"Well, John?" prompted the sheriff encouragingly.
"I suppose I'll go with you," said North grudgingly.
"Of course you will," agreed the sheriff.
He had never entertained any doubts on this point.
It was ten o'clock Saturday morning when North and the sheriff left the east-bound express at Mount Hope and climbed into the bus that was waiting for them.
North's annoyance had given place to a certain humorous appreciation of the situation. His plans had gone far astray in the past forty-eight hours, and here he was back in Mount Hope. Decidedly his return, in the light of his parting with Elizabeth, was somewhat in the nature of an anticlimax.
They were driven at once to the court-house. There in his office they found Moxlow with the coroner and North was instantly aware of restraint in the manner of each as they greeted him, for which he could not account.
"Sit down, North," said Moxlow, indicating a chair.
"Now what is it?" North spoke pleasantly as he took his seat. "I've been cursing you two all the way home from Chicago."
"I am sorry you were subjected to any annoyance in the matter, but it couldn't be helped," said Moxlow.