But amid the noisy, happy greetings that followed, there was a great note of sadness; Marjorie and Frieda were missing, and with one exception, no one knew what had happened to them!
CHAPTER XV
THE PURSUIT
Although Harold Mason had told the girls and Mrs. Higgins that he was going to Besley to telephone to Marjorie’s father, he naturally did no such thing. He spent the time, however, in the woods, near enough so that he might keep the farm-house in view and yet be concealed from its inmates. At night he crept back to the barn to sleep.
He therefore witnessed the return of Miss Phillips and Ethel in search of their missing companions, and approached close enough to catch most of the conversation. He was secretly pleased with the ingenuity of Mrs. Higgins, and smiled at old Michael’s report that she was not “all there.” He found her an admirable accomplice.
The only drawback to his situation was the lack of food. He was forced to go and buy his meals or else to live on cold canned things all the time. These two methods he alternated, going over to Besley each night for his evening meal, and buying enough there for his breakfast and lunch.
It so happened that he was still at Besley when the girls made their escape. Returning that night about nine o’clock, all seemed as quiet as usual to him, and he made his way up to the barn loft to sleep.
About seven o’clock the next morning he was awakened by the shrill cries of Mrs. Higgins.
“The girls is gone!” she shrieked, although Harold had no idea who she expected would hear her. However, he hastened to the house, unlocked the door, and found her wringing her hands and walking wildly about the kitchen.
“Are you sure?” he asked, unable to believe the news.