"So I believed from the way it was furnished and from what Frank had told me of the house."
"Yes, Mister. That was her room. She thought a heap of sittin' in that room; 'specially in stormy weather. And the little shavers used to play there with her, too."
"Them little shavers thought a sight of their mom," pursued M'Graw.
"I gathered as much from what Frank told me," Mr. Howbridge said seriously.
"By the way, Mr. Howbridge," said M'Graw in a different tone, "where are the little shavers?"
"You mean the twins, of course? Ralph and Rowena?"
The guardian of the Birdsall twins rather hesitatingly told the old man just why he had not brought Ralph and Rowena to Red Deer Lodge at this time.
"Ran away? Now listen to that!" murmured the old man. "That don't sound right. Wasn't they with folks able to take keer of 'em?"
"I thought they were," said Mr. Howbridge. "Rodgers, the butler, and his wife."
"Whoof!" exclaimed the backwoodsman, expelling his breath in a great snort of disgust. "That butler! Wal, what for a man wants to buttle for, I don't know. I never could make it out that it was a real man's job, anyway. And that Rodgers was one useless critter. I don't blame them little shavers for runnin' away from Rodgers an' that sour-apple wife of his. I know 'em both."
"If that is the case," said the lawyer sadly, "I wish I had known them as well as you appear to. Then I should have made other provision for the twins right at the start."
"But shucks!" said M'Graw, suddenly grinning. "Them two little shavers will turn up all right. Ralph and Roweny are right smart kids."
"That may be. But we don't know where they have gone to. Of course, Ike, they couldn't have got up here to Red Deer Lodge, could they?"
"I don't know 'bout that," said the old man. "I reckon they could have got here if they'd wanted to. But I know well 'nough they didn't--not before I went away to Ebettsville a week ago."
"Of course not! Somebody would have seen them at Coxford. And then, if they had come here, where are they now?"
"That's right, Mister," agreed Ike M'Graw. "But--but who started that fire in the grate?"
"If it had been the children wouldn't they have been found here?"
"Mebbe. Tell you the truth"--and the old man's weather-beaten face reddened a little. "Well, to tell you the truth, when you spoke of the fire in the grate, I was some took aback. Miz' Birdsall bein' killed here. And she likin' that room so. And she finally dyin' in it--well, I don't know--"