"Where is Jude Lauzoon?" This was hitting the bull's eye with a vengeance.
"Gone off for change of air and scene—somewhere." Jock presented a stolid, blank face to his inquisitor.
"Gone where?"
"Now how in—how do you expect I know? Just gone."
"Taken that pretty little wife of his to new scenes, eh? Well, she never seemed to me to belong here rightfully. I hope they'll do well."
Jock hitched uncomfortably.
"Well," he broke in, feeling it was inevitable, "Joyce didn't, as you might say, go with Jude. She's stopping on here."
"With the baby? There was a baby, I recall. My sister talked of it a good deal. She was interested in Joyce Lauzoon from what I told her."
"Well," Filmer felt his way, "there was, as you say, a—a baby, at least a kind of—a—baby. It was about as near a failure as I ever saw; but Joyce was plain crazy about it."
"Was? Is—the child dead?" Drew's big eyes were full of sympathy.