“Found in fifteen minutes,” whispered back Azalea.
Miss Zillah, who caught their rapid exchange of confidence, looked perplexed.
“Oh, don’t think us rude, Miss Zillah,” pleaded Carin. “We’re not; we’re merely excited. You see, we’ve just made a discovery.”
“Have you, my dears?” asked Miss Zillah. “Come sit down in the arbor and tell me about it.”
“I’m afraid we’re almost too elated to sit down,” laughed Azalea. “You see, what we have discovered, Miss Zillah, is you.”
“But it’s a long time since you landed on my continent,” said Miss Zillah.
“Yes, but when we first saw you we made the same mistake that Columbus did. We thought you were some one else.”
“Who did you think I was? Who am I?” laughed the nice old lady, glad of an excuse to be talking happy nonsense.
“Why, we thought you were just Annie Laurie’s aunt,” explained Azalea, “but now we’re wondering if you’re not our chaperon. We’re going up to Sunset Gap again; this time to teach school. And we must have a perfect chaperon, else we’ll not be allowed to go.”
“And you’re she!” cried Carin, flinging her arms impulsively about Miss Zillah’s soft neck. “You know you are! Say you’ll come, Miss Zillah, and then we can run back and tell our people that everything is all right.”