lf in this neighborhood again; we'd lynch you, sure!"

The conductor found a good seat for his lovely old passenger, and made
her as comfortable as possible. As he punched her ticket, he said, with
a genial smile, which was the voluntary tribute paid to Auntie Sue by
all men: "You are not much like the passengers I usually carry in this
part of the country, ma'm. They are mostly a rather rough-lookin' lot."

She smiled back at him, understanding perfectly his intended compliment.
"They are good people, though, sir,--most of them. Of course, there are
some who are a little wild, sometimes, I expect."

The railroad man laughed again, shaking his head. "I should say so. You
ought to see the specimen I've got in the smoker. I picked him up back
there at Gardner. Perhaps you have heard of him--Jap Taylor. He is about
the worst in the whole country, I reckon."

"I have heard of him," she returned. "I do hope he won't come into this
coach."

"Oh, he won't start anything on my train," laughed the man in blue
reassuringly. "He would never come in here, anyhow. Them kind always
stay in the smoker. Seems like they know where they belong. He is
half-scared to death himself, anyway; he is going to Chicago, too, and
I'll bet it's the first time in his life he has ever been farther from
these hills than Springfield."

CHAPTER XX.

BRIAN AND BETTY JO KEEP HOUSE.

When Brian went to the barn the next morning he found "Old Prince"
standing at the gate. While he was still trying to find some plausible
explanation of the strange incident, after unharnessing the horse and
giving him his morning feed, an excited call from Betty Jo drew his
attention. With an answering shout, he started for the house. The
excited girl met him halfway, and gave him Auntie Sue's note.

When Brian had read the brief and wholly inadequate message, they stood
looking at each other, too mystified for speech. Brian read the note,
again, aloud, speaking every word with slow distinctness. "Well, I'll
be hanged!" he ejaculated, at the close of the remarkable communication,
staring at Betty Jo.

"It wouldn't in the least surprise me if we were both hanged before
night," returned Betty Jo. "After this from Auntie Sue, I am prepared
for anything. What on earth DO you suppose has happened?"

Brian shook his head: "It is too much for me!"

Together they went to the house, and the place seemed strangely
deserted. Every possible explanation that suggested