as they passed, and they had turned back to ask him one of those anxiously helpless questions which the average woman is perpetually asking.
"Can you tell us where Mr. Goodenow's wagon is?" they said.
It happened that John could. It had chanced that as he walked up the hill, he had observed young Luke Goodenow sitting in his big farm-wagon playing cards on the back seat with a stranger, whose whole appearance had seemed so suspicious (to John) that he had said to himself as he passed by, "I wonder if Luke Goodenow 'd ever be such a fool 's to play for money;" and "I wonder if that 's the reason he fastened his team down in that hollow," was his second thought.
"Yes," said John. "I can. I will show you," and he led the way, thinking, as he walked.
"So these folks are the Goodenows' boarders. Now I can find out all about them."
Luke little understood John Bassett's affable kindness in helping him put in his horses, and being so very careful in examining the harnesses, before they set off. John was listening with strained ears to what one of the elderly women was saying to Luke.
"Miss Lane and Miss Wheelwright are not coming now. They wish to stay till the end of the meeting. They have friends there from the hotel who will take care of them, and you are to drive back after them at nine o'clock to-night.
