She said she was going to spend the night at
the Jordans'. She kissed her mother good-bye,--just as she always
does,--and we ain't seen or heard anything of her since. Nobody in
Windomville saw her. Bill Foss is afraid she may have been waylaid
by hoboes down along the river road. If--if THAT happened there'll
be something worse than lynchin' if I ever lay hands on--"
Thane broke in with an oath.
"By God, I'll do the job for you if I get hold of him first, Vick.
I could set fire to a devil like that and see him burned alive
without moving a muscle."
"I can't let myself believe she's met with any such horrible fate
as that, Courtney. I simply can't bear to think of my pretty little
Rosie in the hands of--"
"Don't think about it, Vick. I believe she will turn up safe and
sound and--By the way, has it occurred to you that she may have
eloped? Was she in love with anybody? Was she interested in any
young fellow that you didn't approve of?"
"She never spoke of being in love with anybody. She never even gave
us an inklin' of such a thing. She would have told her mother. Why,
good heavens, Courtney, she wasn't much more'n a little girl! She
was eighteen her last birthday, and we never thought of her as
anything but a child just out of short dresses. Did she ever speak
to you about being gone on any of these young fellows that come
to see her? She liked you tremendous, Courtney,--and I didn't know
but what maybe she might have mentioned something to you about it
when you were off on those long walks together.
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