“You always did have brains,” Kitty said admiringly. “How do you think of things like that?”
“Well, it took me several days,” Doris admitted with a laugh.
The morning passed rather slowly for the girls. They knew that Azalea was with the crippled child and Iris had gone to her room. They played several games of croquet, but it was dull sport when they were accustomed to tennis and golf. Wags seemed less entertaining than usual and presently wandered off toward the rear of the estate.
“Where did that dog go?” Kitty asked when they had finished their game.
“Back of the house somewhere. I’ll bet he’s into some mischief!”
“We’d better go after him,” Kitty suggested.
Dropping their croquet mallets, they leisurely made their way toward the rear of the mansion. Passing beneath the kitchen window they sniffed the appetizing odor of the cooking dinner and wished that it were time to eat. Though they disliked Cora Sully most heartily, they agreed that she was an excellent cook.
The girls had no intention of lingering by the kitchen window, but as they passed they were startled to hear a voice which they recognized as that of Henry. They would have paid no heed, but one sentence forced itself upon them.
“If only we could git rid of her!”
Involuntarily, Doris and Kitty halted and listened. They were not given to eavesdropping or to interfering in affairs which did not concern them, but the implied threat of violence assured them a sinister plot was in the brewing and they did not know but that they were destined to be the victims. What they heard next set them at rest on this score.