“So she was, but——” Nan told her tale.
“I am so thankful she wasn’t drowned,” said Mrs. Corner sighing, “that I can’t think of anything else just now, but poor Nan, had you no dinner?”
“Not a mouthful. Oh well, it is only an hour to supper time. I can stand it, I reckon. I’ll go see what has become of Jack. One cannot yet trust her out of sight, you see. I’ll tether her to a tree next time I take her canoeing, that is, if we land anywhere, otherwise it won’t be necessary.”
“I really think Jack is old enough to stop such tricks,” said Mrs. Corner. “We could excuse it when she was younger, but she ought to be gaining some discretion at her age.”
“She has lots more than she used to have; she seldom gets into any awful scrape, and it used to be a daily occurrence.” For all her morning’s experience Nan was ready as usual to take up the cudgels in Jack’s defense. “Where are the others?” she asked.
“Gone off to Pine Knob, at least some of them have.”
“We met Danny and Jo going up the lake; but for them I suppose Jack would still have been drifting.”
“Don’t speak of it, Nan; it makes me shudder to think what might have happened. I shall forbid Jack’s ever going out without some older and more experienced person.”
“That is just what you’d better do. There is one thing to be said for Jack; she always minds what you tell her, even though she doesn’t have the same respect for my orders. The girls will be back soon. I will go hunt up Jack and send her to you.”
She went out, searched the camp from one end to the other, but no Jack. Florence Yardley had seen her and reported the conversation. Hetty had returned to her duties but had seen no Jack. Nan went along the path and entered the country road leading to the village. Jack might have gone to meet the wagon which would return that way. Looking down the road she did see, not the wagon, but some one coming along slowly, a figure which she presently recognized as Jack’s. In a few minutes she came up, hot, dusty, travel worn. Her hands were full of packages. At sight of Nan she set down one of her paper bags and wiped her perspiring face.