Page:Ballinger Price--Fortune of the Indies.djvu/149

 Kisen Kaisha passage in no time, and Jane flew like a joyous wraith from her open trunk to the drawing-room, in order to confide various sudden rapturous fancies to the Fortune of the Indies.

The aunts were beyond worry now. They could not collect their wits. They stood, one at each end of Jane's trunk, and let her put into it just about what she pleased, almost without seeing. They supposed that before long they would awaken from this strange and somewhat frightening dream.

But when they did awaken, Jane was gone, and so was Mr. Bolliver. Expressmen had come; people had driven off in a cab. Miss Lucia, long after, actually hurried to the door and flung it wide. But Chesley Street was empty and quite dark, for night had come and a swift train was already speeding west.

"Ellen," Miss Lucia faltered, holding to the door-knob, "Jane's gone—gone to China. She can't go; we mustn't let her."

But there was not even a light on Chesley Street. The little old ladies suddenly held out their arms to one another and stood there, trembling, in the open door of the Ingram mansion.