of the answers. Now, don't worry at all
about it."

"Oh, dear!" half sobbed the girl. "Everybody is _so_ good to me."

"Not a bit more than you deserve, I am sure," laughed the operator.
"Now, Miss, if you are ready, I am."

Janice knew just what she wished to say. If she had not written the
messages she was anxious to send, she had already formulated them in her
mind. It was but a few minutes' work to write both--one to Mr. Buchanan
at Juarez, and the other addressed to the man, John Makepiece, who
claimed to have been a fellow-prisoner with Mr. Broxton Day.

When the messages were sent, all they could do was to wait. Janice had
expected that she and Marty and Mr. Haley would have to camp in the
waiting-room of the station during the long interval, and the girl was
very sorry that, because of her, her friends would have to forego any
holiday dinner.

While Janice was engaged, Nelson Haley had been off on an excursion of
his own. He came tramping back into the station just as the operator
closed his key and told Janice that there was nothing to do now but
wait.

"And I'm afraid it will be an awfully tedious time for you, Marty," said
the girl. "I'm sorry. Aunt 'Mira was going to have _such_ a nice dinner
for you, too!"

"Huh! I guess I won't starve," growled the boy. "Mebbe we can find some
sandwiches somewhere--and a cup of coffee. By jinks! flyin' down the
lake like we did, _did_ make me sharp-set."

"If you're hungry, then, Marty," broke in Nelson Haley, "we'll all go to
dinner. It's just about ready by now, I reckon."

"Aw! don't fool a feller," said Marty, ruefully.

The school-teacher laughed at him. "I'm not fooling," he said. "I was
quite sure Miss Janice would be hungry enough to eat, too; so I found a
kind woman who is willing to share her dinner with us. Come on! She and
her daughter are all alone. The storm has kept their friends from coming
to eat with them, so we're in luck."

The three had quite a delightful dinner at the Widow Maltby's. Nelson
had told her and her daughter something about Janice's trouble, and the
good creatures did everything they could to make it agreeable for the
girl.

As for Marty, the "lay-out," as he expressed it, was all that heart
could desire--a boy's heart, at least! There was turkey, with dressing,
and cranberries, and the usual vegetables, with pie and cake galore, and
a pocketful of nuts to top off with.

Janice was afraid that the dinner would cost Nelson