He took off his hat and wiped his forehead and he
said--it didn't seem as though it could be Uncle Henry talking, he
sounded so excited--"Well, well--well, by gosh! My! Well, by thunder!
Now! And so here ye are! And you're all right! WELL!"
He couldn't seem to stop exclaiming, and you can't imagine anything
stranger than an Uncle Henry who couldn't stop exclaiming.
After they all got into the buggy he quieted down a little and said,
"Thunderation! But we've had a scare! When the Wendells come back with
their cousins early this afternoon, they said you were coming with the
Vaughans. And then when you didn't come and DIDN'T come, we telephoned
to the Vaughans, and they said they hadn't seen hide nor hair of ye, and
didn't even know you were TO the Fair at all! I tell you, your Aunt
Abigail and I had an awful turn! Ann and I hitched up quicker'n scat and
she put right out with Prince up toward Woodford and I took Jessie down
this way; thought maybe I'd get trace of ye somewhere here. Well, land!"
He wiped his forehead again. "Wa'n't I glad to see you standin'
there ... get along, Jess! I want to get the news to Abigail soon as I
can!"
"Now tell me what in thunder DID happen to you!"
Betsy began at the beginning and told straight through, interrupted at
first by indignant comments from Uncle Henry, who was outraged by the
Wendells' loose wearing of their responsibility for the children.
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