ht troubled her.

"Sure," said Wesley largely. So they drove away and left a white-faced
woman watching them from the door, her heart a little sorer than usual.

"I'd give a pretty to hear what he'll say to her!" she commented
bitterly. "Always sticking in, always doing things I can't ever afford.
Where on earth did he get that thing and what did it cost?"

Then she entered the cabin and began the day's work, but mingled with
the brooding bitterness of her soul was the vision of a sweet young
face, glad with a gladness never before seen on it, and over and over
she repeated: "I wonder what he'll say to her!"

What he said was that she looked as fresh and sweet as a posy, and to be
careful not to step in the mud or scratch her shoes when she went to the
case.

Elnora found her key and opened the door. Not where she had placed it,
but conspicuously in front lay her little heap of bills, and a crude
scrawl of writing beside it. Elnora picked up the note in astonishment.

DERE ELNORY,

the lord amighty is hiding you all right done you ever dout it this
money of yourn was took for some time las nite but it is returned with
intres for god sake done ever come to the swamp at nite or late evnin or
mornin or far in any time sompin worse an you know could git you

A FREND.

Elnora began to tremble. She hastily glanced around. The damp earth
before the case had been trodden by large, roughly shod feet. She caught
up the money and the note, thrust them into her guimpe, locked the case,
and ran to the road.

She was so breathless and her face so white Sinton noticed it.

"What in the world's the matter, Elnora?" he asked.

"I am half afraid!" she panted.

"Tut, tut, child!" said Wesley Sinton. "Nothing in the world to be
afraid of. What happened?"

"Uncle Wesley," said Elnora, "I had more money than I brought home last
night, and I put it in my case. Some one has been there. The ground is
all trampled, and they left this note."

"And took your money, I'll wager," said Sinton angrily.

"No," answered Elnora. "Read the note, and oh Uncle Wesley, tell me what
it means!"

Sinton's face was a study. "I don't know what it means," he said. "Only
one thing is clear. It means some beast who doesn't really want to harm
you has got his eye on you, and he is telling you plain as he can, not
to give him a chance. You got to keep along the roads, in the open, and
not let the biggest moth that ever flew toll you out of hea