FullReads

“What is it?” she inquired.

“A bowl of nice hot thoroughwort tea. You sit up and drink it right down, like a good little girl.”

“I’m not sick, Aunt Susy,” Mehitable pleaded, faintly. She hated thoroughwort tea.

“Well, never mind if you’re not. Sit right up. It’ll do you good.”

Aunt Susy’s face was full of loving determination. So Mehitable sat up. She drank the thoroughwort tea with convulsive gulps. Once in a while she paused and rolled her eyes piteously over the edge of the bowl.

“Drink it right down,” said Aunt Susy.

And she drank it down. There never was a more obedient little girl than Mehitable Lamb. Then she lay back, and Aunt Susy tucked her up, and went down with the empty bowl.

“Did she drink it all?” inquired her grandmother.

“Every mite.”

“Well, she’ll be all right in the morning, I guess. There isn’t anything better than a bowl of good, hot, thoroughwort tea.”

The twilight was deepening. The Lamb family were all in the sitting-room. They had not lighted the lamp, the summer dusk was so pleasant. The windows were open. All at once a dark shadow appeared at one of them. The women started–all but Grandmother Lamb. She was asleep in her chair.

“Who’s there?” Aunt Susy asked, in a grave tone.

“Have you seen anything of Hannah Maria?” said a hoarse voice. Then they knew it was Mr. Green.

Mrs. Lamb and the aunts pressed close to the window.

“No, we haven’t,” replied Mrs. Lamb. “Why, what’s the matter?”

“We can’t find her anywheres. Mother went over to Lawrence this afternoon, and I was down in the east field hayin’. Mother, she got home first, and Hannah Maria wasn’t anywhere about the house, an’ she’d kind of an idea she’d gone over to the Bennets’; she’d been talkin’ about goin’ there to get a tidy-pattern of the Bennet girl, so she waited till I got home. I jest put the horse in again, an’ drove over there, but she’s not been there. I don’t know where she is. Mother’s most crazy.”

“Where is she?” they cried, all altogether.

“Sittin’ out in the road, in the buggy.”

Mrs. Lamb and the aunts hurried out. They and Mr. Green stood beside the buggy, and Mrs. Green thrust her anxious face out.

“Oh, where do you suppose she is?” she groaned.

“Now, do keep calm, Mrs. Green,” said Mrs. Lamb, in an agitated voice. “We’ve got something to tell you. Mehitable was over there this afternoon.”

“Oh, she wasn’t, was she?”

“Yes, she was. She went about four o’clock, and she stayed an hour and a half. Hannah Maria was all right then. Now, I tell you what we’ll do, Mrs. Green: you just get right out of the buggy, and Mr. Green will hitch the horse, and we’ll go in and ask Mehitable just how she left Hannah Maria. Don’t you worry. You keep calm, and we’ll find her.”

Mrs. Green stepped tremblingly from the buggy. She could scarcely stand. Mrs. Lamb took one arm and Aunt Susy the other. Mr. Green hitched the horse, and they all went into the house, and up-stairs to Mehitable’s room. Mehitable was not asleep. She stared at them in a frightened way as they all filed into the room. Mrs. Green rushed to the bed.

“Oh, Mehitable,” she cried, “when did you last see my Hannah Maria?”

Mehitable looked at her and said nothing.

“Tell Mrs. Green when you last saw Hannah Maria,” said Mrs. Lamb.

“I guess ’twas ’bout five o’clock,” replied Mehitable, in a quavering voice.

“She got home at half-past five,” interposed Mehitable’s mother.

“Did she look all right?” asked Mrs. Green.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Nobody came to the house when you were there, did there?” asked Mr. Green.

“No, sir.”

Aunt Susy came forward. “Now look here, Mehitable,” said she. “Do you know anything about what has become of Hannah Maria? Answer me, yes or no.”

Mehitable’s eyes were like pale moons; her little face was as white as the pillow.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, what has become of her?”

Mehitable was silent.