the motion of
the wagon, was beginning to nod sleepily.

She had almost dozed off when she was aroused sharply by a sudden shout
to his horses from Paw Hoover, and she heard him call out laughingly:

"Hello, there, Miss Mercer! Didn't expect to see me again so soon, did
you? I'll bet I've got the surprise of your life for you."

Then she heard Wanaka's clear voice.

"Oh, Mr. Hoover! You don't mean--"

"Yes, I do--and the pair of them, too," he said.

"Well, really? Oh, I'm so relieved! I've been half wild about poor
little Zara. I wasn't so afraid for Bessie--she's better able to care
for herself."

How proud Bessie was when she heard that!

"Jump up, Miss Mercer. Then you can talk to Bessie. She's keeping under
cover, like the wise young one she is. I'm afraid there's still trouble
stirring, Miss Mercer."

"I know there is, Mr. Hoover," Eleanor answered, gravely. And then she
looked through to see Bessie, and in a moment they were in one another's
arms.

"I've been to Zebulon, and I've found out lots of things," said Eleanor.
"Bessie, unless we're very careful that horrid old Mr. Weeks will get
hold of Zara again, and the law will help him to keep her. I don't know
how you got her away from him; you can tell me that later. But just now
I've thought of a way to beat him."

"I knew you would," said Bessie.

"The law is wrong, sometimes, I'm sure," said Eleanor. "And I'm just as
sure that this is one of the times. I've seen Mr. Weeks, and no one
would trust Zara to him. He'd treat her harshly, I know, and I don't
believe it would be easy to get him punished for it--around here, at
least."

"You're right there, ma'am," said Paw Hoover. "Silas Weeks has got too
many mortgages around here not to be able to have his own way when he's
really sot on getting it."

"Now, listen," said Eleanor quickly to Bessie. "I'm going to change all
our plans because I'm sure we can do more good than if we stuck to what
we meant to do. Mr. Hoover, can you spare the time to drive Bessie and
Zara to the road that crosses this about half a mile before you come to
Zebulon, and then a little way down that road, too?"

"I'll make the time," said Paw, heartily.

"Then it's going to be easy. I want them to get to the railroad. There
are too many people around the station in Zebulon, and there'd almost
surely be someone there who knew them. I'm not sure of just where Mr.
Weeks is right now. He might even be there himself. So that'