"Take the carriage and come here immediately."
He directed the note to Mrs. Bowers, and gave it to the boy, with instructions to deliver it at the cottage by the river.
[CHAPTER XV.]
The time passed slowly enough to the impatient Vinton while the boy-of-all-work was gone on his mission to Mrs. Bowers. He paced up and down impatiently, now and then casting surly looks of hatred and revenge upon the honest farmer who had dared to defy him and protect his trembling victim.
Mrs. Thorn, seeing that Queenie was better and did not need her attention, busied herself in setting the neglected breakfast upon the table. She put on the smoking coffee, the hot corn-cakes, the fried bacon and eggs, the fresh butter and milk, and invited her visitors to partake of the homely fare.
Leon Vinton declined the invitation by a surly nod, but Queenie, who had been watching her movements eagerly, readily signified her consent.
"I am very hungry," she declared, "for owing to the wickedness of yonder man, I have not tasted food for several days."
"Oh, my poor, demented little sister," exclaimed the hypocritical Vinton, "would to God your reason might be restored!"