ter, and a
living to make from her few cows."

"But what was the paper you read, Rod?" asked impatient Josh.

"I'm coming to that," the other told him; "it is a very important letter
she has just received from a law firm in Paris, informing herself and
husband that an old uncle, Jasper, has died some time since, leaving his
estate to Andre on condition that he sign a certain document within a
given time. It now lacks just three weeks of the limit, and unless his
signature is properly placed there, and witnessed by three reliable
people, the property will go to another nephew, one Jules Baggott by
name, who has long hoped to inherit it."

"Great Scott! that is tough, I should say!" ejaculated Josh.

"And her husband away at the French war front, perhaps shot long before
now in the bargain," muttered Hanky Panky soberly; "because we've heard
that there's been bloody fighting all along the line between the French
border and in front of Paris, where General Von Kluck's German army is
already pressing."

"You can't wonder then that the poor little woman is overcome with the
terrible trouble that has fallen on her," explained Rod. "Once that
document is properly signed and she would be fixed for life, no matter
what happened to her soldier husband. But she hardly knows what to do.
It is utterly out of the question for her to try and find him; and she
doesn't know any person reliable enough in Antwerp to trust them with
the precious papers. You see, this other cousin, Jules, is here in town,
for she has even had him call upon her lately; and she now believes he
knows of his uncle's will, so that he might try to keep the messenger
from ever meeting Andre!"

Rod paused just there. Perhaps he knew his auditors so well that he
really anticipated what the effect would be upon both Josh and Hanky
Panky. The pair looked at the French woman, who was observing them with
such an eager, hungry expression on her face. She wrung her hands
piteously just then, as though she saw the one chance to gain a little
fortune for herself and child slipping away for lack of a brave champion
who would undertake the task of finding her Andre.

That was the finishing stroke. Josh had been hesitating, wondering
whether he ought to make a suggestion that, springing from his generous
heart, was already trembling on his lips.

"Rod!" he exclaimed, with boyish animation.

"Yes, what is it, Josh?" asked the other, encouragingly, for just then
the c