treet he was out of sight."

"Is that so! It's too bad you couldn't catch him, Dave. I suppose you
would have liked to talk to him."

"That's right, Ben. And maybe I might have had him arrested, although
now that he has been exposed, and now that Link Merwell is in jail, I
don't suppose it would have done much good."

"It's queer he should show himself so close to Crumville. One would
think that he would want to put all the distance possible between
himself and your folks."

"That's true, Ben. Maybe he is up to some more of his tricks."

The girls were on the lookout for the boys, and now, having bundled up
well, they came from the restaurant, and all got into the sleigh once
more. Then they turned back in the direction of Crumville, this time,
however, taking a route which did not go near Conover's Hill.

"Oh, Dave! were you sure it was that Ward Porton?" questioned his
sister, when he had told her and Jessie about the appearance of the
former moving-picture actor.

"I was positive. Besides, if it wasn't Porton, why would he run
away?"

"I sincerely hope he doesn't try to do you any harm, Dave," said
Jessie, and gave a little shiver. "I was hoping we had seen the last
of that horrid young man."

"Why, Jessie! You wouldn't call him horrid, would you, when he looks
so very much like Dave?" asked Ben, mischievously.

"He doesn't look very much like Dave," returned the girl, quickly.
"And he doesn't act in the least like him," she added loyally.

"It's mighty queer to have a double that way," was the comment of the
real estate man's son. "I don't know that I should like to have
somebody else looking like me."

"If you couldn't help it, you'd have to put up with it," returned
Dave, briefly. And then he changed the subject, which, as the others
could plainly see, was distasteful to him.

As they left Clayton the moon came up over a patch of woods, flooding
the snowy roadway with subdued light. In spite of what had happened,
all of the young folks were in good spirits, and they were soon
laughing and chatting gaily. Ben started to sing one of the old Oak
Hall favorites, and Dave and the girls joined in. The grays were now
behaving themselves, and trotted along as steadily as could be
desired.

When the sleighing-party reached Crumville they left Ben Basswood at
his door, and then went on to the Wadsworth mansion.

"Did you have a fine ride?" inquired Mrs. Wadsworth, when the young
folks bustled into the ho