l
puzzled over the presence of that strange woman in the garage at the time
of the fire.

"It was gasoline--whatever else it was," declared Jack. "I can tell
that by the smell. Maybe some of that we used in an open pan to clean
my machine exploded," he went on to his chums.

"Could it go off by spontaneous combustion?" asked Ed. "It's possible,"
admitted Walter. "Unless some one was smoking in here--some tramp."

"Oh, no!" protested Cora quickly. The woman did not seem a
tramp--certainly she did not smoke.

"We must get the cars back in here," said Jack. "The rain is slackening
now." This was so, for the shower, though severe, had not been of long
duration. "We want them in shape for to-morrow," he went on.

"Are we going after all this?" asked Belle.

"Certainly!" exclaimed Cora. "This fire didn't amount to much."

"I'm much obliged to you," spoke Jack to the passing workmen who had come
in to help. Jack passed them some money.

"We'll help you roll the cars in," suggested one.

"Yes, it will be better to roll them by hand than take chances on starting
them up, and making sparks," said Jack. "Come on, boys!"

"Come on, girls!" echoed Cora. "We'll go to the house."

While her brother, his chums and the men were putting the autos back in
the garage the girls ran through the slackening rain to the rear porch.
There Cora found the strange woman sitting, pathetically weary, in the
chair Nettie had brought out. "Oh--some one is here!" gasped Belle, who
had nearly stumbled over the figure in the darkness. Then one of the maids
opened the kitchen door, and a flood of light came out on the porch.

"Wait a minute, girls," said Cora, in a low voice. "I think I have a
little surprise for you." She motioned to the strange woman.

CHAPTER III

A STRANGE STORY

"Come inside," Cora said, while the others looked on in amazement. Who
could this strange, elderly woman be? Where had she come from? And Cora
appeared to know her.

"One of Cora's charity-cronies," Ed whispered to Norton, who stood
inquisitively near. "Come on. She knows how to take care of that sort."
The boys after putting back the autos had come on to the house.

Jack and Walter were evidently of Ed's opinion, for they also passed into
the house with not more than a glance at the woman. Bess lingered near
Cora.

"We will go in here," Cora said kindly, as she opened from the kitchen a
door that led into a room used for special occasions, when m