The Judge took the purse and coolly slipped it into his own pocket, merely adding:
“I will also count the contents and make a note of them as soon as I can. As your expenses have been paid by yourself until now we’ll begin our account from this moment. When we part company, soon or late, you shall have an itemized account of all that is used from your store.”
Then the conductor came through the car calling:
“Wolfville! All out for Wolfville!”
“Out” they were all, in a minute, and again the “Flying Bluenose” was speeding on toward the end of its route.
“This is the nearest, or best, point from which to make our excursion to Grand Pré and old Acadia, which our beloved Longfellow made famous by his poem. You’ll find yourselves ‘Evangelined’ on every hand while you’re here. Glad it’s so pleasant. We won’t have to waste time on account of the weather.”
They found comfortable quarters for the night and longer if desired and were early to bed. The girls to dream of the hapless maid whose story thrilled their romantic souls; and Molly went to sleep with an abridged copy of the poem under her pillow.
Early in the morning she and Dorothy took a brisk walk through the pretty village and peered into the shop windows where, indeed, the name “Evangeline” seemed tacked to most articles of commerce. So frequently was it displayed that when they met a meditative cow pacing along the dewy street Molly exclaimed:
“I wonder if that’s Evangeline’s ‘dun white cow,’ whatever ‘dun white’ may be like. She looks ancient enough and—Oh! she’s coming right toward us!”
Molly was afraid of cows and instinctively hid herself behind Dolly, who laughed and remarked: