The Bray girls were proud of their success in satisfying such a party; and Lyddy was particularly pleased when Mr. Castle drew her aside and put a ten-dollar note in her hand.
"Don't say a word! It was worth it. I only hope you won't be over-run by auto parties and your place be spoiled. If you have any others, however, charge them enough. It is better entertainment than we could possibly get at any road house for the same money."
And so Lyddy got ten dollars toward her kitchen range.
While the ladies were getting into the tonneau, however, Miss Bray overheard a few words 'twixt Harris Colesworth and young Tom Castle that made her suspicious. She came out upon the side porch to wave them good-bye with the dish-cloth, and there were Harris and Tom directly beneath her.
"All right, old man," Master Tom was saying, as he wrung the young chemist's hand. "The governor and I _were_ a bit worried about grandma, and your tip came in the nick of time.
"But," he added, with a chuckle, "I had no end of trouble getting Mom and the girls to let James come up this way. You see, they'd never been this way over the hill before."
"Now," said Lyddy to herself, when the boys had passed out of hearing, "here is another case where this Harris Colesworth deliberately put his--his _nose_ into other people's business!
"He knew these Castles. At least, he knew that they belonged to grandma. And he took it upon himself to be a talebearer. I don't like him! I declare I never _shall_ really like him.
"Of course, perhaps grandma's son and the rest of the family might be getting anxious about her. But suppose they'd been nasty about it and tried to make her go home with them?
"No. 'Phemie is always saying Harris Colesworth has 'such a nice nose.' It is nothing of the kind! It is too much in other people's business to suit me," quoth Lyddy, with decision.
Her opinion of him, however, did not feaze Harris in the least. Mr. Somers was inclined to be stiff and "offish" since the previous evening, but Harris was jolly, and kept everybody cheered up--even grandma, who was undoubtedly a little woe-begone after her family had departed--for a while, at least.
It was a little too cool yet to sit out of doors after sunset, and that evening after supper they gathered about a clear, brisk fire on the dining-room hearth, and Harris Colesworth led the conversation.