"Run away to see the funeral, I dare say," said David to himself. "If I don't give it to Chris, when I catch him! I wonder whether I had better go out to Dennison's or wait a little longer? There's Jeduthun Cooke. I will ask him."
Jeduthun had seen nothing of the boys. He and Keziah had been expressly invited to attend Miss Lilla's funeral from the house, and had borrowed a horse and buggy to drive over to the Springs. He had not seen the boys in the crowd round the door of the vault, nor afterwards, and he did not think they had been at the funeral.
At this moment, Mr. Parsons came up in his buggy. He had driven over by the road, keeping a sharp lookout on every side, but—as the reader need hardly be told—had seen nothing of the child. He heard David's story with some uneasiness. "After all, he may be out at Squire Dennison's all the time. We had better drive out there and see."
Osric had walked home with Elsie in a very unenviable and uncomfortable frame of mind. He would give no account of himself to Elsie, and coolly told her to mind her business.
"Just as if you were my master," said he. "I dare say you will tell mother of me?"
"I shall have to tell her what made me so late," said Elsie. "She will be sure to ask me, and I shall have to tell her the truth."
"Oh yes! You are mighty particular about the truth all at once," said Osric, scornfully. "You were not so very careful this morning. You just as good as told sister a lie about that book, and you know you did. So!"
"I didn't, either," said Elsie, almost crying.
"You let her think what wasn't true, and that is just the same," persisted Osric. "Mother always says so, and you very often do."
"If I did, it was for your sake, Ozzy," returned Elsie. "I never meant to tell a lie, only to keep you from being blamed. And I do wish you would tell mother the truth about your running away from school. She will be sure to find out some way or other, and she will be a great deal more angry."