One Came Home

Georgie blames herself for Agatha’s death, certain that if she hadn’t told Mr. Olmstead about Agatha kissing Billy, Agatha would still be home and alive. Billy warns her to stop thinking such thoughts, but these thoughts give Georgie an idea. She returns to the store and asks the woman where the pigeon hunters might have gone. After some hemming and hawing, the woman tells Georgie to visit the Garrows, who live outside of town. Georgie convinces Billy to take half a day to investigate the family.

After traveling on a narrow, winding road, Georgie and Billy arrive at the Garrows’ farm, which is built into a tall hill. The Garrows are a family of redheads, and their eldest daughter has recently disappeared. Georgie can’t believe the disappearance of two redheaded girls from the same area is a coincidence. She shows the family Agatha’s picture, but they haven’t seen her. As the parents go back inside, one of the girls takes an interest in Georgie’s mule, and Georgie notices a ribbon in the girl’s hair that’s “a most unusual shade of blue green” (152). Georgie offers the girl a licorice stick and snatches the ribbon while she’s distracted.