d for the crooked swindler that he was.

It seemed that at the time he had sold the property to Mrs. Bragley's
husband, Pacomb had made five other grants, and, now that the property
had proved more valuable than he had hoped for, he was trying underhand
means to recover it.

The men who had made life miserable for Nan for the last few weeks and
had almost wrecked Bess's temper and who were now gracing twin cells in
prison, were simply agents of Pacomb's.

"So now everything is settled happily," Mr. Mason finished. "We can go
back to Palm Beach whenever the spirit moves us."

The spirit did not move them for several days, however, for Sunny Slopes
was a pretty place and the surrounding country beautiful. Also Nan had
telegraphed the joyful news to Mrs. Bragley and, since she had given
the address of the hotel where they were staying, she was eager to
receive a letter in answer from the widow before they went back to the
Royal Poinciana.

"Although I do hope she writes soon," she had confided to Walter. "For I
am really getting homesick for Palm Beach again."

The girls went to see Linda the day after Nan received Laura's letter,
but found that she and Cora had left without leaving word of any kind
for any of them.

"Poor Cora!" Bess said, as they made their way down to the street. "I
guess she hasn't had any easy time of it since she let the cat out of
the bag to me about Linda."

At last the expected letter came from Mrs. Bragley, and the girls
gathered around Nan eagerly as she read it aloud. One had only to read
the first line to tell that the old woman was overjoyed at her good
fortune. The letter fairly overflowed with gratitude to Nan for what she
had done.

"It has lifted a weight from my shoulders, my dear, such as you
will never know," the letter finished. "At least I hope and pray
that you may not. And if the time ever comes when you need help,
don't be afraid to come to a lonely old woman, who will be proud
and happy to pay back a little of the debt she owes you."

"That's worth every disagreeable thing we went through, isn't it,
girls?" Nan asked, looking up at them with shining eyes. "Isn't it
wonderful to be able to make somebody just a little bit happier because
they have met you?"

"Maybe that's why we are all so happy," said Bess gaily, flinging her
arms about her chum. "Because we have you, Nan Sherwood."

"Now with Nan's villains and Linda off our minds," drawled