"Nothing, so far as I can see," said Kate. "By her own account
she was responsible. She should have kept in her own class."
"All right. That settles Jennie!" said Nancy Ellen. "I saw you
notice the telegram from Robert -- now go on and settle me!"
"Is he coming?" asked Kate.
"No, he's not coming," said Nancy Ellen.
"Has he eloped with the widder?" asked Kate flippantly.
"He merely telegraphs that he thinks it would be wise for us to
come home on the first train," said Nancy Ellen. "For all I can
make of that, the elopement might quite as well be in your family
as mine."
Kate held out her hand, Nancy Ellen laid the message in it. Kate
studied it carefully; then she raised steady eyes to her sister's
face.
"Do you know what I should do about this?" she asked.
"Catch the first train, of course," she said.
"Far be it from me," said Kate. "I should at once telegraph him
that his message was not clear, to kindly particularize. We've
only got settled. We're having a fine time; especially right now.
Why should we pack up and go home? I can't think of any
possibility that could arise that would make it necessary for him
to send for us. Can you?"
"I can think of two things," said Nancy Ellen. "I can think of a
very pretty, confiding, little cat of a woman, who is desperately
infatuated with my husband; and I can think of two children
fathered by George Holt, who might possibly, just possibly, have
enough of his blood in their veins to be like him, given
opportunity. Alone for a week, there is barely a FAINT
possibility that YOU might be needed. Alone for the same week,
there is the faintest possibility that ROBERT is in a situation
where I could help him."
Kate drew a deep breath.
"Isn't life the most amusing thing?" she asked. "I had almost
forgotten my wings. I guess we'd better take them, and fly
straight home."
She arose and called the office to learn about trains, and then
began packing her trunk. As she folded her dresses and stuffed
them in rather carelessly she said: "I don't know why I got it
into my head that I could go away and have a few days of a good
time without something happening at home."
"But you are not sure anything has happened at home. This call
may be for me," said Nancy Ellen.
"It MAY, but this is July," said Kate. "I've been thinking hard
and fast. It's probable I can put my finger on the spot."
Nancy Ellen paused and standing erect she looked questioningly at
Kate.
"The weak link in my chain at the present minute is Polly," said
Kate. "I didn't pay much attention at the time, because there
wasn't enough of it really to attract attention; but since I
think, I can recall signs of growing discontent in Polly, lately.
She fussed about the work, and resented being left in the house
while I went to the fields, and she had begun looking up the road
to Peters' so much that her head was slightly turned toward the
north most of the time. With me away -- "