Ruth feared that Mr. Reynolds would find some legal way of getting possession of Tom Jonah. She wished Mr. Howbridge were here to advise them what to do. She even wished now that she had not brought Tom Jonah to Pleasant Cove to act as their "chaperon."
The smaller girls dried their eyes after a time. Agnes, "breathing threatenings," as Ruth said, promised Tess and Dot that the man never should take Tom Jonah away. But Ruth wondered what they would do about it if Mr. Reynolds came to Willowbend Camp with a police constable and a warrant for the dog?
And, too, who had sent Mr. Reynolds word that Tom Jonah was at the beach? He particularly said that he had been informed of the fact. It seemed to Ruth that the informer must be their enemy.
Then, out of a dust cloud that had been drawing near the Corner House girls for some few moments, appeared the forefront of a big touring car. In it were Trix Severn and some of her friends from the Overlook House.
"Oh! there's Trix!" murmured Agnes to her older sister.
The hotel-keeper's daughter would not look at the Corner House girls. She, certainly, had proved herself their enemy. Ruth wondered if Trix had had anything to do with bringing Mr. Reynolds to Pleasant Cove, searching for his dog.
Ruth knew that the hotel-keeper's daughter often rode over to Shawmit; she was probably on her way there now with her party. And after the way Trix had acted at the time the Spoondrift bungalow was burned, one might expect anything mean of Trix. For once Ruth allowed her suspicions to color her thoughts.
"She has awfully good times, just the same," murmured Agnes.
"I declare!" exclaimed Ruth, with more vexation than she usually displayed. "I'd be ashamed that I ever knew her after the way she's acted. And I believe, Agnes, that we can thank her for setting that man after Tom Jonah."
"I do," said the older Corner House girl, and she explained why she thought so.
Mr. Severn bought many of his supplies in Shawmit, and Trix was forever running over there in the car. It did not strain one's imagination very much to picture Trix hearing about Mr. Reynolds' dog and recognizing Tom Jonah from the description. Besides, the Severns had been coming to Pleasant Cove for several seasons, and Trix might easily have seen the dog when he lived with his first master.