“No,” said Dorothy, decidedly; “you must not all talk at once. It bothers her. Tavia and I are going to take her to our room---- No! you can’t all of you come. Go on about your business. By supper time Celia will be all right and you shall all get acquainted with her.”
She picked the little girl up in her arms--oh, how thin the little body was!--and carried her all the way to Number Nineteen. Tavia “tagged” closely, just as interested as she could be in the child.
“How did you get here, Celia?” demanded Dorothy, gravely, as she sat before the register, “skinning” off the little one’s damp stockings, after Tavia had removed the worn shoes.
“I rode-ed part of the way,” confessed Celia, nodding. “But Bentley didn’t know about it. I hide-ed in the back of the wagon.”
“My dear!” gasped Dorothy. “You ran away?”
“Bully!” murmured Tavia. “I love her for it.”
“Hush!” commanded Dorothy; but Celia did not hear what Tavia said.
“Yes, Dorothy Dale, I jes’ _had_ to run away to see you. I jes’ knowed I could find you.”
“She--she wouldn’t let me come,” choked Celia. “I asked her. She said I wouldn’t die if I didn’t see you; but I knowed I _should_ die,” added the child, with confidence.
“So I comed,” said Celia, blandly smiling upon Dorothy and Tavia. “I hope you and your lady friend are glad to see me, Miss Dorothy?”
“Oh, aren’t we--just!” murmured Tavia, under her breath.
“But I am afraid Mrs. Hogan will punish you,” remarked Dorothy.
“Well,” replied the philosophical infant, “she can’t punish me before I see you--for I see you now, dear Dorothy Dale!” She laughed shrilly, threw her arms about the bigger girl’s neck and clasped her hands tightly.
Tavia was delighted with the cunning little thing; she did not think of how seriously Celia might have to pay for her escapade.
“And to find her way here--all of eight miles!” she cried.
“The Morans is very, very smart,” declared Celia, gravely, repeating what she had evidently heard older people say many times. “And when Jim Bentley turned off the straight road I slipped out of the cart behind, and I axed a man was _this_ the road to the school, and he said yes, and so I comed.”
“She must have walked a mile and a half at that!” cried Tavia. “She _is_ a smart little thing. And how did you know _this_ was the school, dear?”