“Peter, yes. He’ll help us, surely. But we must not think of Elia. He’s––he’s too––delicate.”
“Then it’s Peter,” cried Annie, impulsively. “Now I’ll tell you what we’ll do. I’ll find Peter some time to-day, and––and tell him to come along and see you to-night, after dark. You see,” she added naively, “he best not be seen visitin’ you in daylight. Then you can tell him all I’ve told you, and he’ll sure know the best to do. He likes Jim.”
“Yes, yes,” agreed Eve, brightening visibly and catching something of Annie’s confidence in her scheme. “Peter will help me, I know. Oh, Annie, you are a dear, good thing! I don’t know how I’d get through all this without you. But––but––you’ll be secret, won’t you, dear? You see, I’m quite helpless, and––and you know so much.”
“You can trust me, Eve, you can trust me like you can trust––Jim Thorpe. Good-bye, dear, an’ keep bright. I’ll come along after you’ve seen Peter. Yes, we’ve got to help Jim out––that’s how my man said, too. Good-bye.”
She hurriedly kissed her friend and bustled out of the house. All this scheming had got hold of her busy brain, and she was eager to get to work on it.
CHAPTER XXVIII
WILL
It was a long day of suspense for Eve. There was so little to distract her mind from the things which troubled. A few household duties, that was all. There was Elia’s food to be prepared when he came in from Peter’s new cutting, just outside the village limits. There was her dressmaking. But this last left her so much room for thought, and only helped to lengthen the dragging hours.