Freckles’ heart stood still at these words. Tom Adams, with a car! What had he done to Mary Lou?
But he did not say anything; he waited for Hattie Adams to drive her car into the garage.
In another moment the girl appeared on the porch and nodded pleasantly to Mrs. Gay and Freckles.
“Where’s Mary Lou?” she inquired immediately.
“That’s just what we want to know!” cried Freckles. “She’s—lost! Did Tom say anything about seeing her?”
“No, he didn’t. He never mentioned her. Why?”
Mrs. Gay explained again what Rebecca had said, but Hattie was just as doubtful as her father had been about the veracity of any of Rebecca’s statements.
“I wouldn’t go by that,” she said. “But Mary Lou may be home by this time, waiting for you. Don’t worry till you find out.”
This sounded like good advice, so Mrs. Gay and Freckles got into their car and drove as quickly as possible back to Shady Nook. Jane, the Reed twins, Stuart Robinson, and the four new boys were all waiting anxiously on the Gays’ porch. But Mrs. Gay knew immediately from their expressions that Mary Louise had not returned.
“Get the boys together at once, Freckles,” commanded Stuart Robinson, “and we’ll search the woods thoroughly. Two of you fellows paddle across to the island, and two more go over to the hotel and hunt around there. Mary Lou may have sprained her ankle somewhere and be waiting for help.”