appeared as if the man who had been paying for the boy's keep
feared an investigation," Penny commented.

"Yes, that is what I thought. I would have probed deeper into the
matter but at that time I was taken ill. I went to a hospital for over
a year, then I resumed my duties, only to give them up again a few
months ago."

Mrs. Havers began to talk of her own ailments and the girls had little
opportunity to ask additional questions about Michael.

"I am sorry that I've not been able to help you," the woman said
regretfully as she escorted the girls to the door. "Of course the
Michael of my story has no connection with the young man you are trying
to trace."

"Probably not," Penny agreed. "Thank you for giving us so much of your
time."

When the door had closed behind them, she turned eagerly to her chum.

"Susan, I didn't like to say so in front of Mrs. Havers, but why
couldn't Michael Haymond and Michael Gladwin be the same person?"

"Michael is a common name."

"Yes, but many of the facts in Michael Haymond's life dovetail with
those told us by Mrs. Havers."

"There may be a slight similarity," Susan acknowledged. "But we can
never prove anything."

Penny stared at her chum for an instant. Then her face relaxed into a
broad smile.

"Susan, I have a dandy idea!" she cried. "Fairfax isn't far from here.
Let's drive there right now and see if we can't locate that mysterious
Mr. Keenan!"

CHAPTER XIII

A Bolt of Cloth

Susan instantly approved of Penny's idea, so the girls drove on toward
Fairfax, a small city of several thousand inhabitants. They stopped at
a corner drugstore to consult a telephone directory. At least fifteen
families by the name of Keenan were listed.

"This isn't going to be as easy as I thought," Penny said in
disappointment.

"I suppose we could telephone every Keenan in the book," Susan ventured.

"What could we say?" Penny asked. "'I beg your pardon, but are you the
person who took Michael Gladwin to the Orphan's Home?' We'd receive
nothing but rebuffs."

"I guess it would be silly," Susan agreed. "Let's give it up."

"We might try the postoffice," Penny said after a moment's thought.

They located the government building in the downtown section of Fairfax
only to meet disappointment once more. The postmaster listened
politely enough while Penny told him that she was seeking a certain Mr.
Keenan who for many years had regularly mailed letters to the Gle