"We were going to Lexington," Edna told him.
"Then I'll go with you to the end of my beat and pass you along, so's you'll get on at the right place."
They walked quietly along wondering a little, as passers-by looked at them curiously, if it was supposed they were under arrest. They felt a good deal worried, but had a vague idea that the others would wait for them at the subway, wherever that might be.
True to his word the policeman turned them over to another of his order when they had reached the end of his beat, and this one piloted them safely to the entrance of the subway. They had said so confidently that they were going to Lexington that neither man questioned, but that they knew the way once they had reached the proper station.
They descended the steps with some misgivings, for if Mrs. Ramsey and Ben were not there what [165]was to be done next? They had never been in the subway before for Mrs. Ramsey had wanted them to see the city streets when they had visited the city in the summer, and had taken a taxicab to go up town. Mr. Ramsey had done the same when they arrived on their journey in his company. A most bewildering place they found this same subway to be, full of people rushing for trains, noisy from the whizzing of cars from out of cavernous dark places and departing into equally unknown darkness. It seemed terrible to the two little girls and they were on the verge of tears. Impossible to find anyone in such a place as this. Best to get out of it as speedily as they could. The roaring of passing trains was so confusing, the jostling of the crowd was so unpleasant that the children held fast to one another and hurried up the steps and into the open air.
"Oh, dear," sighed Edna.
"Oh, dear," echoed Dorothy. "Wasn't it terrible? I felt as if I were having a dreadful nightmare."
"I felt as if my head had been taken off and they were rolling it up and down the car tracks." This relieved the tension a little and they both laughed. "Now what are we going to do?" said Dorothy.
They stood on the sidewalk looking this way and that, uncertain what would be the best move. Presently a lady who had just come out of the subway, paused and looked at them. "Have you lost anything, little girls?" she asked kindly.
[166] "We've lost our way and our friends," Edna told her.