With a sigh of relief they said good-by to Steptoe Lodge.
"It was interesting, but uncomfortable," Miss Campbell had said. For a whole day Billie's experience had quite shaken Miss Campbell's enthusiasm in the journey. It was not a permanent distaste, however. Having remained quietly in West Haven for a quarter of a century, the little woman was now possessed with a thirst for travel. She had developed into a high-toned Gypsy with a disposition to perpetual wandering.
The partings at Steptoe Lodge had some of them been quite moving; but not Rosina's, who had bade them a chilly farewell. Her nature was a stormy one, a strange mixture of hot and cold, anger and humility, courage and fear.
"I don't know whom she's angriest with," Billie had observed, "our ex-teacher, Maria, for putting her brother up to such lawless tricks or us because we were the victims."
"I hope they catch him," said Miss Campbell firmly. "I do, indeed, and shut him up in prison for a long, long time. Such dangerous characters ought not to be allowed to run at large."
"They'll catch him if Brek Steptoe has any influence," put in Nancy. "Barney told me his cousin was never going to put up with Hawkeseye again. He had stood all he intended. Rosina was now to choose between them."
"What is that you're looking at, Nancy?" demanded Elinor, changing the subject.
Poor Jim had ridden for some miles beside the Comet and they had gone slowly in order to enjoy his company. Then, with a last hand-shake all around and a heart-breaking sigh, he stopped in the middle of the road, his sombrero in one hand and his horse's reins in the other. And there he stood as still as a statue until the motor car was reduced to a small scarlet dot on the horizon. When he had shaken hands with Nancy, he thrust a small package into her lap. There were tears in Nancy's eyes when she looked at the contents of the package, although her laugh rang out as merrily as her friends' as she drew forth the hind foot of a jack rabbit mounted on a plaited loop of horsehair.
"Does he expect me to wear this thing around my neck," she cried dangling the clumsy paw between her small thumb and forefinger.
"There's a note," said Mary, leaning over Nancy's shoulder.