"The same. He told me to-day as him and the widder owned claims as 'jined, and they'd made up their minds to jine too. And then he haw-haw'd tell you could a-heerd him a mile. By the way, it's the widder that's let the cat out of the bag."
"What cat out of what bag?" asked Lurton.
"Why, how Mr. Charlton come to go to the State boardin'-house fer takin' a land-warrant he didn' take."
"How did she find out?" said Isa. Her voice seemed to be purer and sweeter than ever—happiness had tuned it.
"By list'nin' at the key-hole," said Jim.
"When? What key-hole?"
"When Mr. Lurton and Miss Marlay—I beg your pard'n, Mrs. Charlton—was a-talkin' about haow to git Mr. Charlton out."
"Be careful," said Lurton. "You shouldn't make such a charge unless you have authority."
Jim looked at Lurton a moment indignantly. "Thunder and lightnin'," he said, "Dave tole me so hisself! Said she tole him. And Dave larfed over it, and thought it 'powerful cute' in her, as he said in his Hoosier lingo;" and Jim accompanied this last remark with a patronizing look at Gray.
"Charlton, what are you thinking about?" asked Lurton when conversation flagged.