"I may be away all night, mother," he told her, "so do not be uneasy.
In fact, I might not be home until to-morrow night. You can get along,
can you not? I know it isn't fair to leave you all the work to do, but
I shall make up for it when I come back."
"It must be very important business, John, that will keep you at the quarry so long. Is it a secret?"
"It is for the present. There is a surprise in store for you." The young man's face coloured as he spoke, and this the woman silently noted.
"Agreeable?" she asked.
"I hope so. Just you wait." His boyish laugh rang out as he rose from the table. He suddenly ceased, however, and turned to his mother.
"Oh, about that money order! It must go to-morrow. If I should not be back in time, would you mind sending it? But, no, perhaps I had better take the money with me now, and get it at the store on my way to the quarry. There will be time, and I don't want to give you all the trouble. You will have enough to do without anything extra."
"No, no, John, it won't trouble me one bit," Mrs. Hampton hastened to assure him. "I have to go to the store in the morning, and can get the money order as well as not. Leave it to me. It's the Empire Garage, I think you said, where it is to be sent."
"Yes, that's the place. And thank you very much, mother. There's the bill. It's quite large, I know, but it's the first I've had to pay for some time."
He laid the paper upon the table, and was about to leave the room, when a heavy step was heard upon the verandah. In another minute an excited woman stood before them. She was panting heavily, and her hair was in much disorder.
"Why, Mrs. Tobin, what's the matter?" Mrs. Hampton asked, alarmed at her visitor's agitation.