THE SOUND OF MYSTERIOUS WHEELS One day in late June the Avories and the Rotherams and Horace Campbell were sitting at tea under the cedar talking about a great tragedy that had befallen.

For Mrs.Avory had just heard that Mrs.Dudeney--their regular landlady at Sea View, in the Isle of Wight, where they had lodgings every summer for years and years, and where they were all ready to go next month as usual--Mrs.Avory had just heard that Mrs.
Dudeney had been taken very ill, and no other rooms were to be had.
Here was a blow! For the Rotherams always went to Sea View too, and had a tent on the little strip of beach under the wood adjoining the Avories', and they did everything together.

And now it was very likely that the Avories would not get lodgings at all, and certainly would not get any half so good as Mrs.Dudeney's, where their ways were known, and their bathing dresses were always dried at once in case they wanted to go in again, and so on.
They were all discussing this together, and saying what a shame it was, when suddenly the unfamiliar sound of the opening of the old stableyard gates was heard, and then heavy wheels scrunched in and men's voices called out directions, such as, "Steady, Joe!" "A little bit to the near side, Bill!" and so forth.
Now, since the stable yard had not been used for years, it was no wonder that the whole party was, so to speak, on tiptoe, longing to run and investigate.

But Mrs.Avory had always objected very strongly to inquisitiveness, and so they stayed where they were and waited expectantly.

And then, after a minute or so, Kink came up to the table with a twinkle in his old eye and a letter in his old hand.
"Didn't we hear the sound of a carriage ?" Mrs.Avory asked.
"Did you, mum ?" said old Kink, who was a great tease.
"I'm sure there were wheels," said Mrs.Avory.
Kink said nothing.
"Of course there were wheels," said Robert.