The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-09

| the others were prompt and unani- nous in their recital of events. Ginger had gone for walk iri l the woods with Cotton and Speed. They returned laughing. in the best of spirits, and they had left her at the boat-landing, Ginger asking Ithem to send Eddy down to her. Cotton and Speed agreed that they
 had left her quite doubled up with laughter. chortling gleefully over a
 joke on Eddy Jackson. "But she hasn't been in good spirits at all," protested Phil. "Shc's been terribly unhappy" 's @ v we cheered her up," insisted Cotton. We told her something that put her in the very best of spirits
 What in the world did you tell
 herr"
 Mrs Tolliver." said Cotton siin- ply. "of course will tell you if you world to do with the case. It was
 just a little secret between us three"
 Speed slowly, ''now that really understand the lay of the land, think what really cheered her up was my telling her that had asked Bard to keep Cotton away from Eddy Jackson. Don't you remember. | Cotton? She made me tell her three times over, and then she took my hand and burst out laughing, and said, "Oh, Eddy! Oh, how gorgeousF over and over again"
 But why in the world did you .xA kN A o,7nh a thing gst calculated Phil.
 .Because," confessed Speed shamefacedly. T thought she was jealous because Cotton made such a fuss over Eddy. wasn't on about Bard"
 Phil rolled expressive eyes toward heaven. "Go on," she said at last In q strangled voice. You left her at the landing"
 That was really all there was to ttell. They had joined Bard where he was painting at the edge of the wood and waited for Pat and Eddy to come back from their walk. Gin- ger did not come. Eddy went to the and she was not there. No one had seen her since.
 "And where were - all the others?" asked Phil quietly. The others, it seemed, had been | all over the place doing their ac- customed work. Pietro had prepared luncheon for them, Benito had fed | and watered his birds and caught fish for their supper. and Angelo worked in the garden. They had as-
 sisted in the search for her through the woods and throughout the cot
 tage. -
 Phirs first inclination was to notify the sheriff immediately and get in touch with the state police who patrolled the highway. but Mr Tolliver hesitated to adopt so drastic a measure until 1t was found l to be absolutely necessary. "Cinger Is 50 proud" he said. "lf she has gone off alone to wear out a 1t of the sulks the publicity would embarrass her terribly" !. "But Ginger would not do that
 said Phil. T know her. She could never be so cross or worried that she would deliberately alarm us like
 this without reason. Something has happened to her."
 has fallen in the woods and hurt herself, sprained an ankle or tainted" said Eddy. That's the only way I can account for 1t. I agree with Phil--she wouldn't do this on purpose"
 "Go and look in the woods again. boys, and have Benito call her. We
 must try to figure out how best to I 20 about this"
 A shrill and piercing shriek from | Jenky drew them to the open door.
 She was flying up the gravel path | protectingly over her head. one hand stretched out at full length before her. and gripped between her Ithumb and forefinger as if t were something poisonous was bit cf common string. from the end of which dangled q scrap of brown iwrappinG paper.