my companion and have a
nice visit before she goes back to the city."

But when the two girls were alone Josie said to Mary Louise:

"Old Cragg isn't so stony-hearted, after all. Just my suggestion last
night that Ingua was being neglected has resulted in the new dress."

"He threw things, though, before he made up his mind to be generous,"
observed Mary Louise. "But this proves that the old man isn't so very
poor. He must have a little money, Josie."

Josie nodded her head absently. She was trying hard to understand Mr.
Cragg's character, and so far it baffled her. He had frankly admitted
his ungovernable temper and had deplored it. Also he had refrained from
having Josie arrested for burglary because he was "too occupied to
prosecute her." Occupied? Occupied with what? Surely not the real
estate business. She believed the true reason for her escape was that
he dreaded prominence. Old Swallowtail did not wish to become mixed up
with police courts any more than he could help. This very occurrence
made her doubt him more than ever.

CHAPTER XVII
A CLEW AT LAST

That night Josie resumed her watch of Cragg's cottage. She did not
trust to the shadow of the tree to conceal her but hid herself under
the bank of the river, among the dry stones, allowing only her head to
project above the embankment and selecting a place where she could peer
through some low bushes.

She suspected that the excitement of the previous night might render
the old man nervous and wakeful and send him out on one of his midnight
prowls. This suspicion seemed justified when, at eleven-thirty, his
light went out and a few minutes later he turned the corner of the
house and appeared in the path.

He did not seem nervous, however. With hands clasped behind his back
and head bowed, he leisurely paced the path to the bridge, without
hesitation crossed the river and proceeded along the road in a
direction opposite to the village.

Josie was following, keeping herself concealed with utmost care. She
remembered that his eyes were sharp in penetrating shadows.

He kept along the main country road for a time and then turned to the
right and followed an intersecting road. Half a mile in this direction
brought him to a lane running between two farm tracts but which was so
little used that grass and weeds had nearly obliterated all traces of
wagon-wheels.

By this time Josie's eyes were so accustomed to the dim moonlight that
she could see disti