er 2."

"What were the instructions?" Lois eagerly asked, as Mr. Westcote
paused for a few seconds as if considering how to proceed.

"That will come later," he replied. "I must tell you about Number 1
first. You promised to be patient, you know."

"Excuse me, I know I did," Lois smilingly confessed, as she glanced at
Margaret, whose eyes were twinkling with amusement.

"I was naturally anxious to know what my orders were," Mr. Westcote
continued, "and shortly after my arrival here, I broke the seal of
Number 1. Then I learned that I was to search for an old man who was
living in this country under the name of David Findley. No effort or
expense was to be spared. Money would be provided without stint
through one of the city banks. When the old man was found he was to be
kept in complete ignorance of the fact that I had been searching for
him. The hard part was that I should undertake to assist him in such a
way that he should not have the slightest idea that anything was being
done on his behalf. There was not to be the least semblance of
charity, and whatever was done for him had to appear to be the natural
payment for value received. If the old man had any special hobby or
scheme, no matter how wild, so long as it was legitimate, I was to
undertake to see that it should be carried out, no matter what the
expense. If the scheme proved feasible, so much the better, and strict
business methods were to be used to make it pay. But if not, the old
man's every lawful wish was to be gratified. One of the strict
instructions was that he should be induced as soon as possible to make
his will. This was to be done in such a way as to arouse no suspicion,
but that he should consider it as a matter of business detail, so that
his fond scheme, or whatever it might be, would not suffer in case of
his death.

"You can readily understand, Miss Sinclair, the magnitude of the
undertaking. At first I thought that I had been made the victim of a
madman, and was tempted to return to England at once, and have nothing
to do with the affair. But the amount of money placed at my disposal
in the bank settled all scruples and started me forth upon my strange
quest. I even began to enjoy the adventure of the whole thing, and the
mystery attached to it lured me on. I searched far and wide for David
Findley and at last, owing to an accident to my auto, located him at
Creekdale, living as a pauper. By the description given in p