id not explain. In her own mind she was much disturbed.
She was confident that the writer of this note was the "fresh" young
fellow who had always been at work in the chemical laboratory right across
the air-shaft from her kitchen window!

Of course, it was quite by chance--in all probability--that he had
answered her advertisement. Yet Lyddy Bray had an intuition that if she
answered the letter, and the Colesworths came here to Hillcrest, trouble
would ensue.

She had hoped very much to obtain boarders, and to get even one thus early
in the season seemed too good to be true. Yet, now that she had got what
she wanted, Lyddy was doubtful if she wanted it after all.

CHAPTER XIV

THE COLESWORTHS

Mr. Bray fell in with the boarder project, as we have seen, with
enthusiasm. Although he could do nothing as yet, his mind was active
enough and he gaily planned with 'Phemie what they should do and how
they should arrange the rooms for the horde of visitors who were, they
were sure, already on their way to Hillcrest.

"Though Lyd won't show the very first letter she's received in answer to
our ad.," complained the younger sister. "What's the matter with those
folks, Lyddy? Do they actually live right there near where we did on
Trimble Avenue?"

"That was a loft building next to us," said their father, curiously. "Who
are the people, daughter?"

"Somebody by the name of Colesworth. The Commonwealth Chemical Company
office. It's about an old man to stay here."

"One man only!" exclaimed 'Phemie.

"With a young man--the one who writes--to come up over Sundays, I
suppose," acknowledged Lyddy, doubtfully.

"Goody!" cried her sister. "_That_ sounds better."

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself, 'Phemie!" chided Lyddy, with some
asperity.

But Mr. Bray only laughed. "I guess I can play 'he-chaperon' for all the
young men who come here," he said. "Your sister is only making fun, Lydia."

But Lyddy was more worried in secret about the Colesworth proposition
than she was ready to acknowledge. She "just felt" that Harris Colesworth
was the young man who had helped them the evening of the fire in the
Trimble Avenue tenement.

"He found out our name, of course, and when he saw my advertisement he
knew who it was. He may even have found out where we were going when
we left for the country. In some way he could have done so," thought
Lyddy, putting the young man's character before her mind in the very
worst possible lig