“Yes, I know. But this may alter her plans. And besides, she will surely give her forwarding address to Mrs. Hilliard. She has no reason to hide; she doesn’t have any idea that her daughter or her husband is suspected of stealing.”
“I hope you’re right, Miss Gay.... Now, tell me what happened to your head.”
“I was riding in an open car, and a stone fell out of a tree and hit me,” she answered simply.
The older woman pulled down the corners of her mouth and looked doubtful.
“Of course, she’s thinking I’m just a wild young girl,” Mary Louise concluded. But it really didn’t matter in the least to her what Miss Stoddard chose to believe about her. “Well, I must get to bed, Miss Stoddard,” she said aloud. “So good-night.”
“Good-night,” returned the other, carefully locking the door after Mary Louise went out.
A moment later the girl joined Mrs. Hilliard and Max on the first floor.
“Miss Stoddard thinks Miss Weinberger eloped this afternoon,” she announced.
Mrs. Hilliard laughed incredulously.
“Old maids love to imagine romances,” she said. “Well, we’ll see.... Now, don’t you think you had better go to bed?” she asked Mary Louise in a motherly way.