Page:Cornelia Meigs--The Pool of Stars.djvu/145

 agreed, "and it is getting rather dark. Yes, it must be time to go."

They went along the path together to the gate without speaking, until, with his hand on the lock, David paused and looked back.

"I am going back after it grows really dark," he said, "to see what that thing is. It ought not to go on."

"Oh, no," cried Elizabeth in real horror. "Oh, no!"

"It is something that ought to be cleared up," David insisted steadily. "If we don't do it ourselves, we should tell some one who will. The place belongs to Miss Miranda and it should be looked after. Yes, I am going to see about it to-night."

"Then," replied Elizabeth with a long and rather gasping breath, "if you will go, I am going with you."

They did not work very long at their respective tasks that evening. Betsey was an absent-minded helper as she put away the dishes and David, it appeared later, had dropped so many tools and needed to be told so many things twice over, that even Mr. Reynolds had grasped vaguely that something was not quite right and had stopped to gaze at him over his spectacles, in mild and pained astonishment. It was earlier than usual and just at the edge of real