fat horses dragged them slowly up the lane. Neat bales of hay were piled high on the barn floor, to be carted over to Hagar's

cognized when she picked it up and shook it slightly to free it from dust. A letter fell from the pocket as she replaced

the postmark. "And mailed five days ago! He's

earing the envelope, she read the brief note. A check was enclosed for her, and Mr. Gordon suggested that

ingers will be glad to have you, or any of your mother's old fr

floor. It was Mr. Peabody, and he had the grace to

rang to

you dare to hold back mail? This must have been in your c

coat pocket, have yo

it. The letter fell out while I was trying to hang it up

kes the mail out of the box and carries it around in his coat a day or two, because he doesn't r

r. Peabody had forgotten her letter. Indeed, absent-mindedness was far from being one of his traits. However, there was absolutely n

"I'd love to see the Bensingers again and the dear li

utton here, to mend a rip in this garment or to whip a frayed edge that might mar an otherwise dainty b

vice about where things should go. I thought I hadn't bought anything this

taking a chair near the bed and regarding

ts me to stop in Pineville and visit old friends for a bit.

ould get away I'd have no misgivings about the right of it. I'll miss you, though. You'

t from the front hall. "Are you

y. "Joseph sent me up to tell you he wanted to ask you something, B

hat he could wish to ask her. Something connected with Bob, doubtless. She followed Mrs.

ight out of a day's work means nothing to 'em. Oh, here you are, Miss. You

bling was foolish On her part and might provoke serious irritation in her

y excited and nervous, and betrayed a curious disposition t

ets, I mean, or a long envelope? I thought you might have put them back of t

h was pulled out of its place against the wall. So the man had actually looked t

a quietness that carried conviction. "I saw absolutely nothing else on the floor

of coming speech on the rare occasions when sh

e asked eagerly. "Something

et I know who took it-that measly runaway, Bob Henderson! By gum, he carried the coat up to the house for me from the barn the day before he lit out. That's where it'

izing on this concrete fact, the one statement she could under

me. Jim Turner told me. Leastways he told me of some old duffer who runs a crazy shop down there, and he thinks Bob's

still as long

a thing about him. I know he didn't take your old deed. What earthly use w

g temerity. As a rule she took neither side in a controversy. "Besides, as the child says,

"I meant to put the thing in the safety deposit box over to the bank, and then that sick cow took my mind complete

certain that Bob never took it. He's the soul of honor, whatever you may think

hold of her rig

hty funny, doesn't it, to be packing up with something pretty valuable

rily, shrinking from the sinister face that grinned malev

y, turning toward the door. "I knew that other you

forgotten for the moment. "Why does he keep insisting Bob stole it? A

as it was no longer a secret Betty told her of Lockwood Ha

scornfully. "Can't you make Mr. Peabody

d against the kitc

tone road over t'other side of Laurel Grove where the trolley's coming through this spring. Joseph will probably sell 'em for three times what he's paid for 'em. That's why he doesn't have the deed recorded; Warren's children will get hold of it, and I doubt if the sale wo