in the matter of worldly possessions.

He leaned over the bannister and called excitedly for Mrs. Clunie.

"Guid preserve us a'; what's wrang?" she exclaimed, pulling her dress
up in front and hurrying up the stairs.

Phil showed her into his room without a word. The moment she saw the
state of it, she threw up her hands in amazement.

"Goodness sakes, Mr. Ralston! It looks as if there had been thievin'
bodies here."

"Have any strangers been in the house?"

"Not a soul, Mr. Ralston, except the man you sent wi the note to let
him ha'e your spurs that were in the bureau drawer."

"But I didn't send any man, and I didn't write any note!" put in
Phil.

"You didna? Oh, the slyness o' him! As sure as my name's Jean Clunie,
he was the thief."

"Well!" said Phil ruefully, "he has made a deuce of a jumble of my
clothes. But he came to the wrong room if he came for valuables."

"I was busy and I told him to run up and get them. Oh, the cunnin'
de'il. Is there nothing missing?"

"Nothing that I know of; certainly nothing valuable, for I don't own
any such!"

"Bide a minute till I get that note," exclaimed the perspiring and
excited landlady.

She returned in a minute with the paper.

Phil read it over. It was written in a rough hand, in pencil.

_Mrs. Clunie_,

Please allow bearer into my room to get my spurs for me. He will
know where to find them.

PHIL RALSTON.

Phil scratched his head.

"Well, that beats all!"

"And you never wrote it?"

"Not I!"

"But he took your spurs, for I saw them in his hand."

Phil glanced about him.

"Yes!--I guess he has taken my spurs."

"My, but I'm the foolish woman. I never heard tell o' the like o' it
before. This place is gettin' as bad as the ceety o' Glesca."

"What was the man like, Mrs. Clunie?"

"Oh, just a wee, short kind o' a rough lookin', dirty kind o' a
mannie, wi' a horse."

"What kind of a horse did he have?"

"To tell ye the truth, I didna pay muckle attention to the beastie,
but I think it was brown coloured, wi' a white patch on its e'e. Oh,
ay! and it was lame, for when he went aff I could see it hobblin' on
its fore legs as it galloped doon the road."

"All right!" said Phil. "If you send Betsy up to put the room in
order, everything will be O.K."

"I'm right sorry I wasna more parteecular, Mr. Ralston, but I didna
think for a minute except that you would be anxious for your spurs. A
letter like that would deceive the very Lo