“What is it, girls?” whispered Mary in a frightened voice.
“I don’t know,” answered Billie; “but something dreadful has happened, I feel sure. The letter was from the Chief of Police, I think. I did deliver the note to Evelyn Stone, Mary. I know it was wrong to have disobeyed, but I couldn’t see the harm of giving one person a letter from another person.”
“Oh, Billie!” exclaimed Mary, “there is no telling what that dreadful man will do to us. He may put us in jail, too.”
The notion was too much for their endurance, and with one accord they rose and fled from the room.
They found Elinor sitting on the floor beside Miss Campbell holding her hand. The document was spread out before them, and Miss Campbell was reading it aloud.
“‘You are regarded as suspicious characters,’” she read in a voice that had a tone of shrillness in it the girls had never heard before. “‘As suspicious characters,’” she repeated, hardly able to take in the meaning of the words, “‘and, therefore, as persons undesirable in this city, you are requested to leave the town within twelve hours. If not, you will be compelled to give an account of certain actions not regarded as lawful in the State of Utah. Signed, Chief of Police.’”
The girls were breathless with amazement and horror. Driven out of town like criminals, and all for having shielded a poor, repentant thief who had returned what he had stolen.
Without a word Billie went to the telephone and called up the garage wherein the Comet was temporarily stabled.
“What time does the sun rise?” she asked while she waited for the number.