“The watermelons have come!” she gasped. “They just came--the watermelons!” and then she heard a great spluttering at the other end of the line and a faint: “Is that you Polly?”
“Yes sir!” she said, and hung up the receiver.
“Watermelons! This time of the year?” questioned Josie curiously, and then realized that something had happened and was still happening. Mrs. Leslie’s cheeks were burning and her usually tidy hair had escaped from its net and was standing out in a far from respectable manner. She looked at Josie with sad, unfriendly eyes, and her mouth trembled as she said:
“Good evening!” returned Josie. “I--I hope nothing is the matter, Mrs. Leslie.”
“Matter! Nothing that I know of.” But Mrs. Leslie was too honest to dissemble and suddenly she lost all control of herself and sinking into a chair, burst into tears.
“Oh, my dear, my dear!” cried Josie kneeling by her side. “Please, please, Mrs. Leslie, tell me if anything is the matter. Where is Mary?”
Mrs. Leslie pointed to the closed bedroom door.
“Is it something connected with me--with me and Major Simpson that has upset you so?”
The lady did not speak, but a tightening of the hand which Josie held gave the girl to understand that it was something to do with her and the old detective that was making her weep.
“And the watermelons--are they a private dish or am I to have a slice? Come now, my dear friend, for you are dear friends--both you and Mary--please tell me what it is all about. I feel you are angry with me about something and distrust me in some way. I must have a talk with you and Mary.”
Mary, whose door was not so tightly closed that she could not hear her name mentioned, came quickly into the living room. She, too, had been weeping, but her mother’s wild message concerning watermelons had brought on a fit of uncontrollable laughter and now she was verging on hysterics. She tried to speak but could only giggle helplessly.
Josie looked at mother and daughter with a quizzical expression as much as to say: “Well what next?” Then she drew Mary to a seat and standing in the middle of the room she spoke in a tone of patient gentleness and humility.
“I feel sure that something has arisen to make you doubt and distrust me. I am to blame for this because I have been concealing something from you that no doubt I should have told you long ago, but my profession is such that it is wiser and safer to keep my own counsel.”