“Lou, we have to start for Hobostein right away!” Penny announced. “We’ll be lucky if we get there in time to catch a train home.”
Mrs. Lear urged her young guests to remain another day, but to her kind invitation they turned deaf ears. In vain they pressed money upon her. She refused to accept anything so Penny was compelled to hide a bill in the teapot where it would be found later.
“You’ll come again?” the old lady asked almost plaintively as she bade them goodbye.
“We’ll try to,” Penny promised, mounting Bones. “But if we do it will be by train.”
“I got a feeling I ain’t goin’ to be here much longer,” Mrs. Lear said sadly.
“Don’t worry about the deed,” Penny tried to cheer her. “Even if Mrs. Burmaster should have it, she may be afraid to try to make trouble for you.”
“It ain’t just that biddy I’m worried about. It’s somethin’ deeper.” Mrs. Lear’s clear gaze swept toward the blue-rimmed hills.
Penny and Louise waited for her to go on. After a moment she did.
“Seen a rain crow a settin’ on the fence this morning. There’ll be rain an’ a lot of it. Maybe the dam will hold, an’ again, maybe it won’t.”
“Shouldn’t you move to the hills?” Penny asked anxiously.