“I hope that isn’t a shot at us,” said Paul. “I’d be a bargain at a dollar.”
“She must have been thinking of that Higby fellow over at Roxbury,” said Bess. “Why, what’s the matter?” she asked, as the gypsy girl started violently and turned deadly pale.
Cora sprang to the girl’s side and put her arm around her to steady her.
CHAPTER VI
A PERPLEXING PROBLEM
The gypsy girl regained her self-control in a moment and gently put Cora’s helping arm aside.
“It is nothing,” she said. “I just had an attack of dizziness. The heat of the sun, perhaps.”
It was evident that this last remark was only a pretext, for a pleasant breeze was blowing and they were standing under a great tree that shaded them completely.
“I hope it wasn’t anything I said that startled you,” said Bess curiously.
“How could it have been?” put in Belle incredulously. “You only referred jokingly to that Higby fellow who nearly got away with Cora’s purse when we were shopping yesterday. I’m sure there’s nothing in that to startle anybody.”
Cora had been watching the girl intently, and at this second mention of the young man’s name she saw a swift spasm—was it of pain or fright or a combination of both?—sweep over the girl’s face.