ace, mother. I put it by
the brown jug." And, never doubting but that her mother had overlooked
it, Mona searched the dressers herself. But there was no money on them,
not even a farthing for the baker. "But I put it there! I put it there
myself!" she kept repeating more and more frantically. She got upon a
chair and searched every inch of every shelf, and turned every jug and cup
upside down. "It _must_ be somewhere."

"Yes, somewhere! But it isn't here, and it isn't in Mr. King's pocket."
Poor Lucy sank back in her chair looking ready to faint. Five shillings
meant much to her. It was so horrible, too, to feel that a thief had been
in, and had perhaps gone all over the house. Who could say what more he
had taken, or what mischief he had done.

She was disappointed also in her trust in Mona, and she was tired and
faint from want of food. All her pleasure in her day and in her
homecoming was gone, changed to worry and weariness and disappointment.

"But who can have been so wicked as to take it!" cried Mona passionately.
"Nobody had any right to open our door and come into our house.
It's hard to think one can't go out for a few minutes but what somebody
must come and act dishonest----"

"We can't talk about others not doing right if we don't do right
ourselves! Your father and I left you here in charge, and you undertook
the charge. We trusted you."

Mona got down from the chair. "It's very hard if I can't ever go
anywhere--I only went for a little while. Millie said father wouldn't be
here--the boats weren't in sight. And you see she was right! They are
ever so late."

"Well, I suppose we are all made differently, but I couldn't have played
games knowing that the boats ought to have been in, and not knowing what
might have happened to my father."

"I get tired of always sticking around, waiting on the old boats. I never
thought of there being any danger, they're so often late. It was only
towards the end that people came down looking for them and wondering."

Lucy groaned. "Well, I'm thankful you don't suffer as I do, child.
P'raps I'm foolish, but I'm terrified of the sea, and I never get
accustomed to the danger of it." And she looked so white and wan, Mona's
heart was touched, and some of the sullenness died out of her face and
voice.

"I never thought--there was only a little wind," she began, when a sharp
rap at the door interrupted her, then the latch was raised, and the door
ope