“I can’t tell you precisely how far West he has gone,” answered Mrs. Thatcher, smiling.
“Will he be gone long?”
“That depends on how successful he is in his business.”
“I suppose he has taken some agency?” remarked Miss Woodward (an inquiring old maid).
Mrs. Thatcher said neither yes nor no, but somehow Miss Woodward got the idea that she said yes, and so reported throughout the village.
Mrs. Thatcher and Tillie moved to the comfortable farm-house of Mr. Hiram Bacon, as had been arranged before Tom went away, and this made Tom’s departure a little less mysterious, since he was leaving his mother and sister in a good home.
Still there was considerable curiosity felt, and there seemed a chance of finding out something when Tom wrote home.
“Have you heard from Tom yet?” asked the indefatigable Miss Woodward, a little later.
“Where did he write from?” asked the old maid, eagerly.
“From St. Louis,” answered our hero’s mother, with a little hesitation.