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"You are perfectly safe, Alberdina," said Miss Campbell, "and you are not to go back to New York to-morrow. You are to stay with us and see this thing through. I shall telegraph Mr. Campbell in the morning and have the law on these people. I am sick and tired of their savagery and injustice. The cruel wretches! A long shrill whistle interrupted her outburst.
In due time a telegram was telephoned from the railroad station to the nearest hotel and from thence to the postoffice in the village at the foot of Sunrise Mountain. Here it was written down on a scrap of paper and in the course of events reached Billie Campbell. It said: "Meet Alberdina, fearless Swiss-German. 4.30 train Saturday. Father."
But the motor car with its load of campers had not been long gone when Alberdina withdrew her arms, elbow deep in soapsuds, from the wash tub, and looked around her. "Ach, mein lieber Gott," she said turning her large cow-like eyes on the pile of linen, "I dis worg nod much lige. It is too many. I mag to coog dos clothes and rest. Dis life it all hard worg ees."
"Then you shall cook the dinner," announced Billie firmly, and Alberdina, who had not mentioned cooking in the bond, quailed before her stern gray eye and consented. The afternoon dragged slowly along. It was very hot and the women members of the camp lay on their cots in kimonos reading and napping.
But to her horror and astonishment, when Alberdina made an effort to rise from the low, easy chair, she could not move. She had been bound to the chair with a stout rope, the clothes line in fact. Each fat red hand was secured to an arm of the chair, her feet tied together and her body strapped to the seat and back. Alberdina groaned and her stupid eyes became humid with terror. "Helb!
The innkeeper made a leap for the steps and Lupo followed him. Billie ran to the other end of the gallery so as to get a better aim, and pulled at the trigger. The trunks were swaying and Alberdina had rushed from behind them. "Oh, Nancy, I can't make it go off," Billie sobbed under her breath. "Give it to me," whispered Nancy, seizing the gun and leveling it with trembling hands at Lupo.
"I wish you would teach me a few things, Phoebe. I feel that I am very ignorant." "But I have never been to school," replied Phoebe in astonishment. "There are some things one doesn't learn at school," answered Billie. "You no lig I shall dos clothes coog?" asked Alberdina, the Monday after her arrival. "Boil, you mean?" corrected Miss Campbell. "Certainly.
What little ready money they had the campers had carried with them, and there was no jewelry to steal. Only Alberdina had been robbed. With many deep guttural exclamations she found that her own little emigrant trunk had not been overlooked in the pillage and her purse, containing ten dollars, was gone. The gentleman with the zither turned to go. "I came to find a physician," he said.
"I go now," repeated the strange old creature, pretending not to understand Billie's offer, and she promptly took her leave without another word. Billie gathered up the tray and the coffee things and carried them into the kitchen. "It looks like rain, Alberdina. I think we had better eat indoors to-night," she said.
"Lonesome?" repeated Alberdina, not moving from her ridiculous trunk. "I no time haf had for lonesomes. Many peoples to dis house come crazy peoples men and vimmen, hein? They haf my moneys took already yesterday! Ach, Gott! They haf me tied wid ropes. They have nogged and nogged in the night times. Dos vimmens, I hear the boice already yet. I no lig dees place. I to my home go bag to-day.
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