Approaching the farmhouse slowly, they looked about them . Glancing at the barking dogs they saw that both were chained near their kennels but they still gave the girls a scare as they tried to rush past them. Fortunately the strong chains held. The girls opened the wooden gate and were greeted by a little four year old girl who was playing with hers toys on the large verandah.
"Come inside", she said warmly as she opened the door "My name is Susan," she added as she rushed inside.
"Mummy" she yelled, "there's two girls outside and there're all wet."
Daisy and Gracie didn't accepte the child's invitation to go inside but stood politely on the verandah, letting the water trickle to the hems of their dresses then onto the timbered verandah.
Little Susan's mother came to the door and asked them, "Are you the runaways from the settlement ?"
"Yes" , they replied shyly.
"Where's the other one?" She asked.
"She's outside near the big tree , on the other side of the fence," Gracie informed her .
"Go and tell her to come inside and dry herself while i make something to eat," the woman said.
When she show their reluctance,she smiled and sai, "It's alright you won't be reported" So Gracie dashed out in the rain to bring Molly inside the warm kitchen
The woman, whose name was Mrs Flanagan had received a phone call from Superintendent Neal on tuesday afternoon asking her to watch out for three absconders and to report to him if she saw them. Mrs