“No, I’ve got nothing to cheer you with,” he announced, after shaking hands and conducting them to the auto, into the tonneau of which they pitched their suit-cases. “We haven’t the least idea where they are or how they disappeared.”
“But, Uncle Dunston, you must have some news!” pleaded Dave.
“At least you can tell us how and when they left home and what was the last word you had from them,” said Roger.
“They made up their minds to go to Boston to visit Jessie’s aunt, Mrs. Brightling, just about two weeks ago,” answered Dave’s uncle. “They spent two or three days in getting ready; and then a week ago this Wednesday they started on the trip, Mrs. Wadsworth and the chauffeur taking them down to the depot. They carried one trunk, which was checked through to Boston, and Laura had a suit-case, and both of the girls had handbags. They had through tickets to Boston, and got on the train; and that was the last we saw or heard of them.
“We had expected to get a letter from Laura, and the Wadsworths expected a letter from Jessie, stating that they had arrived safely. When no letters came, Mrs. Wadsworth got nervous, and as a result she asked her husband to send a telegram to find out what was wrong.
“The telegram had just been sent when a telegram was received from Mrs. Brightling, asking how it was that the girls had not come on as expected. Then she telegraphed a little later that she had not seen them nor heard from them.
“A search was made at the depot in Boston, and the trunk was found just as it had been checked from here. The suit-case the girls had kept with them on the train.”
“But didn’t they meet anybody on the train who knew them?” questioned Dave.
“No one that we have heard from up to the present time. We have been making a number of inquiries, and, of course, expect to make more. You see, the people they met on the train were going away from Crumville, so that makes it difficult to follow them up. And besides that, so much time was lost in the first place, that I suppose a good many people would forget, even if they had seen them on the train.”
“But didn’t they have parlor-car chairs?” questioned Dave.