"Yes," they giggled, "fourteen whole days!"
"And six lively children can raise quite a racket."
"The house is too far from the rest of town for their noise to bother anyone else," Tabitha reminded him.
"That's another point. What would you do if burglars broke in at night? You would be too far from town to call help."
"There is nothing at McKittrick's to burgle," his daughter retorted triumphantly. "I am not afraid."
"Nor I," said Gloriana, though somewhat faintly, for of a sudden a new phase of the matter had presented itself. She was still afraid of the black desert nights, and burglars were a constant source of terror to her, though never in all her life had she encountered any of that species of mankind.
"The cottage on the cliff is no more isolated than our cottage here in the hollow, now that the Carsons are away," continued the black-haired girl. "It would be just as easy—easier, in fact, to get help if we needed it there, than here; for the McKittrick house is on the side of the mountain overlooking the town, while our place is hidden from the rest of Silver Bow by that hill. We can see only the roof of the assayer's office from here, and that is the nearest building to ours except Carrie's house."
"That's true!" exclaimed Gloriana with such an air of relief that Mr. Catt could not refrain from smiling.
"And besides, nothing is going to happen in two weeks," continued Tabitha.
"Suppose Miss Davis doesn't return in two weeks? I thought you wanted to spend your summer at the beach."