“We want four tickets for Peak’s Point,” Dulcie told the conductor, who was regarding them curiously, and she produced her purse, with the air of an accustomed traveller. But when she had paid the fares and the conductor had given her back the change, her face had lost a little of its cheerful confidence.
“I had no idea it would cost so much,” she told Daisy, in an anxious whisper. “It was almost two dollars. That only leaves three to live on till we find a situation.”
CHAPTER XVI
LOOKING FOR A SITUATION
IT was nearly half-past seven when the slow morning train drew up at the Peak’s Point Station and four solemn, rather frightened little passengers stepped out upon the platform. They were almost the only passengers, and as they passed out of the car, both conductor and brakeman looked after them curiously.
“Now I wonder where them young ones can be off to at this time of the morning,” the brakeman remarked. “They look as if they were goin’ somewhere to stay, judgin’ by the parcels they’ve got.”
“They paid their fares all right,” the conductor answered, “and the biggest one looked pretty well able to take care of herself. She handed me a five-dollar bill, and to see her countin’ the change, you’d think she’d been used to it all her life. Bright as a button she is, and no mistake.” And then the train moved on again, and the two men soon forgot the episode.
In the meantime the four little Winslows had left the station behind, and were walking up the village street, in quest of a bakery, for by this time they were all decidedly hungry. Dulcie was the only one of them who had ever been to Peak’s Point before, but she assured the others that she remembered the place very well, and knew just where the stores were.
“We went to a drug-store,” she said, “and Papa and I had soda-water. It was very good.”
“I hope we can get something besides soda-water now,” said Molly. “It’s very nice when you’re hot and thirsty, but I don’t think it would be at all the thing for breakfast.”
“There’s a baker on the other side of the street,” cried Maud, joyfully. “There’s some lovely cake in the window. I’m going to have some.”