“I certainly do not—especially after the way they ran,” answered Luke. “And that makes me suspicious that they were around here for no good purpose. If they had been, they would not have run when they saw that Ruth had noticed them.”
“It’s just what they did before—the time Agnes and I were in to see Miss Titus,” said Ruth. “I do hope it doesn’t mean anything! I hope they haven’t any designs on the house.”
“Nonsense!” laughed Luke, patting her hand which was conveniently near his as they sat together on the porch. “They’re just a couple of tramps—that’s all.”
“But their talk of ten thousand dollars! Really, I don’t know that we ought to go on this little picnic and leave Dot and Tess at home.”
“Take them with us,” suggested Neale.
“There isn’t room in the car.”
“I’ll come back and get them,” offered the good-natured lad; and so it was arranged, though Ruth, after all, admitted that there could be no real danger to her younger sisters with Uncle Rufus, Linda and sturdy Mrs. MacCall in the house.
You may imagine with what delight Tess and Dot received the news that they were to be permitted to go to the picnic. They had been mourning the fact that they were obliged to stay at home, and they had just concocted a scheme of sending over for Sammy Pinkney and his alligator when there was a rift in the dark clouds.
“I’ll take my Alice-doll!” cried Dot.
“I’ll take Clarissa,” decided Tess. “She wears a black dress and I can drop her in the mud and not care.” Tess lately had, for some reason unfathomable by Ruth and Agnes, taken to playing with her dolls.