"Oh, Betty," she choked, "I don't believe Alice and I can come back
after Christmas! They've had a fire in Glenside and a house dad owns
there burned. He hasn't a cent of insurance, and the mortgagee takes
the ground. So that's the rental right out of our income. Besides,
grandma has had an operation on her eyes and she has to spend weeks in
an expensive Philadelphia hospital. Even with the small fees the
surgeons charge because of dad, the board will amount to more than he
can afford to pay. Alice and I ought to be learning stenography or
something useful."
"Well, now, your father would say," suggested Betty, with determined
optimism, "that the Christmas vacation is too far off to make any plans
about what you're going to do afterward. You know Bobby Littell has set
her heart on you and Alice spending the recess with them in Washington.
Anyway, lots of things can turn up before Christmas, Norma--even the
treasure!"
Norma tried to smile.
"I dream about that chasm nearly every night," she said. "Sometimes I
think the Indians came back and got the stuff, Betty. They're so clever
about climbing, and I know they wouldn't easily give up.
Pages:
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162