“See them?” they’d ask Dadda and old Joe, as they came in, in the evening. But they were always doomed to disappointment.
But one day old Joe had good news.
“Yes, I seen ’em to-day,” he said, as he unsaddled his horse. “I called there with a sheep notice.”
“Oh, Joe! How many—what are they like? What did they say?”
A volley of questions were hurled at him.
“She seems a nice lady——”
“But the children, Joe—what about——”
“Children?” echoed Joe. “Who said there was children?” he went on, in his most tantalising manner.
“Oh, Joe! but there are, aren’t there? Oh, tell us, Joe.”
“If there’s no children, I’ll go—I’ll go and drownd myself,” cried Doris, bursting into tears. “I will—I’ll go and drownd myself——”