He had an overwhelming wish to know just exactly what Sudden meant.

He climbed down and took the ladder back to the shed near by.
"I'm ready for the talk, Mr.Selmer," he said when he came back.
Whatever Sudden had in his mind, Johnny wanted it in plain speech.

A white line was showing around his mouth--a line brought there by the feeling that his affairs had reached a crisis.

One way or the other his future would be decided in the next few minutes.
He followed Sudden to the house and into the office room fronting the corrals and yards.

Sudden sat down before his desk and Johnny took the chair opposite him, his spirits still weighted by the impending crisis.
He tried to read in Sudden's face what attitude he might expect, but Sudden was wearing what his friends called his poker expression, which was no expression at all.