use in her thanks for all
the care they had shown her. And she was intensely interested in their
story of the explosion at the school.

"And now," said Nan, after they had chatted for a while, "how about
those papers? We are going home sooner than we thought, and if you will
give them to me I will show them to Grace Mason's father. He is a very
able lawyer and will get to the bottom of this orange grove if any one
can."

"That will be fine," was the gratified reply. "The papers are right
here. I have been looking them over. Take them if you wish, dear."

Mrs. Bragley took them from the table and handed them to Nan, and the
latter tucked them safely away in her bag.

"I may be carrying a fortune away in this bag," she said jokingly, as
she snapped the catch and rose to go.

"I'm afraid they're not worth the paper they're printed on," said the
woman dubiously.

"Hope on, hope ever," quoted Bess gaily, as, with a last wave of the
hand, she followed Nan out of the door.

They were almost to the school when Bess suddenly asked:

"Do you know that man, Nan? He looks as though he were going to speak to
us."

Nan looked up just as a tall thin man approached them. He lifted his hat
and said:

"I beg pardon, young ladies, but could you inform me where the Widow
Bragley lives?"

Nan pointed out the cottage and the man thanked her and passed on.

"What a peculiar way he had of talking," said Bess, as they resumed
their walk.

"I noticed that he talked like a Southerner," replied Nan. "I wonder
what business he can have with Mrs. Bragley."

"Hard to tell," said Bess. "I only hope it isn't a bill collector to
bother the poor thing." And then the schoolgirls passed on their way.

The stranger soon reached the cottage of Mrs. Bragley. He scanned it
carefully and noted its poverty. A contented smile stole over his face
as he said to himself:

"I imagine there won't be any trouble in getting what I came for. A
little money here will go a long way."

He knocked on the door and Mrs. Ellis opened it.

"Does Mrs. Sarah Bragley live here?" the stranger inquired with an
ingratiating smile, which, however, sat rather badly on his somewhat
sinister countenance.

"Yes," replied Mrs. Ellis. "But she's not very well and has gone to lie
down. Is it anything I can do for you?"

"No, thank you," replied the stranger. "My errand with her is a personal
one. I've come all the way from the South to see her on a matter of
privat