-do-well, who conducted a small blacksmith shop some dist

s Gid drew in his reins and the conveyance came to a stop. Roy r

's been happening?"

and went on rapidly to

aluable jewelry has vanished entirely." Roy watched Fan Harding closely as he spoke and thought that he saw him change color. It might

th jewelry in it,

it?" asked Fan Harding, with a

had just joined him. Jimsy looked despondent and worried. A glance a

suddenly. "It's awfully queer. Miss Bancroft remarked when she

road while we were unconscious?" q

ther answered with a g

ter the smash-up. I was on my way to Gid Gibbons's blacksmith shop to get a part of my motor-cycle fixed

with a grin; "no one never

," went on Fan, "and so I left it at Gid's place a

ot mentioned his little excursion into the wood with the pistol

archers. By this time, Jess, under the doctor's ministrations, was able to sit up. Her face was pale as marble, partl

was driven into the group by one of the employees of her husband's estate. As gently as possible, after first exp

the family for years," she exclaimed. "I would not have lost it

mamma," res

th a fine tooth comb, mu

inged with some disgust. But Gid merely showed his yellow fangs, in what he int

. Bancroft of her daughter, after Jess had been tend

as the reply. "I felt to see if it was safe unde

nt, of course," put in Mrs. Bancroft. "And n

said Fan; "somebody may have taken th

is face flushing angrily. There had been

arding directly in the eyes. His dropped und

k in Roy, angrily. There was a hard note of de

t him quickly and the

s look odd, y

say another w

could stop her. Gid Gibbon's daughter watched the angry girl with

ean anything,

s that there is a mystery here, and perhaps some day it will be solved.

n undertone to Gid, he slunk off, accompanied by his disreputable blacksmith companion and the latter's daughter,

is years. A few moments after the departure of Fan and his strange companions therefore, Mrs. Bancroft's auto, towing the injured car by means of a rope broug

sters, announcing a reward for the recovery of the jewels, were hurriedly struck off at Sandy Bay printing office, and distributed throughout the tow

ut feel that any logical person reading the things would come to the conclusion that Ro

indignation. But worse was to come; private detectives also came and questioned and cross-questioned him at great length. Roy could not but feel

" together as freely as before, but they somehow all felt that the air was charged with some influence that made thi

the affair. Recalling his strange visit to the wood, she even visited the place by herself one day to see if she

cess, for she had almost allowed herself to believe that she would, in some queer fa

with the right wing of the monop

ed Peggy to herself

urroundings. All at once she became aware that two men had em

eat a little quicker as she gazed. There was

astonishment, that she knew him. More astonishing still, the

the butler at M

u doing here?" exclaimed Pegg

eggy could now see was an employe about

doin' a bit of trappi

in Morgan, a stout, puffy-face

u might say, miss. I 'ope

ved to find that the two men were not strangers. "I

edies a flyin' round like bloomin'-bloomin' pertater bugs, hif yo

" "It's not much. If there was a blacksmith shop round here I co

more than a few paces, as you might say, from 'ere.

stupid of me not to have thought of

nd his companion as guides, she set off across the fields for Gid's shop, which she now recalled was a s

ked, suddenly, "has anything more

hment the man star

ns, miss, that there ain't been no

t appearing to note

s," put in Morgan's compa

d Peggy. "I do wish it c

gan, mopping his puffy face. He seemed to h

oad through a sliding gate. He pointed to a long, low, ramshackle structure at the cross-roads. Beside it stoo

off at a brisk pace, holding the broken rod in her hands. She almost droppe

anning Harding, in overalls and jumper. Suddenly he became