CHAPTER V - MISSING AGAIN KAPITEL V - WIEDER VERSCHWUNDEN CAPITOLO V - DI NUOVO SCOMPARSO

"And to think that in a few more days we'll leave all this behind us—all the cold, the icicles, the snow, the biting winds—leave it all, and sail into a land of sunshine and oranges and Spanish moss and magnolias and——" "E pensare che tra pochi giorni ci lasceremo tutto questo alle spalle - tutto il freddo, i ghiaccioli, la neve, i venti pungenti - e salperemo verso una terra di sole e arance e muschio spagnolo e magnolie e...". "Alligators!" finished Betty for Grace, who was thus going into raptures over the prospect before them, as she looked over the wintry landscape that was in full view just outside the window of Amy's home. concluse Betty per Grace, che stava andando in visibilio per la prospettiva che avevano davanti, mentre guardava il paesaggio invernale che era in piena vista appena fuori dalla finestra della casa di Amy. I say Amy's home, for, though it had developed that she was no relative of Mr. and Mrs. Stonington, still they insisted that she call their home hers as long as she liked. Dico casa di Amy, perché, sebbene si fosse capito che non era una parente dei signori Stonington, questi insistettero perché chiamasse la loro casa sua finché le piacesse. So it was at Amy's home, then, that her chums had gathered to talk over the trip to Florida. Fu quindi a casa di Amy che le sue amiche si riunirono per parlare del viaggio in Florida. It was the day after the somewhat startling developments regarding Will Ford, and Mr. Ford, true to his determination, had telegraphed his son twenty-five dollars. Era il giorno successivo agli sviluppi un po' sorprendenti riguardanti Will Ford e il signor Ford, fedele alla sua determinazione, aveva telegrafato al figlio venticinque dollari.

"Well, of course Florida will be lovely!" exclaimed Mollie, "and I love oranges——" "To say nothing of orange blossoms," interjected Grace. "Per non parlare dei fiori d'arancio", interviene Grace. "I said oranges!" went on Mollie, putting emphasis on the word. "I like them as well as anyone, but I love winter and skating and ice boating, too." "Mi piacciono come a tutti, ma amo anche l'inverno, il pattinaggio e la navigazione sul ghiaccio". "Oh, I just can't bear cold weather!" "Oh, io non sopporto il freddo!". said Grace, with a shiver, and a look toward the chair on which, in a fluffy pile, rested her furs—and Grace looked handsome in the sable set that her father had given to her at Christmas. disse Grace, con un brivido e uno sguardo verso la sedia su cui, in un soffice mucchio, riposavano le sue pellicce - e Grace era bellissima nel set di zibellini che suo padre le aveva regalato a Natale.

"You didn't seem so cold when we were up in the old lumber camp," remarked Betty. "Non sembravi così freddo quando eravamo nel vecchio campo di legname", osservò Betty. "You skated and ice-boated with the rest of us, and seemed to enjoy it." "I know, but it was a different sort of cold up there—so dry, and not so penetrating as down here. "Lo so, ma il freddo lassù era diverso, così secco e non così penetrante come quaggiù. The wind seems to go right through me," and again the tall girl shivered. Il vento sembra attraversarmi", e di nuovo la ragazza alta rabbrividì. "It doesn't take long——" began Mollie, and then she stopped short and bit her lips to keep back a smile. "Non ci vuole molto..." iniziò Mollie, poi si fermò di colpo e si morse le labbra per trattenere un sorriso. "Long to do what?" asked Grace, curiously.

"Never mind," spoke Mollie. "You might get angry." "Potresti arrabbiarti". "I will not. I haven't your——" This time it was Grace who caught herself in time.

"Go on—say it. You may as well as think it!" Tanto vale che lo pensiate!". snapped Mollie, with some asperity. scattò Mollie, con una certa asprezza. "You were going to say you hadn't my temper, weren't you, now?" "Stavi per dire che non avevi il mio carattere, vero?". "Well, yes, I was," said Grace, slowly. "And you were going to say I was so thin that the wind didn't take long to go through me; weren't you?" challenged Grace. sfidato Grace.

"Yes, I was, and——" "Girls—Mollie—Grace!" cried Betty, anxious not to see a quarrel. gridò Betty, ansiosa di non assistere a un litigio. "What can I do to pour oil on troubled waters? "Cosa posso fare per versare olio sulle acque agitate? Let's talk about—Florida." Parliamo della Florida". "Don't pour cod liver oil, whatever you do," said Grace, quickly. "Non versare olio di fegato di merluzzo, qualunque cosa tu faccia", disse Grace, rapidamente. "I had to take some of the horrid stuff the last cough I had, and I can taste it yet. "Ho dovuto prendere un po' di quella roba orribile l'ultima volta che ho avuto la tosse, e ne sento ancora il sapore. Where are my chocolates? Oh, thank you, Amy," as the latter passed them over. Oh, grazie, Amy", mentre quest'ultima glieli passava. "Have some. These have maraschino cherries inside." "Leave it to Grace to discover something luxurious in the candy line," observed Mollie. "Lascia a Grace il compito di scoprire qualcosa di lussuoso nella linea dei dolci", osservò Mollie. "Well, I notice that you're only too glad to eat them," and Grace fairly snapped out the words. "Beh, ho notato che siete troppo contenti di mangiarli", e Grace disse le parole di getto. "Oh, dear! It seems hopeless to keep peace between you two to-day," sighed Betty. Sembra impossibile mantenere la pace tra voi due oggi", sospirò Betty. "Can't you be nice? "Non puoi essere gentile? Especially after Amy has asked us over here to talk about the trip. Soprattutto dopo che Amy ci ha chiesto di parlare del viaggio. Let's talk about——" "What to wear!" "Cosa indossare!" exclaimed Amy, with a bright thought. esclamò Amy, con un pensiero luminoso. "You see we'll have to take two sets of clothing. One to wear until we get to Florida, and the other after we arrive at the orange grove. We'll need thin things there. Avremo bisogno di cose sottili lì. Aunt Stonington is making me up some pretty voile and white muslin dresses." Zia Stonington mi sta preparando dei bei vestiti di voile e mussola bianca". "I was wondering whether I ought to take my furs," said Grace. "Mi chiedevo se dovessi prendere le mie pellicce", disse Grace. "Furs in Florida!" cried Mollie. "Never!" "But it will be cold going down," said Grace. "Ma scendendo farà freddo", disse Grace. "It's cold even in Washington, now. I think I'll wear them. I may not get another chance this winter if we stay there very long." Potrei non avere un'altra occasione quest'inverno se rimaniamo lì a lungo". "We can stay as long as we like," said Amy. "Uncle Stonington says he'll remain until Spring, anyhow, for the business will take until then to get going properly. "Lo zio Stonington dice che resterà comunque fino a primavera, perché l'attività richiederà fino ad allora per essere avviata correttamente. Then, too, he is anxious about Aunty's health. The doctor says the longer she stays in a mild climate the better she will be." Il medico dice che più sta in un clima mite e meglio starà". "She doesn't look very well," spoke Betty in a low voice. Mrs. Stonington had greeted the girls as they came to call on Amy, and had then gone to lie down. La signora Stonington aveva salutato le ragazze quando erano venute a far visita ad Amy, e poi si era coricata. The callers had all noticed how frail and worn she seemed. Tutti i chiamanti avevano notato quanto sembrasse fragile e sciupata. Perhaps the shock of almost losing Amy had something to do with it. Forse lo shock di aver quasi perso Amy ha avuto a che fare con questo. But there also appeared to be the seeds of some deep-seated malady present in her system. Ma sembravano esserci anche i semi di qualche malattia profonda presente nel suo sistema. And a look at Mr. Stonington's face told that he, too, was worrying. Un'occhiata al volto del signor Stonington indicava che anche lui era preoccupato. But the trip to Florida might work wonders. They all hoped so, at any rate. Tutti lo speravano, in ogni caso.

"If we're going to take Bet's boat we ought to wear our sailor suits part of the time," suggested Mollie. "Are you going to take the Gem? " "Hai intenzione di prendere la Gemma? " "What about that, Amy?" "Che ne pensi, Amy?" questioned Betty. "Did you inquire whether there are navigable waters near the orange grove?" "There are. The grove is near the town of Bentonville, on the Mayfair River, which empties into Lake Chad, so I think there will be plenty of chance to go boating. Il boschetto si trova vicino alla città di Bentonville, sul fiume Mayfair, che sfocia nel lago Chad, quindi penso che ci saranno molte possibilità di andare in barca. The grove is in the Indian River section, where some of the finest oranges grow." "Then the Gem goes along," decided Betty. "Allora la Gemma va avanti", decise Betty. "I'm going to stop at the freight office on my way home, and see about having it crated and shipped." "Tornando a casa, mi fermerò all'ufficio merci e vedrò di farlo imballare e spedire". Discussing what they would take in the way of dresses, and other feminine accessories, talking over prospective trips in the motor boat, speculating as to whether Will or any of his boy chums would go to Florida for a brief visit, made the winter afternoon pass quickly.

"It would be nice if Will and some of the other boys could come down," said Mollie, reflectively. "By 'some of the others' meaning Allen Washburn, I suppose," said Mollie, slyly, for Betty's liking for the young lawyer was no secret, nor was his for her. "Con 'alcuni degli altri' si intende Allen Washburn, suppongo", disse Mollie, sorniona, perché la simpatia di Betty per il giovane avvocato non era un segreto, né lo era quella di lui per lei. "Speak for yourself, please," said the "Little Captain," a flush mounting to her already rosy cheeks. "Parla per te, per favore", disse il "Piccolo Capitano", con un rossore che le saliva sulle guance già rosee. "Though of course if Will is coming home he won't want to go back again," she concluded. "Hardly, I fancy," agreed Grace. "Difficilmente, credo", concordò Grace. "That's the last chocolate. I must get some more for to-night. Devo prenderne altri per stasera. Who's going downtown?" Chi va in centro?". They all were, it developed, and on the way Betty stopped at the railroad freight office and arranged to have a man sent to the boathouse to crate the Gem . Lo erano tutti, e durante il tragitto Betty si fermò all'ufficio merci della ferrovia e fece in modo che un uomo venisse mandato alla rimessa delle barche per imballare la Gemma. Then it could be taken to the railroad on a truck. Poi potrebbe essere portato alla ferrovia su un camion.

"And what will we do with it when we get to Bentonville?" "E cosa ne faremo quando arriveremo a Bentonville?". asked Amy. "It does look so big out of the water," for, after the visit to the freight office they had gone to where the Gem was stored in winter quarters. "Sembra così grande fuori dall'acqua", perché, dopo la visita all'ufficio merci, si erano recati nel luogo in cui la Gemma era stata sistemata nei quartieri invernali. "Oh, we can manage it there," said Betty. "Oh, lì possiamo farcela", disse Betty. "There must be plenty of men and trucks down there." "Devono esserci molti uomini e camion laggiù". "Uncle Stonington says there are other motor boats on the river, so there must be ways of getting them on and off," put in Amy. "Lo zio Stonington dice che ci sono altre barche a motore sul fiume, quindi ci deve essere un modo per farle salire e scendere", ha aggiunto Amy. Grace got her chocolates, and also insisted on buying hot drinks for her chums.

"For I simply can't seem to get warm," she declared, as she sipped hers. "Perché non riesco proprio a scaldarmi", dichiarò, mentre sorseggiava il suo. "And with all those furs," remarked Betty. "E con tutte quelle pellicce", osservò Betty. "I guess you'll have to live in the South in Winter, Grace." "I wish I could." "Vorrei poterlo fare". As the girls walked with Grace toward her house, the Ford home being the first on their way, they saw a messenger boy with his little black-covered book and a bunch of telegrams just turning into the gate. Mentre le ragazze camminavano con Grace verso casa sua, essendo la casa dei Ford la prima del loro percorso, videro un fattorino con il suo piccolo libro dalla copertina nera e un mazzo di telegrammi che stava entrando nel cancello.

"There's a message!" exclaimed Grace, breaking into a run. esclamò Grace, prendendo la rincorsa. "I want to take it from him before he rings the bell. Mamma is so nervous at the sight of a telegram. She always thinks the worst thing has happened. I suppose this is from Will, saying he is on his way home. Poor boy! he has had a lesson." ha ricevuto una lezione". "I feel sorry for him, too," said Betty. "I'll take the message," spoke Grace to the boy, as she signed the extended book. "Prendo io il messaggio", disse Grace al ragazzo, mentre firmava il libro esteso. "Prepaid? Yes. Here is a dime for yourself. Ecco una moneta per te. Get a hot chocolate; you must be cold." Prendi una cioccolata calda; devi avere freddo". "T'anks!" was the reply. "I kin git two for dat!" "Posso averne due per questo!". "I hope he won't buy cigarettes," ventured Mollie. "Spero che non compri sigarette", azzardò Mollie. "Nonsense!" answered Grace, as she tore open the message, which was addressed to her father. rispose Grace, mentre apriva il messaggio, indirizzato al padre. She felt she had a right to do this, as, had it been some business communication, she argued, it would have gone to Mr. Ford's office. Riteneva di avere il diritto di farlo, perché se si fosse trattato di una comunicazione d'affari, sosteneva, sarebbe andata all'ufficio del signor Ford. Grace felt sure it was from her brother.

Quickly she read the brief message in the waning light of the winter day. Lesse rapidamente il breve messaggio nella luce calante del giorno invernale. Then she swayed and her face paled. Poi ondeggiò e il suo viso impallidì.

"What is it—bad news?" asked Betty quickly, as she put her arms around her chum.

"Yes—yes. It's about—Will. Read it. Poor mother! How can I tell her? And she has been expecting him so!" Betty glanced at the few words. Betty diede un'occhiata alle poche parole. They were:

"Cannot locate Will Ford at Jacksonville address given. "Impossibile rintracciare Will Ford all'indirizzo di Jacksonville indicato. Am holding the twenty-five dollars subject to your order. Sto trattenendo i venticinque dollari oggetto del vostro ordine. Party was at address noted, but information to our agent here is to effect that young man left in company with a labor contractor who does not bear a very good reputation. Il partito era all'indirizzo indicato, ma secondo le informazioni ricevute dal nostro agente qui, il giovane è partito in compagnia di un imprenditore che non gode di buona reputazione. Young man's boarding mistress worried. What shall we do?" The message was to Mr. Ford. Il messaggio era rivolto al signor Ford. It was from Jacksonville, and was signed by the telegraph operator there.

"Will is missing again!" sobbed Grace. "Oh, what shall I do? What shall I do?" Cosa devo fare?"