"No, ma'am, I didn't 'cause I never took them in the house. When I went to the mail-box to get the mail I had Bill toot for you immejitly. And you come runnin'!"
Every one looked perplexed and Miss Miller added, "Zan, it may be possible that it was dropped when you took them from Mrs. Sherwood, or on your way up the slope. Run down and look carefully along the pathway."
"It hain't anywhere about where I gave them to Miss Zan, an' I should think some of you or me would have seen it if it had dropped along the way," explained Mrs. Sherwood.
"We've been up and down, you know, Miss Miller, and Nita has been over the ground yesterday noon, and nothing was found!"
Suddenly, the Guide remembered her suspicion of Nita and how she watched her take a letter down to post in the box. She remembered the girl's stooping and picking something up from the pathway, looking back to see if anybody saw the action.
"I think I can find it—we won't say anything more about it at present, but you're quite sure the letter was addressed to me, Mrs. Sherwood?" said Miss Miller, calmly.
"Sure I do! I looked over every one good, an' I says to Bill, Miss Miller's goin' to have plenty of letter writin' to do this summer if she answers all them things these mothers and fathers of the girls will be wantin' to know about their children! And Bill knows the doctor's writin' at a glance—he gets so many from him, and the other had the name, as I said afore!"
Mrs. Sherwood returned home shortly after her valuable information had been given, and the Guide continued a lesson on cookery just as if Nita were present and most obedient. But that didn't prevent the girls from thinking and wondering what would happen to Nita!
Immediately after dinner the Guide said, "Girls, I am going to the house alone, for I have an important matter to attend to; you can sew on your Woodcraft costumes during my absence."