breath with a sob and went swiftly out of the cabin. He
heard her calling her children and directing them:

"Wesley and Saint Anne, little brother has run away. He's done that
before, so don't be frightened. He's always been found--he will be
now. But mamma may not be back by sundown and you, Wesley, must do the
milking and lay the fire ready for lighting in the morning. Saint
Anne, my precious little care-taker, see well after the others and
give the sick boy his supper of cream and oatmeal which was sent.
Don't feel lonely because both papa and mamma are away. The dear God
is right here with you, you know, in your little bedroom and close
outside the window. No harm can happen where God is, you know, and now
good-bye."

She had kissed them all around and only Saint Anne noticed her lips
trembled. Then she had gone swiftly away in one direction which they
knew well. It was toward the little whirlpool in the woods, caused by
the sudden meeting of two small streams and named Tony's Eddy, because
a man named Tony had been drowned there.

It was a spot all the cabin children, except Saint Augustine, greatly
feared. He liked it because "papa does," and was never happier than
when Corny took him on a ramble thither. Lucetta had protested against
these visits to the dangerous place, but her fear had been laughed
down by her light-hearted husband.

"Fall into the Eddy? Why, woman dear, he will scarcely look into it
when I try to make him. Just shivers in a silly way, and makes up all
sorts of queer yarns about it. The Eddy fascinates him but scares him,
too. He believes that bad fairies live in it and if he should go too
near they'd come out and drag him down with them to destruction. Oh!
you needn't worry about Tony's Eddy."

Alas! for her peace of mind, now that Saint Augustine had disappeared,
"The Eddy!" was her first and only thought.

Jim searched in an opposite direction.

"I believe he's gone to find the monkeys. He was talking of them
almost the last thing. Horrid things! I wish they'd never been heard
of. They've made more trouble than human beings could, try their best!
Or, maybe, child like, he's gone to dig that wonderful 'treasure' out
of the ground and to buy you the silk dress he'd heard about. Dear
little kid! He was as earnest as a man, almost!" said Jim, trying to
comfort the mother-heart that suffered so.

"You look. I'll look. He must be found. I can't meet Corny's eyes and
tell him that our boy