ng her for
a ride, to stop. She was waiting in my outer office and heard Kraus
claim the invention as his own--scoundrel that he was--and when I took
Kraus to see my head foreman, didn't she walk in, help herself to the
model and leave me this." He drew an envelope from his pocket and handed
it to Cornelius Allendyce. "Read it."

"This model is Dale Lynch's. I am taking it to him. When I see my
guardian, I shall make him buy it for the Forsyth Mills.

GORDON FORSYTH."

Cornelius Allendyce looked up from the bit of paper. He had suddenly
recalled the frightened little girl he had first brought to Gray Manor.

"Who'd believe that the child had the nerve?"

"That's what I said. Well, she ran off with it, Kraus gave chase, Tom
headed toward Cornwall, then switched off on an unimproved road and came
to grief. Just as Kraus was about to overtake them the child ran off
into the wood. Tom didn't have the vaguest idea what it was all about,
but he tried to head off Kraus and when Kraus started for the wood he
did a little wrestling trick that surprised the fellow, got him down,
tied him in the Ford and went himself in search of Miss Gordon. When he
came back after an hour's search he found Kraus and the Ford gone and he
walked back to South Falls. That's all."

"That model may be worth a lot, but it is not worth another tragedy to
this house," groaned Cornelius Allendyce.

"No. It is worth a good deal--but not--that much."

A few moments' deep silence prevailed. Wrinkles of worry twisted the
lawyer's face. What a mess it all was, anyway--he had urged Robin to go
to the Granger's in hopes that she'd bring the two families into close
intimacy again and instead of that she had gotten herself into this fix.
If they found her safe and sound she ought to be spanked and taught to
keep her hands off the Mill affairs until she was older. But down in
his heart he knew this was only a vexatious expression of his
concern--you couldn't punish Robin for anything.

"As her guardian I appreciate your alarm. I share it with you, not alone
because Miss Forsyth was a guest at my house but because I took a great
fancy to the child. It struck me, as I looked at her, that her coming to
Wassumsic--to the Manor, might change things, here, quite a bit."

"It has--it will," mumbled Mr. Allendyce. For a moment, just to relieve
his feelings, he wondered if he might not confide in th