“God always takes care of people when they ask Him to,” said Gretel, confidently. “Father asked Him to take care of me when he was ill, and He did. First Mrs. Marsh let me go and live with her, and afterwards Percy came home. Father said I must always ask God to take care of me every day.”
“I hope He’ll take care of Mother, too, and not let her be ill because she’s so frightened about us,” said Geraldine, tremulously. “How do you suppose we are ever going to get home, Jerry? We haven’t any money, and nobody has said anything about making up a purse for us.”
Jerry had no suggestion to offer, but Gretel, who was nearly two years older than the twins, and had had a good deal more experience, said she was quite sure they would be taken care of.
“Perhaps they’ll let us stay on the boat till it goes back to-morrow night,” she suggested, but Jerry and Geraldine did not take at all kindly to that idea, and Jerry protested loudly that he would rather walk all the way back to Old Point than spend another night on that dreadful boat. The very thought caused Geraldine a return of seasickness, and she was most unhappy for the next hour.
It was really a terrible night, and our three little friends were not the only people on board who lay awake and trembled, but towards morning the wind began to go down, and the sea grew calmer. By four o’clock they were in comparatively quiet water, and Gretel as well as the twins had fallen fast asleep.
They were still sleeping when the stewardess accompanied by the head steward, came to have a look at them, but at the sound of voices, and the sudden flood of light caused by the opening door, Jerry sat up and rubbed his eyes.
“Good morning, young gentleman,” said the head steward, pleasantly; “how are you feeling to-day?”
“I’m all right,” declared Jerry, stoutly; “is it breakfast time?”
“It will be pretty soon—are you hungry?”
“I guess I am,” said Jerry, a little doubtfully; “what did you do with our feast?”