that corner of the porch. As Jerry finished her letter
she caught a sentence outside that interested her. She was innocent of
any intention of eavesdropping afterward, but what she heard held her
motionless.

"The leak has opened again, York," Laura was saying. "Things are
beginning to disappear, especially money."

York's face took on a sort of bulldog grimness, but he made no reply.

Inside, Jerry glanced at her beaded hand-bag lying on the top of the
little desk, saying to herself:

"I'll open a bank-account to-morrow. I've been foolish to leave that
roll of bills lying around; all I have, too, between me and the last
resort in Kansas--'to go mad or go back East.' I'm certainly a brilliant
business woman--I am."

And then, unconscious at first that she was listening, her ear caught
what followed outside:

"York, the queer thing is that it's just at 'Castle Cluny' that things
are disappearing right now. Mrs. Bahrr was over to-day and told me the
Lenwells had even gone to Kansas City and forgot to lock their back
door, and not a thing was missing, although Clare Lenwell left five
silver dollars stacked up on the dresser in plain view."

"If anybody would know the particulars it would be the Big Dipper," York
declared.

"Oh, now don't begin on that tune, York, for I'm really uneasy," Laura
began.

"For why?" York inquired.

And then Laura told him the story of her lost purse, omitting Stellar
Bahrr's part in the day's events, and adding:

"Of course, I hate myself for even daring to carry a hint of suspicion
for a minute, but Jerry knew as well as I did that I hadn't put my purse
in her hand-bag by mistake, for she carried it with her up-town that
day. But I could forget the whole thing if it had ended there. I know
that the dear girl was dreadfully short of money until just recently.
Now her purse is full of bills. I couldn't help seeing that when she
displays it so indifferently. She says she will have no funds from
Philadelphia. Where does she get money when I can't keep a bill around
the house?"

"Then I would quit the stocking-toe banking system that mother and all
the other women and most of the men back in Winnowoc used to employ. You
might try the First National Bank of New Eden. I'm one of the directors,
and a comparatively safe man for all that," York advised, gravely.

"The loss of the money is nothing to the possible loss of confidence,"
Laura went on, ignoring her brother's thrust. "Could