“I know it, but that cuts no ice with Pa Appleby. He plans to oust Mr. Allen and put his son in his place.”
“Oh, he does, does he?” Maida’s heart sank, for she had anticipated something like this. “Am I to be consulted?”
“Now, look here, Maida Wheeler. You needn’t take that attitude, for it won’t get you anywhere. You don’t know Mr. Appleby as I do. What he says goes—goes, understand?”
Maida went white. “But such a thing as you speak of won’t go!” she exclaimed.
“I’m not sure it won’t, if he so ordains it,” Miss Lane said, gravely. “But I just wanted your assurance that you don’t hanker after Sammy-boy, so I can go ahead and annex him myself.”
“In defiance of Mr. Appleby’s intents?”
“I may be able to circumvent him. I’m some little schemer myself. And he may die.”
“What?”
“Yep. He has an unsatisfactory heart, and it may go back on him at any minute.”
“What a thing to bank on!”