The morning passed miserably. They missed Sahwah at every turn. Several times the girls forgot themselves and sang out “O Sahwah!” Nyoda did not doubt for a moment that Sahwah had gone to her own home, but she thought it best not to go after her immediately. Sahwah’s hot temper must cool before she would come to herself. Nyoda was puzzled at her conduct. If she had nothing to be ashamed of why had she run away? That was the question which kept coming up in her mind. Nothing went right in the house or the garden that day. Everyone was out of sorts. Migwan absent-mindedly pulled up a whole row of choice plants instead of weeds; Gladys ran the automobile into a tree and bent up the fender; Hinpoha slammed the door on her finger nail; Nyoda burnt her hand. Ophelia was just dressed for the afternoon in a clean, starched white dress when she fell into the river and had to be dressed over again from head to foot. The whole household was too cross for words. The departure of Sahwah was the first rupture that had ever occurred in the closely linked ranks of the Winnebagos and they were all broken up over it.
When Mrs. Gardiner was cooking beef for supper she told Migwan to get her some bay leaf to flavor it with. Migwan brought out the glass jar of crushed leaves. “That’s not the bay leaf,” said her mother, and went to look for it herself. “Here it is,” she said, bringing another glass jar down from a higher shelf.
“Then what’s this?” asked Migwan, indicating the first jar.
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” said Mrs. Gardiner. “It was in the pantry when we came.”
“But this was what I put into the ketchup,” said Migwan. Hastily unscrewing the top she shook out some of the contents and tasted them. Her mouth contracted into a fearful pucker. Never in her life had she tasted anything so bitter.
“I did it myself,” she said, in a dazed tone. “I spoiled the ketchup myself.” At her shout the girls came together in the kitchen to hear the story of the mistaken ingredient.
“What can that be?” they all asked. Nobody knew. It was some dried herb that had been left by the former mistress of the house, and a powerful one. The girls looked at each other blankly.
“And I accused Sahwah of doing it,” said Migwan, remorsefully. “No wonder she flared up and left us, I don’t blame her a bit. I wouldn’t thank anyone for accusing me wrongfully of anything like that.”
“We’ll have to go after her this very evening,” said Gladys, “and bring her back.”
“If she’ll come,” said Hinpoha, knowing Sahwah’s proud spirit.