“Sure—sure I do, Bessie!” said Jake, looking really repentant. “Do you mean you’d be willing—that you’d be friends with me, after all the mean things I’ve done to you?”
Bessie held out her hand.
“I certainly do, Jake,” she said. “Now, you go to Mr. Jamieson, and tell him everything you know. Everything, do you hear? I can guess what this latest plot was, but you tell him all you know about it. And you’ll find that they’ve told you a great many things that aren’t so at all. Very likely they’ve just tried to frighten you into thinking you were in danger so that they could make you do what they wanted.”
“I’ll do it, Bessie!” said Jake.
CHAPTER XI
A NARROW ESCAPE
Despite Dolly’s frantic curiosity, Bessie drew Jake aside where there was no danger of their being overheard by any of the others in the station, and talked to him earnestly for a long time. Jake seemed to have changed his whole attitude. He was plainly nervous and frightened, but Dolly could see that he was listening to Bessie with respect. And finally he threw up his head with a gesture entirely strange to him, and, when Bessie held out her hand, shook it happily.
“Here’s Mr. Jamieson’s address,” said Bessie, writing on a piece of paper which she handed to him. “Now you go straight to him, and do whatever he tells you. You’ll be all right. How soon will you start?”
“There’s a train due right now,” said Jake, excitedly. “I’ll get aboard, and as soon as I get to town I’ll do just as you say, Bessie. Good-bye.”
“Good-bye, Jake—and good luck!” said Bessie warmly. “We’re going to be good friends, now.”