to him alone. He looked thoughtful when he heard her story.

"You did right not to tell Mabel; but I certainly can't understand the
thing," he said. "I reckon you have your imagination under pretty good
control."

"I didn't imagine I saw the man," Agatha rejoined with a smile.

Farnam nodded. "We'll take that for granted. I wanted a teamster and
hired the fellow when he asked for the job. He worked well, but I don't
know where he came from or where he's gone, and it would scare Mabel if
we put the police on his trail. Besides, I guess he lit out by the train
in the morning that catches the west-bound express."

"Since he knew you were away, why did he wait instead of coming as soon
as you left?"

"He probably reckoned there was a risk of his being heard on a calm,
frosty night; I understand it was blowing fresh and snowing when he
came. The snow would cover his tracks. But I'm puzzled. It's strange
that he took nothing and left my safe alone!"

"Do you think he knew where the safe is?"

"Sure," said Farnam. "The boys come to my office for their pay." He
paused and added thoughtfully: "Looks as if the fellow had an object for
searching your room!"

"I wonder whether he knew I was a school teacher," Agatha remarked. "If
he did know, it complicates the thing, because teachers are not often
rich. Besides, how did he learn which was my room?"

"That wouldn't be hard," Farnam replied. "The boys get talking,
evenings, with Mabel's kitchen help and I guess she tells them all about
the house and our habits. The girl's a powerful talker."

He lighted his pipe and then resumed: "Well, my notion is he expected to
find something in your room; something that he thought worth more than
money."

"But I have nothing valuable," Agatha objected, with a laugh. "Now I
remember, I made him empty his pockets and he left two half-dollars! It
wasn't a very big fine, and I can send the dollar to some charity."

"I can't see an explanation, and we'll have to let it go; but the man
will find trouble waiting if he comes back. Let me know right away if
anybody gets after you like that again."

Agatha said she would do so, and hearing Mrs. Farnam's step in the
passage, they began to talk about something else.

A week later, Agatha went to visit George, and then feeling braced by
the holiday, resumed her duties in Toronto. Soon afterwards, she sat in
her room one evening in a thoughtful mood. The house was on the
outskirts of the ci