it from her own lips."

"How?"

"By following her till I get an opportunity to speak with her."

"Well, Bart, you are so badly struck that all I can do is hang by you
and see you through. We will solve the mystery of this girl, if we are
capable of doing so."

"Right you are, Frank."

Then they spoke of other matters, old friends at Fardale, and how things
were moving there. Bart told all about the events that had taken place
at the academy since Frank left, how they had missed him as a leader in
sports of all kinds, how often he was spoken of with admiration and
affection by his old comrades, and how even the professors held him up
as a model to be emulated.

"They seem to have forgotten the pranks you were up to and the larks you
were in," said Bart; "but they remember that you stood at the head in
everything you undertook."

Then Frank told of his own adventures in knocking about, and Bart
regarded him with still greater admiration.

"You are the luckiest fellow alive!" declared the dark-haired lad. "I
wish I had a rich and eccentric old uncle to kick the bucket and leave
me a big fortune on condition that I would 'travel over the world to
advance my education and broaden my ideas.' Say, that uncle of yours was
a good thing!"

"Uncle Asher was original in everything."

"I should guess yes. When are you going abroad?"

"Very soon. Professor Scotch will make arrangements for such a move
while he is in the East."

"You are the envy of Fardale. Hans Dunnerwust returned with a stock of
tales of astounding adventures, which he managed to bungle badly in the
telling. And now I suppose Barney Mulloy will take his turn. Between
them they will make you out one of the most remarkable heroes of modern
times."

Thus the boys chatted till Carson City was reached.

All the while Bart was watching the girl closely, and he saw that she
really intended to get off at Carson.

The boys slipped out of the car, and were on the platform as soon as the
pair they were following reached it. It happened that the station
platform was crowded, and they were swallowed by the throng, so they
found it easy to keep out of sight of the man and girl.

The man seemed to watch to see if the boys left the car, while the girl
tried to draw him away. After some moments he submitted, and they
entered a closed carriage.

"Here!" exclaimed Frank, catching hold of a sleepy driver and giving him
a whirl; "see that carriage?"

"Yep."