Walking up across the green from the river came Cynthia, with a paper in her hand which she was reading. At sight of Mrs. Parker and her mother standing at the carriage door, she hastily thrust the paper into her pocket.
Cynthia had been after wild-flowers to plant in the bed she had for them. She was in the woods not far from home when a small and ragged boy approached her.
"Be you Cynthy?" he asked.
She looked up from her digging, startled.
"Yes," she said.
"Then here's for yer, and yer not to tell nobody."
So saying, the messenger disappeared as rapidly and mysteriously as he had come.
Cynthia opened the crushed and dirty paper, and to her astonishment found Neal's handwriting within.
"Meet me on Brenton Island near the bridge, Tuesday, as early as you can. And don't tell I am here. Remember, don't tell."
The last words were heavily underlined.