irst that Dan had heard of this project, and its bearing upon the
hopes of the Bassetts as the heirs apparent of Mrs. Owen's estate
startled him.

"I want you to draw up papers covering the whole business, Daniel, but
you've got to get rid of your legislature first. I thought of a good
name for the school, Sylvia. We'll call it Elizabeth House School, to
hitch it on to the boarding-house. I want you and Daniel to go down East
with me right after Christmas to look at some more schools where they do
that kind of work. We'll have some fun next spring tearing up the farm
and putting up the new buildings. Are Hallie and Marian in town,
Sylvia?"

"No, they're at Fraserville," Sylvia replied. "And I had a note from
Blackford yesterday. He's doing well at school now."

"Well, I guess you did that for him, Sylvia. I hope they're all grateful
for that."

"Oh, it was nothing; and they paid me generously for my work."

"Humph!" Mrs. Owen sniffed. "Children, there are things in this world
that a check don't settle."

There were some matters of business to be discussed. Dan had at last
received an offer for the Kelton house at Montgomery, and Mrs. Owen
thought he ought to be able to screw the price up a couple of hundred
dollars.

"I'm all ready to close the estate when the sale is completed," said
Dan. "Practically everything will be cleaned up when the house is sold.
That Canneries stock that we inventoried as worthless is pretty sure to
pan out. I've refused to compromise."

"That's right, Daniel. Don't you compromise that case. This skyrocket
finance is all right for New York, but we can't allow it here in the
country where folks are mostly square or trying to be."

"It seems hard to let the house go," said Sylvia. "It's given Mary a
home and we'll have to find a place for her."

"Oh, that's all fixed," remarked Mrs. Owen. "I've got work for her at
Elizabeth House. She can do the darning and mending. Daniel, have you
brought the papers from Andrew's safety box over here?"

"Yes, Aunt Sally; I did that the last time I was in Montgomery. I wanted
to examine the abstract of title and be ready to close this sale if you
and Sylvia approved of it."

"Well, well," Mrs. Owen said, in one of those irrelevances that adorned
her conversation.

Dan knew what was in her mind. Since that night on Waupegan, blessed
forever by Sylvia's tears, the letter found among Professor Kelton's
papers had led him through long, intricate ma