“I don’t know,” Pearl said, seriously. “I wouldn’t want those Gyps interested in me.”
“Now you are trying to frighten us,” laughed Ruth. “We have plenty of neighbors. Don’t you come up there and try to play tricks on us in the tent. You might get hurt.”
“Bet she has a gatling gun,” chuckled Carrie Poole.
“I’m going to have something better than that,” declared Ruth, smiling. But she refused to tell them what.
Ruth remembered that the little old woman who lived in a shoe had spoken of being afraid, too; so the oldest Corner House girl made her plans accordingly, but kept them to herself.
After their bath the sisters dressed in the Harrod tent that had been pitched on the lawn behind the bungalow, and then went on to the village. Ruth and Agnes rowed very nicely, for the former, at least, had had some practise at this sport before coming to Pleasant Cove.
They tied the painter of their boat to a ring in one of the wharf stringers, and went “up town” to the stores. The village of Pleasant Cove was never a bustling business center. There were but few people on the main street, and most of those were visitors.
“There are two of those Gypsy women, Ruth!” hissed Agnes in her sister’s ear, as they came out of a store.
Ruth looked up to see the woman who had been in the train, and another. They were both humbly dressed, but in gay colors. Ruth looked up and down the street for the disguised figure of the young girl, but she was not in sight.
“My goodness, Ruth!” said Agnes, “what do you suppose that old hag of a Gypsy wants you for?”