u knew perfectly well that your
mistress was behind you. You're a nice, good old thing."

She paused and peered out of the car. Darkness was falling and the road
was filled with somber shadows cast by the far-reaching branches of the
trees on either side. As far as she could see along the white strip of
road there was no human soul behind her. Her eyes swept the road in
front. It was criss-crossed with light and shadow and it was difficult
to make out anything moving, but Miss Campbell thought she saw an object
approaching. Yes, it was unquestionably an object. Something large and
white--a van. Great heavens, it was a Gypsy van!

"Ben!" she called, but Ben was quite a quarter of a mile away by now.

The only thing to do was to get out and hide behind a tree in the woods.
She could not bring herself to face a band of Gypsies. Hurriedly
climbing down from the car, Miss Campbell concealed herself in a thicket
of trees near the road.

Presently the van drew up alongside the empty car.

"By Jove, here's an abandoned motor. Where do you suppose the people
are?" said a man walking at one side of the van and driving the horse.

Two women were comfortably seated in rocking chairs in the little front
compartment of the vehicle.

"How strange!" said one of them. "It's like finding a derelict at sea.
Where are the Captain and the crew? Where are the passengers?"

"Where indeed?" thought the lady behind the tree.

"It's like the mystery of the 'Maria Theresa,'" pursued the man. "A
perfectly good ship abandoned in mid-ocean without the slightest
explanation and all on board lost forever."

This gruesome comparison made Miss Campbell decidedly uncomfortable.

"Shall we leave her to drift, ladies?" he asked affably.

"I will protect the 'Comet' with my life," she thought. "I don't believe
they are Gypsies anyhow. Their accent is too good, and a Gypsy would
never address the women of his family as 'ladies.'"

"I am afraid I am at present the sole survivor of the crew," she said
politely to the young man. "If you would be kind enough to advise me,
sir, I should be greatly indebted."

Immediately the man lifted his broad-brimmed hat and the women in the
rocking chairs leaned forward in order the better to see this dainty,
mysterious little lady in gray who had emerged apparently from a
primeval forest.

"With the greatest pleasure, ma'am," answered the young man, filled with
curiosity, and they all listened with courteous