"She isn't there." "She must be around here somewhere. She has no wings; she can't fly." "I'm not so sure of that." Mr. Alder smiled in a puzzled way at Mr. Ladd. "That's just like you men." Mrs. Alder went to the door and called as loudly as she could. Then she went to the barn and called again. She looked all about. Mr. Alder looked all about. Mr. Ladd looked all about. They all called once more. It was of no use. Clematis was gone. CHAPTER XVIII HUNTING FOR CLEMATIS Mr. Alder looked at Mr. Ladd. Mr. Ladd looked at Mrs. Alder. They all looked at each other. What should they do? "Well," said Mrs. Alder at last, "you drive down street with Mr. Ladd and find out if any one has seen her. I will look all about the farm." The men had not gone far down the street when they met a boy. "Hi, Ned! have you seen our little girl?" called Mr. Alder. "Who, Clematis? Have you lost her?" "No, she has lost herself. Have you seen her?" "My gracious, no." His blue eyes opened almost as wide as butter plates. "Well, tell any one you see that she's lost; that's a good boy." "My gracious, I guess I will." Off ran little Ned Atkinson, as fast as his legs would carry him. He told every one he met, but no one had seen Clematis. Not far down the street Mr. Knapp came rolling out of his yard. "Have you seen that little girl of ours, Mr. Knapp?" "Yes, yes. I saw her. She's a likely gal. Quite spry." "Where was she?" Both men spoke at once. [Illustration: "I sha'n't be afraid"] "Oh, right along here, yesterday morning." "I mean today. Have you seen her today?" "No, no, I haven't set eyes on her today. What's the matter? Is she lost?" "It looks as if she were lost. We can't find her." "Well, she'll be back. 'Let 'em alone, And they'll come home, Wagging their tails behind them.'" They heard his great voice echo down the river, as they drove on. Nobody had seen Clematis. Nobody knew anything about her. Mrs. Alder looked everywhere at home. Her bag and box were neatly packed and ready, but there was no sign of the little girl who owned them. Many people were looking for Clematis that afternoon. Ned Atkinson ran everywhere, telling people about the lost girl. They looked in the woods and in the fields. They looked all along the river banks. When night came, they were still hunting, but had found no trace of Clematis. "I can't sleep a wink tonight," said Mrs. Alder. "I think the child must be crazy, to run off like that." "I don't feel much like sleep myself," Mr. Alder replied. "I wonder where she can be hiding." The next morning many people came to ask if Clematis had been found. "No, no, no. There isn't a sign of her anywhere. I don't know what we shall do." Mrs. Alder made the same answer to every one. During the day people still looked about in new places. Afternoon came again, but no Clematis came with it.