sanitariumite--he got out, found the stage at
Dalton, and was having a gay old time when the----" Nat suddenly
stopped. "What's the matter, coz?" he asked.

Dorothy was sitting on the rustic bench, at the side of the old corn
crib, and she went pale as her cousin told the story. Cologne was
beside her, and, as Nat asked what the matter was, Cologne grasped
Dorothy's trembling hand.

"What, Dorothy?"

"Why the--man! That man! He is the one who saved the team--the one who
wrote the letter to Tavia. I found a part of it. She never told me,
but it blew open at--my very feet. And that name was on the piece of
paper!"

"Tavia know that--loon!" Ned exclaimed.

"We all knew him--if he is the same one," declared Cologne, for
Dorothy was too agitated to speak. "We happened to get in trouble with
a hay wagon, and an old team of horses, and he helped us out. Come to
think of it he did act queer!"

"And he is around here--now?" asked Nat.

"Yes, I saw some one the other day whom I am sure could be no one
else. He had the most peculiar walk. Did you see him in Dalton, Nat?"

"I was just going to tell you that while we were in the plumbing shop
a fellow sauntered by. He wore a hat--like a cowboy, and otherwise
looked queer. Well, when the plumber sighted him he rushed to the
'phone and called up the only officer in Dalton--Tavia's father, and
told him the lunatic was just sauntering down the road. But from last
accounts he was still sauntering--the squire didn't overhaul him."

"And likely he was just wise enough to get far away," commented Ned.
"Now why on earth would Tavia have anything to do with a specimen of
that kind?"

"It would be impossible to guess to what trick he might resort in
order to get Tavia to meet him, or to even become interested in his
stage schemes. You know Tavia has a very pardonable weakness for
anything theatrical," said Dorothy.

"All Tavia's weaknesses are pardonable, as far as you are concerned,
coz," ventured Ned.

"But the hunt," interrupted Jack. "We had better get at it. The girl
we malign may actually----" He looked at Dorothy and so left the
surmise unsaid.

An hour later Ned and Nat, with Jack and Claud, started out in the
_Firebird_, it having been decided that it would be best for all the
boys to go together in the auto, as they could then cover any amount
of ground, and not have to worry about Dorothy and Cologne. The two
girls went their way in the cart, old Jeff, the horse, b