With which parting taunt, Billy trotted off, whistling to keep up his spirits.
Christopher sat rather close to Jo Perkins and stared stolidly ahead. As each birch tree came in sight he eyed it roundly, even watching it over his shoulder in passing, as if to stare it out of countenance. Then he took to counting them off as they went by; it helped to keep his thoughts from the present homecoming and grandmother’s face. It was growing darker and darker.
“I hope she won’t cry,” he said suddenly. “Women are such babies. I’d rather she’d thrash me than cry.”
“I guess you won’t get the thrashing until your grandpa gets home,” Perk answered grimly. “But I tell you, Kit, this is a pretty bad scrape for me. I was put in charge of you two young ones, and I didn’t do right to keep you out so late. I ought to have watched the time a bit closer. And I almost let you drown, too,” he added soberly. “Gee whizz, I guess mebbe it’ll cost me my place! I’m powerful sorry about it all.”
“Oh, Perk, did I really nearly drown?” asked Christopher in awe.
He shuddered as the recollection of his recent experience came over him.
[CHAPTER XV—LETTY’S FUTURE]
When Letty and Jane reached Sunnycrest they found grandmother climbing into the carriage to drive to Hammersmith, fully convinced that the worst had happened. Gathering Jane, silent and frightened, into her arms, grandmother felt half comforted. But a cold dread still clutched at her heart. Where was Christopher?
“Oh, why did we let him go off like that!” she cried. “And your grandfather away. I did think Jo Perkins was to be trusted. What can have happened? Joshua, you must go in search of them. Oh, Janey, Janey, if only your grandfather were here!” and she burst into tears.
Jane’s heart grew big and tight with all kinds of alarms. It was so very unusual for grandmother to be upset. She was generally calm in the face of any calamity, however great. Why, even that time when the whole kettleful of raspberry jam fell off the kitchen range and splashed on the cat, grandmother had only said:—“Mercy me, it’s lucky the kittens weren’t there, too.”