"Oh, nothin', I guess. I thought I caught a sight of somebody peekin'
around the back of that henhouse. If 'twas somebody he dodged back so
quick I couldn't be sure. Humph! I guess I was mistaken, or 'twas just
one of Solon Taylor's young ones. Solon's a sort of--sort of stevedore
at the Colfax place. Lives there and takes care of it while the owners
are away. No-o; no, I don't see nobody now."
Thankful was silent during the homeward walk. When she and Miss Howes
were alone in their room, she said:
"Emily, are you real set on gettin' back to South Middleboro tonight?"
"No, Auntie. Why?"
"Well, if you ain't I think I'd like to stay over another day. I've got
an idea in my head and, such a thing bein' kind of unusual, I'd like
to keep company with it for a spell. I'll tell you about it by and by;
probably 'twon't come to anything, anyway."
"But do you think we ought to stay here, as Miss Parker's guests?
Wouldn't it be--"
"Of course it would. We'll go over to that hotel, the one we started
for in the first place. Judgin' from what I hear of that tavern it'll be
wuth experiencin'; and--and somethin' may come of that, too."
She would not explain further, and Emily, knowing her well, did not
press the point.
Hannah Parker protested volubly when her "company" declared its
intention of going to the East Wellmouth Hotel.
"Of course you shan't do no such thing," she declared. "The idea! It's
no trouble at all to have you, and that hotel really ain't fit for such
folks as you to stay at.
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