f you wish to keep the gypsy girl's hiding place a secret,
do so, by all means."
"Mollie, I am exceedingly angry with you!" said Miss Sallie.
"How could you be so horrid, Mollie?" whispered Bab.
Mollie's blue eyes were swimming in tears, but she would not let them
fall on her flushed cheeks. She knew she must say good-bye to her new
acquaintances, so she dared not answer Miss Sallie then.
But on the way back to their hotel, seated next Miss Stuart in the
automobile, Mollie tried to offer an explanation for her rude behavior.
"Miss Sallie," she pleaded softly, "I know you are dreadfully angry with
me; and I am afraid you won't forgive me; but I just couldn't make up my
mind to let Mrs. Latham know where to find Eunice and her old
grandmother. I know you will think I am foolish. Perhaps I am. But I have
a feeling that Reginald Latham and his mother mean no good to Eunice. I
can't help remembering how the old squaw acted when she first heard the
name of Latham. I cannot believe she was just acting for effect as
Reginald Latham said she was. There is some mystery about little Eunice.
Do you think, Miss Sallie, we girls have a right to betray the old Indian
woman's secrets?"
"My sympathies are all with Mollie, Aunt Sallie!" Ruth declared. "I shall
have to come in for a share of her scolding."
But Barbara shook her head. "I never knew anyone so prejudiced as Mollie
is against Reginald Latham. What on earth do you suppose he and his
mother could have against a poor old squaw and her little girl? Would you
have helped pulled Reginald down out of his airship, if you had known how
you would dislike him, Mollie?" Bab asked.
But Mollie was looking wistfully at Miss Sallie, and did not heed
Barbara's question.
"I don't care what a young girl may think on any subject," Miss Stuart
declared firmly, "she has no right to be rude to an older woman. And
Mollie was undeniably rude to Mrs. Latham in refusing to answer her
simple question. It could have done no harm to have told her the name of
the hospital where Eunice is being treated."
"No, it wouldn't have done Eunice any harm to tell that much, Mollie,"
Ruth agreed, "because, if that very determined Mrs. Latham wishes to
discover where little Eunice is, she will certainly accomplish it. Why,
she rules her grown-up son with a rod of iron!"
"Mark my words!" said Grace, joining quietly in the conversation--Grace
was not often given to expressing an opinion, so even M
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