Tabitha's Vacation, page 89 by Ruth Alberta Brown
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s haunted and no one ever goes there now, not even Tabitha, who ain't afraid of a thing."
The stranger rose slowly to his feet, yawned as if bored by their chatter, picked up his hat, and started for the door; then paused, and casually surveying the pan of taffy on the window sill, remarked, "Believe if I was you, I'd eat that all up before the rest of the folks get back. There's just about enough for three, and I've a notion that Miss Tabitha will think you didn't keep your promise very well if she ever finds out how near you came to setting the house a-fire. She'll never dare trust you again. It might be well not to mention that I dropped in, either. Tramps aren't often welcome visitors, even in a mining camp, you know. But I appreciate your dinner, and thank you kindly. Good-day, ladies."
"Good-day," they echoed mechanically, and with puzzled eyes watched him disappear in the direction of the railroad station on the flats. Then they faced each other.
"Do you s'pose we better--" began Susie slowly.
"Not tell?" ventured Inez.
"And eat all the candy ourselves?" added Irene.
There was a moment's pause while three active brains worked furiously.
Then Susie sighed, "I b'lieve he's right. Tabitha would never trust us again. We better keep still about the whole thing."
"Then we'll have to hurry and clear up this mess," said Irene. "We can hide the candy until later, but this table would give everything away."
So the trio flew to work again, put away the remains of the tramp's dinner, washed the telltale dishes, and had the kitchen in its usual spick and span order when the rest of the large family returned an hour later from their sojourn to the river. If their consciences pricked them a little for their deception, they said nothing, not even to each other; and it was several days before the young housekeeper discovered their secret.
CHAPTER XI
IN THE CANYON
The next