e under the impression that Old Herman has no living relatives
except Perry."

"You're making a very serious accusation against Mr. Crocker."

"Oh, I'm not saying that he had anything to do with his nephew's
disappearance," Penny said quickly. "I'm just speculating about it.
For that matter, I'd not tell anyone else my thoughts."

"It wouldn't be wise----" Susan began.

Her words ended in a gasp of alarm for at that moment Mr. Crocker's
hound came around the corner of the house. Both girls stopped short.

"Rudy is vicious!" Penny warned. "And he's been left unchained."

"Let's get away from here."

The girls turned and started hurriedly back down the lane, but the
hound had made up his mind that they were intruders. With a low growl
he leaped toward them.

"Run!" cried Susan in terror.

Instead of fleeing, Penny stooped to snatch up a stick. Rudy sprang at
her, and the force of his powerful body knocked her to the ground.
Susan screamed in terror.

Help was closer at hand than either of the girls suspected. A man had
been crouching behind the hedge. As Penny struggled to regain her
feet, he came running toward her. It was Michael Haymond.

CHAPTER XII

The Matron's Story

"Stay where you are!" commanded the young man sternly.

He seized the stick from Penny's hand and used it to beat off the dog.
Rudy showed very little fight. When he felt the sting of the switch he
ran off whining toward the barn.

Penny picked herself up and dusted off her linen dress.

"Thank you, Michael," she said soberly.

"It wasn't anything," the young man replied. "The dog is mostly bluff."

"He bluffs too realistically to suit me," Penny returned ruefully.

"You're not hurt?"

"No, the dog knocked me over but his teeth missed me. I'm glad you
happened to be here at the right time, Michael."

"So am I."

The young man glanced quickly at Penny and then looked away. He seemed
to realize that she was expecting him to offer an explanation for his
presence at the Crocker place.

The thought had occurred to Penny, but in view of the service which
Michael had rendered, she decided not to question him. Instead she
graciously introduced the young man to Susan.

"Since Mr. Crocker isn't at home we may as well be walking back to the
cottage," Penny remarked after the three had chatted for a moment.
"Rudy may muster his courage and take after me again."

"I'll go along with you," said Michael falling into