“You looked it. When a girl is sneaking she doesn’t flare up and get mad the way you did,” went on the surprising Orilla and Nancy knew better than to prolong the discussion by any arguments. She merely smiled and accepted the words as they were intended.
“And since then you’ve never told,” Orilla declared, her features drawn and strained as she talked, and her eyes shifting. “You never told Rosa, for if you had she would have told me. What she knows the world knows,” said Orilla, scornfully.
“But Rosa has never said anything against you, Orilla,” spoke up Nancy. “I’m sure you ought to give her credit for that.”
“There you go again. I told you you were an idealist. But that’s all the better for me. I can trust you, too.”
This sounded like trickery to Nancy, and she said so.
“But you are lots older than I am and you ought to have lots more sense,” she pointed out. “I don’t mind helping you, if it’s something you can’t do yourself, but I must be loyal to my own family,” she insisted, firmly.
“It won’t interfere with your family, don’t worry,” replied Orilla. “I just want you to take care of some money for me. That’s not so hard to do, is it?”
“Money!” Nancy remembered what Rosa had said about that. “Why can’t _you_ take care of it?” she asked.
“Because I suspect that someone knows I’ve got it, and they’re after it.” Orilla was very calm and composed now, and Nancy noticed how quickly her moods changed. “It’s in this little bag,” Orilla continued, showing to Nancy a square, brown bag made of khaki, just like her suit. It was bulky and seemed to contain quite a lot of money--if it were all money.
“Well, if you just want me to take it for a few days I don’t suppose there is any harm in that,” reasoned Nancy. “But suppose someone stole it from me?”
“No one would around here, that is, not up in your rooms,” replied Orilla. “Please take it, Nancy. It means an awful lot to me,” and she laid the bag on Nancy’s lap as she pleaded.
“All right. But don’t hold me responsible. I’ll do the best I can to take care of it, of course,” Nancy assured her, “but if anything _does_ happen--”
“It won’t. Thank you for taking it, Nancy. Now I am free to--finish my work,” and she stood up to leave.
“But, Orilla, you were going to tell me something else; your secret place, wasn’t it?” Nancy felt now she should know more about Orilla’s business if she were going to act as her secret treasurer.