“Oh, I don’t mean this year,” he hurried to reassure her, “but—well, don’t let’s think about it, Bobolink,” and he threw his arm fondly around her. “Think about your funny old ladies and their funny old home week,” he counselled, anxious to divert her attention.
But Babs couldn’t think about those things at all.
CHAPTER XVI
WHEN A GIRL THINKS HARD
She just couldn’t get Nicky off her mind. Even the fun of sorting out the old heirlooms was not enough to blot out her anxiety.
“I believe now,” she admitted, “that it isn’t the best thing for a girl to get too interested in strangers: we can never understand them, especially those of other nationalities.”
But Nicky was so interesting, and he seemed to be so abused. It was this instinct of sympathy, so natural to all generous girls, that was leading Barbara into tangled paths.
First, she had bought the old candlesticks, then Dudley Burke bought a pair. That was on the day that Nicky hurt his hand and all the other suspicious things happened, none of which had yet been explained.
But it was the fancy wood carving on the book-ends that Cara bought that excited the most interest. The wood had been freshly carved, but by whom? Who could be the artist and where was he hidden and why?
Barbara never suspected Nicky of any trickery, however, and she had maintained perfect confidence in him until now. Now she too was being forced to question. What did he mean by that plea for money made to her this very afternoon? Why did he need five dollars so urgently? And if he did need it, why could he not tell her what it was needed for?
She didn’t like the little boy sneaking around after her, and sneaking was the only word applicable to his peculiar methods. Even generous Cara was warning her these days that you can’t trust strangers too far, especially those clever little boys.