lunch-basket in one hand and her two school-books in the other. She
stepped off so briskly and was in such cheerful spirits that I stood at
the window and watched her until she passed around the bend in the
road."

Nick felt his heart sink within him, for the words of the teacher had
let in a great deal of alarming truth upon him.

Nellie had reached the forks two hours ahead of him, and then, not
wishing to sit down and wait, she had started up the road in the
direction of Dunbarton to meet him. She must have entered the eight mile
stretch of woods from the south about the same time Nick himself drove
into it on his return from Dunbarton.

The two should have met near Shark Creek, but neither had seen the
other. Nick, as a matter of course, had kept to the road, but what had
become of Nellie?

This was the question the lad put to himself, and which caused him to
feel so faint that he sank down in a chair unable to speak for a minute
or two. Then, when he tried to do so, he had to stop, and was kept busy
swallowing the lump that would rise in his throat, until finally the
tears suddenly appeared, and, putting his hands to his eyes, he gave way
to his grief.

"There, there," said Mr. Layton soothingly, "don't cry, Nick, for it
will do no good. Nellie has strayed off in the woods to gather flowers
or perhaps wild grapes and has missed her way."

"She--is--lost--poor--Nellie!" said the lad as best he could between his