“Indeed I will, gladly,” Adele replied, and soon they were on the road, Richard Dearman in the station-wagon, and Adele riding alongside on Firefly.
Meanwhile Eva, sad and weary, was on her knees, cleaning the hardwood floor in Susetta’s room. Little did she dream of the great joy that was coming to her.
When they reached the imposing entrance to the Restwell estate, Adele bade Mr. Dearman good-by, believing that he would rather meet his niece alone. Just as the station-wagon stopped at the broad front steps, the door of the house opened, and a short man, with reddish complexion, hurried down. Mr. Dearman was at that moment alighting from the wagon, and the two men met face to face. There was an exclamation of pleased surprise from Mr. Green, as he hurried forward and extended his hand.
“Well, Dick Dearman!” he cried. “Whatever are you doing so far from the Woolly West? I swan, I never was so glad to see anybody! I’m sure tired of these Eastern dudes. The men are decent enough, you understand, but somehow they are different. Mighty good of you, Dick, to hunt us up.”
Before the visitor had time to explain the truth concerning his errand, the door opened again, and this time Mrs. Green, in her rose-colored house-dress, appeared, and Mr. Green called, “Melissy, do see who is here. Dick Dearman, the Cattle King of Silver Creek, has come to visit us.”
“How do you do, Mrs. Green,” the newcomer said. “I heard that you had given up the tavern business and had come east, but I did not dream that it was you with whom my niece, Eva Dearman, is staying.”
For a moment the face of Mrs. Green became very white and her eyes looked frightened. She had understood, from what the matron of the Home had told her, that Eva had no living relation, and now she suddenly found that Eva had an uncle, who was a man of wealth and influence in the West. What would he say if he knew how unkind she had been to the girl? But he must not know. She thought quickly, and aloud she exclaimed with pretended pleasure, “Well, now, is it possible that you are the uncle of our dear Eva? I didn’t suppose that she had any own folks, and I was so taken with her sweet face, when I was over at the orphanage, that I asked the matron to let her come and live with us, and be a sister to our lonely little girl.”
Mr. Dearman knew that this was not the truth, but he replied with extreme politeness. “You were indeed kind to take so much trouble to make my niece happy, but, as you may surmise, I am very eager to see my brother’s little girl; that is, if she is here.”
Mrs. Green knew very well that at that moment Eva was cleaning Susetta’s room, but she answered evasively, “I’m not sure that the girls have come home as yet. It was such a lovely day, I sent them for a drive.”
Then, turning to Mr. Green, she said: “Pa, you take Mr. Dearman into the library and I’ll see if I can find Eva. How pleased the dear child will be!”