to surprise him. Just don't say anything
about me.

"And here's half a dollar, Sonny. Could I hire you to take me to that
brook you spoke of, where you say there are such big fish?"

"Sure you could," the boy answered eagerly, as he pocketed the money.
"I know a lot about fishing."

"All right. I may call on you. Trot along now, and remember--don't
say anything. This is to be a surprise!"

"Sure, I know," and with a precocious wink the lad passed on into the
ever lengthening shadows.

"I think," observed the colonel to himself, as he watched the boy
making his way back toward the station, "that I'll make a little change
in the old saying, and _follow_ the woman instead of _looking_ for her,
since I know where she is already."

Back then to the peaceful little village went the fisherman, and,
reaching the house where the boy had left the note, taking therefrom
its answer, Colonel Ashley waited with all the patience that might
characterize a waiting beside some fishing stream.

But his patience was not tried long, for presently a veiled woman
emerged from the house. She walked away rapidly the detective
following unseen.

"She is going to meet him, just as she promised in the note, though it
must be galling to her pride," murmured the old detective. "I wonder
if she really believes he'll keep his word--or can keep it? Well, I'll
be there at the finish, and I think this _will_ be the finish," he went
on grimly, as he thrust his hand into his side pocket, where the
"hooks" jingled with grim music.

As the woman walked on, she turned now and then and looked back along
the fast-darkening streets.

For a moment the colonel was suspicious.

"I wonder if she has seen me?" he murmured.

He gave a quick, backward glance, and started as he saw another figure
not far behind him.

"Can it be?" exclaimed the colonel. "No, it's Aaron Grafton," he
proceeded with an air of relief. "He must have been at her house, and
she has asked him to follow her, to make sure no harm is done. A bit
foolish of him, under the circumstances. But when a man's in love--"

The colonel shrugged his shoulders and chuckled grimly.

"However, I must take care that he does not see me."

Slipping behind a tree, the colonel effected a change in hats, for he
always wore a soft one and carried several collapsible ones. Then,
buttoning his coat rather askew about him, to give a careless air to
his attire (the colonel, normally was o