Mollie shook her head. “How could I possibly light a fire?” she inquired. “I haven’t a match.” Then she smiled faintly. “I am not enough of an ‘early settler’ to know how to make a light by striking two flints together. But please take me home.” The little girl was too tired to care about anything beyond the blessed fact that she had been found.
It was Bab and Ruth who were overcome with the mystery of the dancing light that led them through the forest straight to Mollie. And who could have started the fire, that now roared and blazed, lighting the woods with its many tongues of flame. What did it all mean? The mystery of it all gave them long, creepy thrills.
Barbara helped Mollie to her feet. The child was so stiff she could hardly move, but as she arose something red dropped to the ground. Ruth picked it up. “Why, it is Grace’s sweater!” she exclaimed. “I am so glad you found it, Mollie, before you went for your walk. What a blessed thing you had it to keep you warm!”
“Grace’s sweater! What are you talking about, Ruth? I didn’t have it with me. I was nearly frozen. You or Bab must have brought it with you. I found it over my shoulders when I awoke,” protested Mollie.
Ruth and Bab said nothing. There was nothing to be said. It was all a puzzle! Where was the clue to the mystery?
The two girls were leading poor, tired Mollie through the thick tangle of shrubs, along which Ruth’s bits of torn paper gleamed white and cheerful pointing their pathway home. Even Mollie smiled on seeing them.
“If only I had remembered to play ‘Hop-o-my-thumb,’ Ruth, dear,” Mollie whispered, “I needn’t have created all this trouble. Do you think Miss Sallie will ever forgive me?”
“Indeed she will,” Ruth assured her. “She will be so happy to see you again, you poor, tired Mollie, she’ll forget to scold!”
By this time the girls could hear the noise of voices and the beating of bushes. “Here we are!” Ruth called out cheerfully. “Don’t worry. We have found Mollie!”
Naki burst through the opening. Ceally and Grace were with him and two strange men from the farm below them on the hill.