"Dear me," she exclaimed, "what a terrible experience for the poor boy. I wonder that he retained his reason, I'm sure I shouldn't have!"
"I'm not a bit sure that he has," Hattie May said feelingly, "at least not all of it. The way he acts!"
We laughed and Mrs. Viner said, "I remember so well when the old Captain--as we used to call him--first set up those statues in his garden. My, what a lot of talk it made!"
"You knew Aunt Cal when she was a girl, I suppose?" I said.
"Oh, dear, yes, we went to school together. At the old district school that was torn down when they put the state road through."
"Did you know my uncle, Tom Poole, too?" I asked.
"Yes. Cal and Tom were married the year before the old Captain died. When she came back from the West, I hoped I would have her for a neighbor but--well, things turned out differently," she added discreetly.
We talked on till suddenly Eve jumped up. "We were cautioned the other time we started to call on you not to stay more than ten minutes," she said, "and not to talk any nonsense. I'm afraid we've broken both rules."
"The idea!" Mrs. Viner laughed. "You mustn't take your Aunt too seriously."
"But we really must go now," I agreed. "You see our reputation is at stake today. Aunt Cal doesn't really trust us out of her sight any more."
"Cal's bark is a lot worse than her bite," Mrs. Viner returned. "And you're to tell her from me that I'm feeling much better for your visit."
A short distance beyond Mrs. Viner's gate, Eve stopped suddenly. "If there was any other way to go home," she said, "I'd be in favor of taking it."
"Well there isn't," I retorted. "And if you find that old house so enticing that you can't even walk by it, it's just too bad! For my part I wouldn't care if I never saw it again."
"Just the same let's--well, let's rest a minute," she said. "Here on the wall."
Eve sat down. "I just happened to think," she said carelessly, "that it's about time for Michael to come along."
"Huh!" I retorted. "I'll bet you've been planning to wait for him all the afternoon. I think you're a shameless hussy!"
Hattie May giggled. "I don't see why we shouldn't wait for him," she said. "If he has his wagon he'll give us a lift."
"Yes, and if he's on his bicycle, he'll wave his hand and go sailing by. And we'll miss the bus!"