train, and who had
interviewed him while the aunts were ill.

"Don't scream!" warned the man called Blosser. "We don't go to hurt
you, and you'll be all right if you don't make trouble. All we want
you to do is to answer a few questions."

Betty was trembling, more through nervousness than fright, though she
was afraid, too. But she managed to stammer that if she could answer
their questions, she would.

"That fresh kid we saw with you the other day, back at the Saunders
farm," said Blosser, jerking his thumb in the general direction of
the three hills. "Is he going to be there long?"

Betty did not know whether anything she might say would injure Bob or
not, and she wisely concluded that the best plan would be to answer
as truthfully as possible.

"I suppose he will live there," she said quietly. "He is their
nephew, you know."

Fluss looked disgustedly at his companion.

"Can you beat that?" he demanded in an undertone. "The kid has to
turn up just when he isn't wanted. The old ladies never had a nephew
to my knowledge, and now they allow themselves to be imposed on
by----"

A look from Blosser restrained him.

"Well," Fluss addressed himself to Betty, "do you know anything about
how the farm was left? Where's the kid's mother? Disinherited? Was
the place left to these old maids? It was, wasn't it?"

"What he means," interrupted Blosser, "is, do you know whether this
boy would come in for any of the money if some one bought the farm?
We've a client who would like to buy and farm it, as I was saying the
other day."

"Bob is entitled to one-third," said Betty coolly, having in a
measure recovered her composure.

"Oh, he is, is he?" snarled the older man. "I thought he had a good
deal to say about the place. Did the old maids get well? Are they up
and about?"

"Miss Hope and Miss Charity are much better," answered Betty,
flushing indignantly. "And now will you let me go?"

"Not yet," grinned Fluss. "We haven't got this relation business all
straightened out. What I want you to tell me----"

But Betty had seen the opportunity for which she had been waiting.
Fluss had removed his hand from the bridle for an instant, and Betty
pulled back on the reins. Ki had taught Clover to rear at this signal
and strike out with her forefeet. She obeyed beautifully, and
involuntarily the two men fell back. Betty urged Clover ahead and
they dashed down the road.

Betty forced her mount to gallop all the way home an