After the old man had gone, Penny spoke apologetically to Mrs. Downey.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! I ruined everything, coming in just when I did.”
Mrs. Downey sat with her hands folded in her lap, staring out the window after the retreating figure of Peter Jasko.
“No, it wasn’t your fault, Penny.”
“He was angry at me because I’ve been helping Sara get in and out of the cabin. I never should have done it.”
“Perhaps not,” agreed Mrs. Downey, “but it would have made no difference in regard to the lease. I’ve been expecting Jasko’s decision. Even so, it comes as a blow. This last week I had been turning ideas over in my mind, trying to think of a way I could keep on here. Now everything is settled.”
Penny crossed the room and slipped an arm about the woman’s shoulders.
“I’m as sorry as I can be.”
With a sudden change of mood, Mrs. Downey arose and gave Penny’s hand an affectionate squeeze.
“Losing the lodge won’t mean the end of the world,” she said lightly. “While I may not be able to sell the place for a very good price now that the ski slopes are gone, I’ll at least get something from Mr. Maxwell. And I have a small income derived from my husband’s insurance policy.”