"
Conniston thanked her, and a moment later, they rose from the table
and stepped to the telephone, which she showed to him in a little
library. When he got Central in Crawfordsville Miss Crawford told the
girl for him to charge all costs to her father and that Mr. Conniston
would pay here for the service. So she took his message and telephoned
it to the Western Union office.
"You will rush it, will you, please?" asked Conniston.
"Certainly. And the answer? Shall we telephone it out to you?"
"No. We'll be in Crawfordsville, and--Wait a moment." To Miss
Crawford: "We may stay here until evening?"
"Oh, you must. It is too hot now to think of riding."
"Thank you." And then into the receiver: "If you should get an answer
before seven o'clock, please telephone it to me here."
Then the three went out to the front porch. They found chairs in the
shade where a welcome little breeze made for cool comfort. Miss
Crawford sat with the men, answering their questions about that wild
country, chatting with them. And there, at her invitation, they sat
and smoked when she left them and went into the house.
"A charming girl," Hapgood was moved to say enthusiastically. "Really
a charming girl! Who would have thought to find her out here? And say,
Greek"--being confidentially nearer--"her old man must be tremendously
rich, eh? You don't need to think of such things, of course, but take
me--" He paused, and then continued, thoughtfully: "Sooner or later,
old man, it's got to come to one end for Roger Hapgood.
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