The jitney driver heard and turned.
“What’s this?” he asked. “You belong on the boat, little girl? Well, now, don’t cry; we’ll fix it. I heard they had engine trouble to-day, and like as not they’ll be late starting. Long up the road a spell we’ll meet the two o’clock jitney coming back, and I’ll see that Dave Gunn takes you in with him. An’ if you do miss the boat my wife’ll take care of you over night and we’ll ship you up to Little Havre on to-morrow’s boat.”
Dot felt that the jitney driver was very kind, but she hoped with all her heart that she would not have to stay all night in a strange house. She wanted her mother, and Twaddles and Meg and 54 Bobby. She hadn’t known till this minute how dearly she loved them.
Sure enough, their jitney had not gone very far when they saw another jitney coming toward them.
“Hi, Dave!” called the driver of Dot’s jitney. “Got a passenger for you. A little lady who tangled up her traveling directions and missed getting on the boat. You take her with you, and see that she lands on the steamer.”
Mr. Gunn stopped his machine and came over to the other jitney.
“Come on, Sister,” he said pleasantly, lifting Dot down gently.
“Why, you are little to be traveling on your own. I’ve got three home ’bout your size.”
Mother Blossom, as you may suppose, had been nearly frantic all this time. She had taken the other children on board the boat and had left them on deck with the bags, after they had promised not to stir from the spot where she left them, and she had been going up and down the dock making inquiries, and even walking up 55 into the town, believing that perhaps some of the store windows had attracted Dot.
No one remembered seeing a little girl in a green dress and a brown straw hat.