I slipped out of the door, and passing behind a hedge, made my way to the road. As I did so, Mr. Woodward and Stumpy turned from the highway and walked directly up the gravel path that led to the house!
I was dumfounded by this movement. What did they mean by going to the very place I had just vacated? Was it possible they had seen me?
I earnestly hoped not; for if so, it would spoil a little plan that had just come to me, which was to follow them, see what they were up to, and, if possible, overhear whatever might be said.
I was soon convinced that neither of the men was aware of my presence. They were talking earnestly and stepped up on the porch just as ordinary visitors would have done. In a moment the woman let them in and the door closed behind them.
My curiosity was aroused to its highest pitch, and at the risk of being discovered by any one who might chance to be passing by I walked cautiously back along the hedge until I reached a clump of rose bushes that grew directly under one of the dining-room windows.
The window was open, and by a little manoeuvring I easily managed to see and hear what was going on within.
"You came for the rent, I suppose, Mr. Woodward," the woman was saying. "Joel was going to bring it up to-night. He would have brought it over this morning, only he thought it was going to rain and he had some hay he wanted to get in."
"Yes, I did come for the rent, Mrs. Decker," replied the merchant. "It's due several days now."
"I have it here—thirty dollars. Here is the receipt book."
There was the rustle of bills and the scratching of a pen.