"Of course it was," Bess chimed in. "Your father and my father came down and checked on that to make sure before they got off the boat. I'm certain they said your baggage was there. Come let's look."
The two girls and the steward continued down the corridor to the cabins where the rest of the Lakeview crowd was already at work unpacking.
"Oh, here they are now." Rhoda looked up as the two girls entered. "We were just wondering about you. The angriest looking red-headed man we've ever seen was just here demanding to see Miss Sherwood."
"He was near-sighted and slightly hunch-backed," Laura continued. "He lifted his shoulders, puckered his brows, and peered at Rhoda as though she was either hiding you in this cabin or lying when she said that she didn't know where you were."
"He looked slowly around," Grace contributed, "as though you must surely be here. I thought for a moment that he was going to open the cabinet. But he hesitated and just stared at it. I'm sure he looked right through those doors and saw that you weren't there." She shuddered as she remembered the man's expression.
"Yes, and when Rhoda advanced toward that doorway, easing him gently out, you know," Amelia too looked frightened, "his face got so red that I thought he was going to die of apoplexy."
"Then all of a sudden he changed," Rhoda took up the story again. "He begged our pardon, said there was some confusion about baggage, and went away to find a steward."
Nan turned to the steward at her side. "Is that the man whose baggage you are enquiring about?" she asked.
"Answers the description perfectly, Miss." He was all politeness. "If you will pardon me now, I would like to see your luggage."
The other girls moved to one side and attempted to get their scattered belongings out of the way. The cabin was small, and they had not yet finished unpacking. Laura and Amelia, whose cabin was across the corridor left--reluctantly.
The steward stepped over the other bags in the room and went directly to Nan's trunk. He looked at it carefully, turned it over, and examined the tag. Finally, he looked up. "I'm sorry, Miss Sherwood," he said, "The porters have made a mistake. This luggage was meant for room 846 instead of 648. See."