or other it didn't.
The ground couldn't have been adapted to it. You never can tell about
orange groves."

The poor woman's face fell.

"Then," she said quaveringly, "all my money is gone!"

"Oh, no, not all," the stranger hastened to say. "There is still a
little money for you, if you want to sell what interest you have in the
property. Of course the property has proved practically worthless. But
the man who has a country estate bordering on the property is willing to
pay the company a small sum just to round out his estate, and your
interest in it we calculate would be about two hundred dollars. In
fact," he went on with a burst of generosity, and at the same time
taking a roll of bills from his pocket, "Mr. Pacomb would be willing to
give you two hundred dollars to settle the matter up at once."

He began to count out the bills, as if the matter had been agreed upon.
It was a long time since Mrs. Bragley had seen so much money, and in her
straitened circumstances two hundred dollars seemed like a fortune. The
visitor had counted on the influence exerted by the sight of the money,
and he was not disappointed.

"Well," said Mrs. Bragley, "I suppose it's the best thing I can do,
since you say that the land isn't any good for oranges."

"We'll consider it settled then," the man observed, trying to conceal
his satisfaction. "Now if you'll get me the papers I'll hand you the
money."

A look of dismay came into the woman's face.

"The--the papers!" she stammered. "Why, I haven't got them!"

"You haven't got them?" the man snapped in wonder. "Where are they
then?"

"I gave them to a young lady not more than an hour ago," replied Mrs.
Bragley. "She had just gone a little before you came."

"Why did you give them to her?" the man asked.

"Some friends of hers are going to Florida and they were going to look
up the matter," replied the old lady. "It seems that the father of one
of the girls is a lawyer and----"

"A lawyer!" interrupted the man, a look of fear coming into his face.
Then by a great effort he regained his self-control.

"Well, Mrs. Bragley," he said, "it's for you to do what you choose in
this matter. It's too bad for you to lose this two hundred dollars when
you might just as well have it as not. Suppose I see this young lady and
tell her that you want the papers back."

"I wish you would," replied the old lady. Then she gave the man Nan's
name and told him where she thought he could find her.