NAN DISAPPOINTED.
In spite of her resolve to waken before dawn, Nan did not open her eyes
until the sunlight was flooding in at the wide bow window. Springing up,
she began at once to dress quietly, and then, with a last glance at
Phyllis who seemed to be sleeping she left the room, but her friend had
opened her eyes in time to see Nan stealing out so silently.
However, this was not unusual, for the gypsy girl, who in her childhood
had always been up to greet the dawn, often went to the top of Little
Pine Hill to watch the sunrise and to remember many things, and so since
it was still too early to dress, Phyllis nestled back for another few
moments of slumber.
Meanwhile Nan, with the dark cloak wrapped snugly about her, for the
morning air was tinglingly cold, hurried across the wide grounds and down
to the hedge near the highway, but she paused at the gate and gazed, not
at the caravan as she had hoped, but at the charred remains of the camp
fire.
Her gypsy friends were gone! Truly disappointed, she was about to return
when she saw something white pinned to a great pine tree, and wondering
what it could be, she slipped through the gate and looked at it more
closely. It was a piece of folded wrapping paper addressed to "The Pretty
Leicheen." She was sure that it was intended for her. The kind gypsy
woman had left some message. Opening it, she read: "We could not wait,
dearie. We must be in the next town by noon. A girl from the school came
to us last night. She tries to harm you. If you are not happy, come to
us. We will be there until tomorrow, Queen Luella."
Nan folded the paper again and placed it in her pocket. Then she stood
looking down the highway, shining in the sun, and there were many
emotions in her heart, but she was most conscious of a loneliness, for
once more she had lost a possible opportunity of hearing about her dear
Manna Lou. If only she had Binnie, she could gallop after the caravan and
soon overtake it, but the pony, that had been her comrade in those other
days, was still at San Seritos. Then, with a sigh, she turned back and
slowly crossed the school grounds.
Happening to slip her hand into the pocket of her coat, she touched the
folded paper and then she remembered the message that it contained. What
could Queen Luella have meant? She, Nan Barrington, had an enemy? Nan
wished harm to no one and she always tried to be kind, then why should
there be someone wishing to harm her?
"Well, early bird," Phyllis sang out as Nan entered their room, "what did
you capture this morning? Wet feet, for one thing."
"Right you are," the gypsy girl gaily replied as she threw off the long
wrap and sat on a low stool to change her shoes. The cloak fell over a
chair and from the pocket a paper fluttered to the floor near Phyllis.
Nan hurriedly reached for it and tearing it into small bits, she tossed
the pieces into a waste basket. Her friend was indeed puzzled. It was so
unlike her room-mate to have secrets. What could it all mean? She
wondered as she gazed into the mirror and brushed her long, sunlit hair.
Phyllis felt a desire to go to her friend and put her arms about her and
beg to be allowed to help if anything had gone wrong, but she did not for
she well knew that Nan would tell her if it were something that she
wished to share.
The gypsy girl said suddenly after several moments of deep thought, "do
you think that I have an enemy in this school?"
"An enemy? _You_, Nan? No indeed! Everyone loves you! How could they help
it? You are always doing nice things for the girls and I never heard you
say an unkind word about anyone, so how could you have an enemy?" Phyllis
was amazed at the suggestion.
Nan rose and laughingly embraced her friend. "Well," she merrily
declared, "it is quite evident that you, at least, are not that enemy.
Don't think anything more about it. I was sure that I did not have one.
Good! There's the breakfast bell." But, try as she might to forget, she
could not, and during the morning meal, Nan's glance roamed from one face
to another as she wondered who among the pupils of Pine Crest Seminary
had, the night before, visited the gypsy camp.