The boy had removed his shoes and now he stole noiselessly into the room.

“Dorothy!  Dorothy!” he whispered.  “Are you asleep?”

Dorothy pushed the napkin from her eyes, and raised her arm to invite her brother’s kiss.

“Poor, dear Doro!” he murmured, pressing his cheek to her hot brow.  “I am sorry for you—­every one is,” and he kissed her again.  “But I have to hurry.  Aunt Libby may come back.”

He was looking for something in his blouse.

“I had a note from Tavia,” he said.  “She has gone away—­”

“Gone away!” gasped the sick girl.

“Oh, only for a little while.  Where is that note!”

The boy unbuttoned his waist, he even shook it out straight from the string, but no note was to be found in its folds.

“I could not have lost it!” he said, now quite alarmed that the note should have gotten out of his possession.

“What was it about?” asked Dorothy.

“Why—­about—­about why she went away,” stammered the boy, helplessly.

“Don’t you know what was in it?”

“No, it was sealed, and no one but you was to open it.  Where could I have dropped it?  I had it—­let me see.”

The fear that he had dropped the missive where it might be picked up by those not in sympathy with Tavia, and her troubles, now troubled Joe sorely.  He had promised the girl, most particularly, that he would deliver the note to his sister that night, and he waited at Dorothy’s door, risking the displeasure of Aunt Libby in keeping that promise.  But now the very worst thing had happened—­the note was lost!

“Never mind,” whispered Dorothy, “perhaps you will find it in your jacket.  I am sure she only said good-bye; there could not have been anything so very important in it.”

“But if any of the others should get it,” he sighed.  “They could find out where she went, and she most particularly wanted to hide for a few days.”

“Hide!”

“Yes, she told me she was sure Sarah would wake up in a few days and make a ‘clean breast of it.’  Tavia declared she had done nothing wrong herself, and that she was not afraid of anybody, but, she said, there was going to be trouble, and she never ran into trouble when she could run the other way.”

“Well, dear,” said the sister, “you had better go to bed now.  I am so tired and I feel a little like sleeping.  If you find the note, bring it to me in the morning; if you do not find it, there is no need to worry.  Tavia will be back to see me as soon as she hears I am sick,” and, giving the boy a good night kiss, Dorothy closed her eyes, while Joe crept out of the room as noiselessly as he had entered it.

CHAPTER X

APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC

Two long, dreary days had passed.  Dorothy was well again, but, acting upon the advice of Miss Ellis, she remained away from school, to grow strong and take a little rest in the fresh air; to be out of doors as much as possible, the teacher said.