“An excellent idea, Miss Pace,” said Mr. Carson, nodding at Aunt Adnah. “Let the members of the Triple Alliance have a hand at it. It will seem natural enough for Annie Laurie’s friends to be here with her in her trouble; the girls will tell nothing; and their keen young wits are the best ones imaginable to set at this task.”
Upon consultation it struck the sisters that this would be the case. Bad as it would be to have three “young-ones” ranging over their orderly house, tearing up this and that, they would at least take the thing only as a sort of game. They wouldn’t be ill-natured and sneering about it as their elders might be.
So it was agreed that they would accept Mr. Carson’s offer of a generous loan of money, and that on Saturday the three girls were to start in under the direction of the Misses Pace, and make a search of both house and yard.
“Their eyes certainly are sharper than ours, Adnah,” Miss Zillah said.
“Yes,” snapped Miss Adnah, worn and weary with the difficulties of life, “they’re sharp enough. Oh, Zillah, Zillah, why should we Paces be humiliated like this?”
“No humiliation about it, sister,” Miss Zillah replied. “Take things a little easier, Adnah; let some one help us out. We’re very much shaken—very much shaken, indeed. We’re getting old, and we’ve had a great sorrow. If folks want to help, why let ’em.”
There was no doubt about it, they were shaken. The excitement and courage that had borne them up at first, failed them as the week went on. Miss Adnah, who had felt herself so able to attend to the business of the farm, not only found it beyond her power to give an order, but she found it impossible to fix her mind on the bookkeeping, which was a necessary part of the business. Annie Laurie had been obliged to consult with the help after her school hours, and to straighten out the accounts as best she could during the evening. They felt the need of a strong, quiet man of affairs—a good, reliable overseer—but the men who were helping them were not of that sort, and they knew of no one in the country who seemed to meet their need.
Saturday morning by nine o’clock, according to Annie Laurie’s invitation, Azalea and Carin arrived on their ponies. These being given to the stable men, the two girls, in no little awe at entering a house of sorrow, came in to pay their respects to Miss Zillah and her sister. The two sat shivering before the fire, tearful and nervous, and even Miss Adnah was now willing to give over the search for their lost fortune into the hands of these respectful and sympathetic girls.
“At first, my dear girls,” said Aunt Zillah brokenly, “it seemed as if we couldn’t let anyone in to help us and it’s hard enough now, but we’d rather it would be you than anyone.”
“Oh, Miss Zillah,” cried Azalea in her impulsive way, “we understand just how you feel. But Annie Laurie’s fortune just must be found, mustn’t it? Why, it’s a quest, you know. A sacred quest—like you read about.”