The girls exchanged sly glances while Billie related the plan. Many a time had they won Miss Campbell over to their schemes by touching her romantic heart.
“It’s quite simple, you see, Cousin Helen. The mention of Fontainebleau will explain everything to Evelyn. You see, they met in Paris, and spent one beautiful day together at Fontainebleau.”
There was a long pause while Miss Campbell considered the situation.
“I don’t think any harm would be done,” she said at last. “He has been very kind to us, and if we could help him along a little, bring two loving souls together——”
She paused and looked into the eager, interested faces of the four young girls. Could she refuse to help two lovers?
“I’ve always heard those Mormons were a very revengeful race of people; but we’ll take the risk, dear children. I don’t see that there will be much danger in it for us. Billie can write a perfectly non-committal note saying that she is in Salt Lake City for a few days, and would like to see Miss Evelyn, and it would do no harm, I’m sure, to add, ‘Have you forgotten the beautiful time at Fontainebleau?’”
“Yes, yes; that is exactly the thing to say,” cried the others, and they began to count the days and weeks before they could reach Salt Lake City beyond the great wall of the Rocky Mountains.
They were still chatting in close conversation when a voice behind them startled them. A deep, sonorous voice that had an ominous ring like distant thunder, and yet the words spoken were commonplace enough:
“Ladies, do you wish to buy any shoestrings, jewelry, handkerchiefs, pins and combs?”
They looked up quickly.