"
"Sanpritchit over Sunday," I repeated to myself.
"It's the greatest pity," said the woman, "that they didn't know you and
the other gentleman--that is, if he is with you--were coming back
to-day, for I am sure they would have been glad to take you with them.
There's room enough on that yacht, and will be more; for Mr. Heming, the
gentleman that collects shells, is not coming back with them. They are
to put him off somewhere, and he is going home. I have an idea, though I
wasn't told so, that Miss Raynor is not coming back with the rest. She
brought very little baggage with her, but she took a lot of things on
board the yacht, and that looks as if she wasn't coming back. But, bless
me, they went off in such a hurry I didn't have time to ask questions."
I now turned to go, but the woman obliged me to inform her that I had
not come to camp on the island, and that I was staying with Captain
Jabe.
"When they go off in this way," she said, "they take the maids, and
leave me and my husband in charge; and if you should fancy to come here
and camp again, I know that Mrs. Raynor would wish me to make things as
comfortable for you as I can, which, too, I'll be very glad to do."
I thanked her, and went away. "This good woman," said I to myself, "is
the person who would have read my message to Sylvia, had I been foolish
enough to hang one to the twig of the tree.
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