Greta turned to Jean. Her face was white, but her lips were set firmly. “I’ll have to go. Did you hear what happened to Jacob Klein, Jean?”
“Yes. Go and get ready and I’ll tell the rest.”
Grace, however, stepped up to the messenger and asked what his news was about Mrs. Klein. “We are friends of Greta’s from a couple of camps on the lake. She took breakfast with us this morning and was kept by the storm.”
“Oh, she did. Well, all I have to say is that it’s a good thing she has friends. If you know anything about Klein you’ll know that what happened was likely to happen to a man with his habits. There was a terrible quarrel where he was drinking and Klein was hurt. That’s all I know except his wife’s ravings. She’s got the hysterics, I think.”
“Is she likely to hurt Greta?”
“Oh, no. But she seems to have took a dislike to Greta, they say.”
“I see.” Grace went into the house to see if she could help Greta in any way. Greta was trying to find the children’s clothes in the midst of the destruction wrought by the fallen ceiling, and hearing Grace’s footsteps, she looked out of the door.
“Don’t try to come up, Miss French. I’m finding their clothes and we can clean them up when I get into town.”
“Well, I just want to tell you, Greta, to come right to us at the camp if you need a place to go. I don’t quite understand what the man told me but it is clear that things are strange.”
“Yes, they are. Ask Molly and Jean and Nan to tell you what they know. And after I help Mother through this, I’ll be glad to come. I want to find a place to work and the girls thought they could help me.”