After a few moments of neighborly gossip with the Colonel and me--Rad was monosyllabic and remote--she arrived at her errand.

Some friends from Savannah were stopping at the Hall on their way to the Virginia hot springs, and, as is usual, when strangers visit the valley, they were planning an expedition to Luray Cave.

The cave was on the other side of the mountains about ten miles from Four-Pools.

Since I had not yet visited it (that was at least the reason she gave) she had come to ask the three of us to join the party on the following day.
Rad was sulky at first, and rather curtly declined on the ground that he had to attend to some business.

But Polly scouted his excuse, and added significantly that Jim Mattison had not been asked.