“I entirely approve of the suggestion,” he returned, and they set off together for the strawberry patch.
It was a large one supplied with an abundance of the finest varieties, the vines now loaded with delicious fruit just in prime condition for eating.
“Oh, how beautiful they are!” cried Lulu. “So many too, and so nicely arranged and trained that they don’t get any sand at all on them; and so large that it won’t take long to fill our basket, papa.”
“No, not many minutes. Gather and eat all you wish and we will fill the basket afterward.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said, and hastened to avail herself of the permission. For some minutes she was too busy to talk, but at length, when the filling of the basket began, she broke the silence with a question: “Papa, did Marian tell you how she escaped from Minersville?”
“Yes,” he replied; “and now you want me to tell you, I suppose?”
“Oh, yes, sir, if you will.”
“I will tell you something about it, but let you get the particulars from Marian herself. My agent, Mr. Short, was a good friend to the poor girl, supplied her with funds and whatever else she needed; took her by night to a station some miles distant on the railroad, bought her a ticket, had her trunk checked, put her on board an eastern train and watched it out of sight.”
“And she travelled all the rest of the way alone, papa?”
“Yes; as far as Union, where I met her with my carriage.”