"No," said the child.
"Yes, you can, too! Did the show folks steal you?"
Fairy Carrie's eyes widened. Tears gathered and dropped slowly down
her cheeks.
Aunt Corinne seized her hand. "Why, Bobaday, Padgett! You just feel
how cold her fingers are!"
Robert did so, and shook his head to indicate that he found even her
fingers in a pitiable condition.
"You come with us to Ma Padgett," exhorted aunt Corinne in an
excited whisper. "I wouldn't stay where that pig-man is for the world."
The dog under the wagon was growling.
"If the pig-man stole you, Ma Padgett will have him put in jail."
"Le's go back this way, so they won't catch her," cautioned Bobaday.
The dog began to bark.
Robert and Corinne moved away with the docile little child between
them. At the barking of the dog one or two other figures appeared
behind the tent. Fairy Carrie in her spangled dress was running
between Robert and Corinne into the dark.
CHAPTER XIV.
SEARCHING.
But Grandma Padgett did not enjoy the tavern bed or the tavern
breakfast. She passed the evening until midnight searching the
streets of Richmond, accompanied by Zene and his limp. Some of the
tavern people had seen her children in front of the house, but the
longest search failed to bring to light any trace of them in or about
that building.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126