"No!" faltered Mrs. Thurston.

"Have you any memorandum among your husband's papers which would prove
that the money was returned to him before his death?"

Mrs. Thurston shook her head. Barbara was staring at her mother with wide
open brown eyes, her cheeks paling, then flushing. Here was a mystery!

"My brother," said Mrs. Thurston finally, "settled my affairs for me at
the time of my husband's sudden death. I was too crushed to realize what
was taking place, and I had no idea that we would be brought to poverty.
But I know I saw no such paper as you mention. Until this minute, I never
heard that my brother borrowed any money from my husband. Oh, it simply
can't be true----"

"What can't be true, mother?" inquired Bab at last. Her mother did not
answer.

Mr. Stuart quietly folded up the mysterious paper and put it in his
pocket. "It may be that Mr. Le Baron can explain this situation at once,"
he said. "He is staying at the same hotel with me. If you will permit me
I will inquire into the matter for you. Now don't worry yourselves about
it any more," Mr. Stuart ended, resuming his natural manner.

To himself he told a different story. "This looks bad, very bad!" he
thought. "If Ralph Le Baron had paid this money back he would have seen
that the note was returned to him. I know him well enough for that. If he
never has paid it, can he be forced to do so now?" reflected Mr. Stuart,
looking at the matter from all sides. "He has never been asked for the
money before, and I do not believe the law requires a debt to be paid
after six years, if no claim has been previously made for it, and it is
now eleven years since the note was made. I must look into the matter. A
man who could rob his widowed sister and nieces of five thousand dollars
would be guilty of any crime. I shall make it hot for him unless he can
tell a straight story."

"Why is everybody looking so serious?" called out a gay voice, and Ruth,
followed by Mollie and Grace, entered the room.

The little group within the room started guiltily.

"There is mystery in the very air," declaimed Ruth, "you are trying to
conceal something!"

"You are a goose," replied her father fondly, then nodding reassuringly
to Bab and her mother. "Who knows what a day may bring forth?" he said.

CHAPTER III

HAPPINESS, AND ANOTHER SCHEME

The next morning Mr. Stuart left his hotel and went into New York with
Mr. Le Baron. They left Kingsbridge at eight o'clock,