Nancy nodded. "I'm Anne Leavitt," she answered carefully. "And I have never seen my Aunt Sabrina. So I have come up from college for a little visit. And I think everything is lovely," she finished, drawing a long breath, "though, goodness knows, I thought I'd never get here!"
She was uncomfortably conscious that the old man was regarding her with open concern.
"Funny, no one ain't heard a word about it! So ye're Miss Sabriny's great-niece and a-comin' to Happy House from your school fer a visit!"
"Why, yes, why not?"
"Wal, I was jes' thinkin' you'd never seen Happy House. And I guess most folks in Freedom's forgotten Miss Sabriny hed any folks much—count of the trouble!"
"Oh, what trouble, please, Mr. Webb?"
The old man shook his reins vigorously against the horses' backs.
"Webb, you're an old fool—an old, dodderin' fool! Of course this here trouble was a long spell ago, Miss, and don't belong to Leavitts young like you. I s'pose it want much, anyways, and I guess Miss Sabriny herself's forgotten it else you wouldn't be a comin' to Happy House! I'm an old man, missy, and thar ain't been much in Freedom as I don't know about, but an old un'd ought 'a know 'nough to keep his tongue in his head. Only—you come to Webb if anything bothers you and you needn't call me Mr. Webb, either, for though I'm one of Freedom's leadin' cit-zuns and they'd never be a Memorial Day or any kind of Fourth of July doin's in Freedom without me—nobody calls me Mister Webb and you jus' come to me——"
Nancy, forgetful now of the pleasant things about her, frowned.
"You're very nice to me, Webb, and I'm glad to have made a friend so soon! I think the trouble has been forgotten. Anyway, I'm only going to stay a little while."