way of introducing the subject.

Mr. Stanlock laughed heartily.

"Kidnap me!" he exclaimed. "Well, that's a good one. I thought they
only kidnapped kids."

"Father," the girl pleaded; "do be serious with me. I've got something
very important to show you, something I forgot all about until Helen
reminded me. Helen thinks those men tried to kidnap you, and she's a
pretty wise girl, as I've had occasion to find out."

"If Helen said that, she surely must be a wise girl or else she has
made a pretty accurate guess," was the mine owner's reply.

"Then they did want to kidnap you?"

"Absolutely no doubt of it. They've got some kind of retreat in the
mountains, and planned to carry me off there and keep me prisoner."

"What for?"

"Why, to force me to yield to some of their demands, which are utterly
impossible and unreasonable. First, they demand an increase of wages
that would force us into a receivership sooner or later and again they
demand the adoption of a cooperative plan which eventually would make
them owners of the mines, if there were any possibility of it working,
and there isn't. It's a most ridiculous hold-up, the responsibility
for which rests with a few fanatical leaders of doubtful integrity."

"What do you think of these letters?" Marion asked, handing the two
anonymous missives to her father. "I received them by mail at the
Institute last night, but neglected to read them until we were all on
the train this morning."

As Mr. Stanlock read them, his brow contracted sternly. He could treat
lightly any hostile attack on himself, but when danger threatened
members of his family or their intimate friends, all signs of levity
disappeared from his manner and he was ready at once to meet with all
his energy the source of the danger, whether it be human or an element
of inanimate nature.

"This" he said, as he finished reading and held up the letter signed
with a skull and cross-bones, "undoubtedly came from the source where
the plot to kidnap me originated. They are pretty well organized and
determined to go the limit. Of course, you girls must give up your
plans to work among the strikers' families. It would be foolhardy and
probably would result in somebody's getting hurt."

"How about the other letter?" Marion asked.

"I don't know," was the reply. "It doesn't seem to amount to much. I
hardly think it is to be taken as a threat. Have you no idea who sent
it?"

"Some of the girls think it was sen