But Weejums did not come home for supper, and she did not come home that night.
“Mother,” said Franklin, after the younger children were in bed, “the ‛Worry’ ’s gone.”
“What,—not sunk, Franklin?”
“No, just gone,—cleared, off the landscape. I’m afraid she’s stolen. Some one must have taken her right after the storm, when we were all getting our breath back.”
“But you’ll be sure to find her,—you and Fred between you. We can advertise.”
“Yes, I suppose we can. There are quite a lot of things to do.”
But it was not a happy night for any one in the cottage. Eunice was wakeful on account of Weejums; while Kenneth dreamed of sitting in cold milk-pans, and shivered in his sleep.
Biddy dreamed that her best bonnet had been blown into the lake, with a kitten tied to each string, and woke Mrs. Wood with a whoop. Everybody was glad when morning came. And after breakfast Franklin made a strange discovery.
Two boatmen who knew the boys, stopped to say that they were passing just as the storm broke, and seeing the “Worry” being thrown against the dock, knew that she would be dashed to pieces before the storm was over. So they very courageously ran down and cut her loose, before seeking shelter for themselves. But as she was washed out into the lake, they were much astonished to see a cat creep out of the locker and run around the boat in great distress.
“Weejums, by gracious!” said Franklin. “Say, Fred, did you hear that?”