When the girls left the train they had no idea that Jim Varey got out of the smoking car on the wrong side from the station and hid in the bushes. When the girls started across the fields toward the Sitz place, the Gypsy dogged them.
In half an hour Eve and her guest reached the house, never suspecting that they had been the subject of attention.
Bobby was welcome at the farmhouse. She had been there several times before and from Farmer Sitz down they enjoyed the whimsical, irrepressible girl. The expectation that she would be “good fun” put Bobby on her mettle, despite the fact that, secretly, she did not feel cheerful.
Margit Salgo was better and seemed content enough to occupy the comfortable bed in the room next Eve’s own. She knew Bobby immediately, and looked a bit disturbed. But Bobby gave her to understand that she had told nobody about what the Gypsy girl had said the day they were caught together in the rain.
“But to-night, when the other folks are abed, I want you to tell Eve and me what you care to about yourself, Margit,” said Bobby, when the others were out of the room. “Perhaps we can help you. All we girls are interested in you, for, you see, at least seven of us saw you that day when you ran away from your friends.”
“No friends of mine! no friends of mine!” gasped the girl, half in fear.
“All right. You tell us all about it this evening,” whispered Bobby and then whisked out to help Eve with her duties.
Not that she was of much help when she followed Eve out to the clean and modern barn where Eve had her own six cows to milk, while Otto or the hired man milked the rest of the herd. But she was amusing.
“Goodness me!” was Bobby’s first comment, when she came into the shed and saw the row of mild-eyed cattle standing in their stalls. “What a lot of cows—and every one of them chewing gum! Can you beat it?”
“What do you suppose Miss Carrington would say to a row of girls who chewed their cud as seriously as these bossies?” laughed Eve.