to tell Mrs. Carew about the syrup.