atically, "that for my part I'm glad
it's over. I may be able to sleep to-night without expecting to be
stabbed in the back."

"Goodness! they weren't after you," said Nan practically. "I was
the--the----" she paused for a word and Walter obligingly supplied it.

"Goat?" he asked.

"Goat," she agreed with a smile.

"Oh, but you were wonderful, Nan," said Grace worshipfully. "I never
would have had the courage to face those men the way you did."

"But if it hadn't been for Rhoda, they might have got away even then,"
said Nan generously, and Rhoda flushed with pleasure.

"I'm glad if I helped at all," the girl from Rose Ranch said modestly.

It was not till the girls were alone in their room that they remembered
the unopened morning mail. Nan had been holding her letters tight in her
hand through all the excitement. They opened them without much interest,
for even letters could hardly hope to compete with the excitement of
this morning.

One of Nan's letters was from Momsey, and she put it away with a tender
smile, for she always saved the best till the last. Then she opened the
other letter, which was from Laura Polk, and immediately her
indifference changed to interest.

In the letter, which Nan read aloud, Laura recounted excitedly to Nan
how Dr. Prescott had found that Linda was responsible for the wrecking
of the steam plant and that Linda's father would undoubtedly be asked to
pay the bill for repairs.

"Does she say how they found out?" questioned Bess quickly.

"One of the servants saw Linda down there with some rope. She was taken
sick and went home for a while, and did not know anything about the
trouble at the school. But she is well now and ready to go back to her
work, and in talking to Doctor Beulah the story came out."

"I'm mighty glad Doctor Beulah knows," said Bess. "I don't suppose any
of us could have told on Linda, but she deserved to be found out--the
horrid thing."

"I don't suppose Linda can help her disposition," said Grace mildly. "I
heard mother say once that she was her own worst enemy."

"I suppose she is," said Rhoda skeptically. "But that doesn't make us
like her any better!"

Then Nan put down Laura's letter and turned to Momsey's. It was a long,
long letter, and she read it over twice.

"Dear Momsey!" she murmured to herself. "How much I will have to tell
you when I see you again!"

A few hours later Mr. Mason came back with the news that Jacob Pacomb
had been arreste