"Go right on," assented the woman, who was dressed in the garb of
a nurse. "I think the talk will do her good; she has been so
anxious about it all."

"And these two people talked with you?" pursued Jack.

"Why, yes. The girl sat down on the roadside, and mother stopped
my chair. Let me see; I think mother went into the little candy
shop and left them with me. They were very pleasant. I am sure
they would never touch my book."

"Did you tell them what it was?"

"I did, of course. I always told everybody what my precious book
was. I asked them to sign my promise, and they both did so."

"Oh!" exclaimed Jack, whistling his punctuation. "They did sign,
did they?"

"Why, I thought you knew that," replied Wren. "But I did not see
the book after they signed, so I do not know their names. You
see, mother was in a hurry, and they just gave me the book and -
Oh, what could have become of my precious book!" she broke off,
her voice like a cry from her very heart.

"Well, now there!" soothed Jack. "I knew I should not have
distressed you about it. But, you see, I had to know, else I
could not find it. Now I feel I shall have it back to you in jig
time. Brace up, little girl"; and he tried to impart both courage