At the station Betty and her trunk were put down,
and then she had a few minutes to speak to Fred while Mr. Peabody was
talking to the freight agent, who was also the passenger agent, the
telegraph clerk and the janitor.
"Don't you want some money?" whispered Fred hurriedly. "Mother told
me to ask you. And she sent you this."
He thrust into her hands a box of lunch.
"I have a check I want to cash," said Betty nervously. "Will the
station agent do it, do you suppose? It's for fifty dollars. And,
Fred, Pineville is quarantined for smallpox and I want to go to
Washington, but I didn't want Mr. Peabody to know. Hush! Here he
comes now!"
Fred Keppler had what his fond mother called a "good head," and as
Peabody and the agent stopped in the station doorway to continue
their discussion he proceeded to bear out her theory by thrusting a
wad of bills into Betty's hand.
"Money for the calves," he explained. "Just fifty there. Haven't
seen Dad to turn it over to him. Give me the check and it will be all
right. And you ask Dan Gowdy, the agent, about trains. I guess he can
dope out a way to get you to Washington. You still have ten minutes."
"Good-by, and thank you heaps!" cried Betty warmly, shaking his
hand.
Pages:
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78