Grave as she felt the
situation to be, Auntie Sue laughed to herself as she pictured the
consternation of Betty Jo and Brian in the morning.
Silently, the old lady stole into the girl's room to secure the money
she needed and to leave her letter. Then, as silently, she left the
house, and found Judy, who was waiting with "Old Prince" and the buggy,
ready to start.
The station agent at Thompsonville was not a little astonished when
Auntie Sue and Judy appeared, and, with the easy familiarity of an old
acquaintance greeted her with, "Howdy, Auntie Sue! What in thunder are
you doin' out this time of the day? No bad news, I hope?"
"Oh, no, Mr. Jackson," Auntie Sue answered easily. "I'm just going to
Chicago for a little visit with an old friend."
"Sort of a vacation, eh?" returned the man behind the window, as he
made out her ticket. "Well, you sure have earned one, Auntie Sue. It's
gittin' to be vacation time now, too. Bunch of folks come in yesterday
to stay at the clubhouse for a spell. Pretty wild lot, I'd say,--wimmen
as well as the men. I reckon them clubhouse parties don't disturb you
much, though, if you be their nearest neighbor,--do they?"
"They never have yet, Mr. Jackson," she returned. "Their place is on the
other side of the river, and a mile above my house, you know. I see them
in their boats on The Bend, though, and once in a while they call on me.
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