“I don’t know him.”
“Well, you haven’t missed much.”
“All the afternoon,” the woman went on, “I have been in fear and trembling that the sheriff would come and put us out. But I have seen nothing of him, nor the lawyer either, for that matter.”
Poppy laughed. But he didn’t take the time just then to explain why the sheriff hadn’t showed up.
“Any word from the granddaughter?” he inquired.
“Laws-a-me! Wasn’t I expecting you to bring Miss Ruth home with you? So how could I hear from her until you got here?”
“I thought maybe she might have telephoned from Pardyville.”
“She probably will,” came the thought, “now that she’s waiting there.”
“If she does,” says Poppy, “you can tell her that we’ll be over to get her the first thing in the morning.”
All he said that for, of course, was to sort of put the woman at her ease. For he had no idea that the girl would telephone.