Page:Carroll Rankin--Dandelion Cottage.djvu/215

 Rh  convinced that the church property was in dangerous hands. He couldn't see what Mr. Black had been thinking of to allow careless, impudent children that played with matches, drove nails in the cottage plaster and insulted innocent neighbours, to occupy Dandelion Cottage.

"Some way," said Mrs. Downing, when the visitor had departed, "I don't like that woman. She isn't quite a lady."

"Nonsense, my dear," said Mr. Downing, "if only half the things she hints at are true, there would be reason enough for closing the cottage. The place itself doesn't amount to much, I've been told, but a fire started there would damage thousands of dollars' worth of property—besides, there's the rent from the house those people are in, we don't want to lose that you know."

"Still, there are always tenants"

"Not at this time of the year. I'll look into the matter as soon as I can find time."

"Remember," said Mrs. Downing,