"Who does he go with most, Miss Saxon? Let's try to think where he
might be. Perhaps we could call up some one and find out where he is."
"Well, I tell you," wailed the Aunt, "That's just it. There's just one
person he likes as well, or mebbe better'n Miss Mary Lynn, an' that's
Mark Carter! Mrs. Severn I'm just afraid he's gone off with Mark
Carter!" she lowered her voice to a sepulchral whisper, "And Mrs.
Severn, they do say that Mark is real wild!"
Mrs. Severn sat up a little straighter and put a trifle of assurance
into her voice, or was it aloofness?
"Oh, Miss Saxon!" she said earnestly, "I don't think you ought to feel
that way about Mark. I've known him since he was a mere baby, and I've
always loved him. I don't believe Mark will ever do Billy any harm.
He's a boy with a strong character. He may do things that people don't
understand, but I'd trust him to the limit!"
She was speaking eagerly, earnestly, in the words that her husband had
used to her a few days before, and she knew as she said it that she
believed it was all true. It gave her a great comfort to know that she
believed it was true. She loved Mark almost as though he were her own.
Miss Saxon looked up with a sigh and mopped her pink wet face.
"Well, I certainly am relieved to hear you say that! Billy thinks the
sun rises and sets in 'Cart,' as he calls him. I guess if Cart should
call him he'd go to the ends of the earth with him. I know I
couldn't stop him. But you see Mrs. Severn, I oughtn't to have to bring
up children, especially boys? Billy always was headstrong, and he's
getting worse every day."
"I'm sure you do your best, Miss Saxon, and I'm sure Billy will turn
out a fine man some day. My Lynn thinks a great deal of him. She feels
he's growing very thoughtful and manly."
"Does she now?" the tired pink face was lifted damply with a ray of
cheer.
Then the telephone bell rang. Mrs. Severn rose and excused herself to
answer it.
"Yes? Yes, Mrs. Carter. Mrs. Severn is speaking. Is anything the matter?
Your voice sounds troubled. Oh, Mrs. Carter! I'm so sorry, but I'm sure
you can trust Mark. He's a man you know and he's always been an
unusually dependable boy, especially to us who know him well. He'll
come back all right. What? Oh, Mrs. Carter! No, I haven't heard any
such reports, but I'm sure they're just gossip. You know how people
will talk. What do you say? They phoned you from Economy? Who?
The police? They asked for Mark? Well, I wouldn't let that worry you.
Mark always was helpful to the police in finding people, or going with
them after a lost car, you know. I wouldn't worry. Who? Billy? Billy
Gaston? Oh, you saw Billy this, morning? Well, that's good. His aunt
has worried all day about him. I'll tell her. Who? A sick man on the
mountain? Well, now Mrs. Carter, don't you know Mark always was
doing things for people in trouble? He'll come home safely, but of
course we'll just turn the earth upside down to find him for we are
not going to let you and Miss Saxon worry any longer. Just you wait
till Mr. Severn gets back. He's in a session meeting and it oughtn't
to last long, it was just a special meeting called hurriedly. He'll come
right over as soon as it's out and see what he can do to help. Yes,
of course he will. No don't bother to thank me. He would want to
of course. Good-bye!"