“Oh, she ain’t around here any more,” answered Melea. “She got too sassy—didn’t know which side her bread was buttered on, and her father just ‘shooed’ her off.”
“Off where?” insisted Tavia, now fearful that Dorothy would fall into the hands of those who were intent upon punishing Urania, and who, therefore, might take revenge upon Urania’s friends also.
“I don’t know where she’s gone,” snapped the woman, turning impatiently to go inside the tent.
“But being a good fortune teller,” said Tavia, “can’t you guess? Didn’t I see her running through the woods a short time ago?”
“I guess not,” sneered the woman. “If you did, it must have been her ghost. She ain’t around these parts,” and at this the woman entered the tent, drawing the flap down as she did so.
“Well!” exclaimed Tavia aloud, “this is interesting. But not altogether comfortable. I see we will have to get a searching committee out, and I had better make arrangements promptly.”
A half-hour later Ned, Nat and Tavia reached the spot in the wood where the two girls had parted.
“Are you sure she took that path?” Ned demanded of Tavia.
“Positive,” replied the frightened girl. “I just sat down here to wait for her, and she went completely out of sight.”
“It might have been better to watch which way they went—might have seen the bushes move,” ventured Nat. Then, noting that Tavia was inclined to become more excited, he added: “Of course, she must be around here somewhere. There is really no cause for alarm. She may be hiding, just to give us a scare.”