“I get to fix the straws, huh?”
“Sure thing—if you don’t cheat.”
The straws fixed, I drew first, hopeful that I would be luckier than the other time in the barn.
“Mine’s the shortest,” the other tried to snudge.
“Like so much mud!” I yipped happily.
Running into the house, we quickly told the little old lady about our scheme.
“What nonsense!” she sputtered.
“But if we don’t do it, Mrs. Doane,” I hung on, “how are we going to pretend afterwards that the girl was here before midnight?”
“Oh, dear! I don’t want Miss Ruth to lose her fortune. Even if I get nothing myself—and I noticed several odd dishes in the cupboard just like my company set—I don’t want Lawyer Chew to walk off with everything.”
“Of course not,” says I quickly. “So any scheme to help the granddaughter is worth trying.”