"Good afternoon, boys! Are things dull to-day?"
"Just quiet, Mrs. Dexter," Dick answered.
Then Dave, with some of his usual impulsiveness, put in, earnestly:
"You look as though you had heard bad news, Mrs. Dexter."
The woman had started to go on her way. Then she turned about again.
"Perhaps I have heard bad news," she smiled wearily.
"It isn't anything that we could help you about, is it?" asked Dick. He felt that he was taking a liberty in putting the question, yet he could not hold his inquiry back.
"I—I am afraid not, this time," she answered slowly. "Besides, I don't want to see any of you get into any more trouble on my account."
"Then it's—it's Mr. Dexter?" hazarded Dave.
The woman swallowed hard, seemed to be trying to choke back something, and then replied: