"

"I see," interrupted Eliza. "'Twas stupid of me not to understand before.
'Course that wouldn't do. Yes, I guess you were right. There ain't much to
do but sink it in the brook. Would you 'a' dreamed there could be anything
in the world so hard to get rid of? All I've got to say is I hope neither
Martin nor old Miss Webster finds it. What do you s'pose they'd say?"

"I wouldn't want Martin to come on to it unexpected. 'Twould worry me to
death." Eliza shuddered.

"But you don't care about old Miss Webster," Jane observed with a laugh.

"I never wished Miss Webster ill, goodness knows that," returned Eliza
gravely. "None of us ever did 'cept Martin, an' he's got no business to. I
s'pose he'd like nothin' better than to have her run across this thing.
You don't s'pose there's any danger that she will, do you, Jane?"

"Danger of her findin' it?"

"No. I mean danger of her gettin' hurt with it," explained Eliza timidly.

"Mercy, no. How could it harm her if it was wet?"

"I dunno," whimpered Eliza. "I'm so scat of such things."

"Well, it's certainly made us trouble enough!" put in Mary, with a sigh.
"I've felt like a criminal ever since the thing came to light. It's seemed
as if we'd never get rid of it."

Jane smiled. "I know it," she said. "Who'd 'a' believed 'twould be so
hard. When I think what we've been through tryin' to make way with it, I
wonder folks ever are wicked. It's so much trouble. 'Tain't half as easy
as it looks. You've got to have your wits about you every second. This
affair's taught me that. Ain't I been all over the face of the earth
tryin' to find a safe place to hide this pesky bag! First I tried the
mountain. Then I was afraid the woodcutters might find it, so I had to
cart it home again. Then it come to me to drive down to the river and dump
it in. Anybody'd have said that was simple enough. But halfway there, I
met Elias Barnes walkin' to the village, an' he asked for a ride. I s'pose
he couldn't see why I couldn't take him in; I had an empty seat an' had
often done it before, so I had to. But when he started lightin' up his
pipe----"

"What did you do, Jane?" cried Mary.

"I guess I nearly screamed," answered Jane, laughing. "He looked some
surprised; anyhow, I told him I just remembered somethin' I'd left behind,
an' I drew up an' put him down quicker'n chain lightnin'. Then I turned
round and drove off lickety-split for home, leaving him stock still in the
middle of the road st