After that the girls did not lack for partners. The night sped on magic wings. Penny danced many times with Joe and ate supper with him. Then, noticing that the party was starting to break up, she looked about for Mrs. Lear. The old lady was nowhere to be seen. Nor could Louise recall having seen her for the past half hour. Somewhat disturbed, they crossed the room to talk to old Silas Malcom.
“Mrs. Lear went home a good hour ago,” he told them. “She said she had to git some sleep, but you gals was havin’ so much fun she didn’t have the heart to take you away.”
Penny and Louise could not hide their consternation. With Mrs. Lear gone they would have no way of getting back to the cottage.
“Don’t you worry none,” Old Silas chuckled. “Joe Quigley will take you home. An’ if he don’t there’s plenty o’ young bucks waitin’ fer the chanst.”
The arrangement was not in the least to the girls’ liking. The party, they could see, rapidly was breaking up. Joe Quigley seemed to have disappeared. Nearly all of the girls except themselves were supplied with escorts.
“I don’t like this—not by a little bit!” Penny muttered. “Let’s get out of here, Lou.”
“How will we get back to Mrs. Lear’s place?”
“Walk.”
“Without an escort?”
“It’s not far.”