His canoe became a
dark spot on the water; slowly it faded till only the flashing
paddle was seen, and that was lost around a headland.
The next day Rolf was sorry he let Quonab go alone, for it was
evident that Van Trumper needed no help for a month yet; that is,
he could not afford to hire, and while it was well enough for
Rolf to stay a few days and work to equalize his board, the
arrangement would not long continue satisfactory to both.
Yet there was one thing he must do before leaving, take Annette
to pick out her dress. She was well again now, and they set off
one morning in the canoe, she and Rolf. Neither father nor mother
could leave the house. They had their misgivings, but what could
they do? She was bright and happy, full of the childish joy that
belongs to that age, and engaged on such an important errand for
the first time in her life.
There was something more than childish joy showing in her face,
an older person would have seen that, but it was largely lost on
Rolf. There was a tendency to blush when she laughed, a
disposition to tease her "big brother," to tyrannize over him in
little things.
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