nd that's what's the matter," sighed Cordelia. "That's why I
was going to ask you, to see if you didn't know, perhaps."

"Ask _me_?"

"Yes. That is, if you had been around any--in Texas. You see I ask
everybody, almost. I have to," she apologized a little wistfully. "And
even then it looks as if I should have to go back to Sunbridge without
finding one of them. And I'd so hate to do that!"

The man started visibly.

"Go back--where?"

"To Sunbridge."

"Sunbridge--?"

"Sunbridge, New Hampshire; home, you know."

An odd expression crossed the man's face.

"No--I didn't know," he said, after a moment.

"Why, didn't any of us ever tell you we were from the East?" cried
Cordelia.

"Oh, yes, lots of times. But you never happened to mention the town
before, I think."

"Why, how funny!" murmured Cordelia.

The man did not speak. He seemed to have fallen into a reverie. Cordelia
stirred restlessly in her seat.

"Did you say you would help me?" she asked at last, timidly.

"Help you?" The man seemed to have forgotten what she had been speaking
of.

"Help me to find them, you know--those people I'm looking for."

"Why, of course," laughed the man, easily. "Who are--" He stopped
abruptly. For the second time an odd expression crossed his face. "Are
they--Sunbridge people?" he asked, stooping to pick up a dried leaf from
the gallery floor.

"Yes, Mr. Edwards. There are four of them--three men and one woman. They
are John Sanborn, Lester Goodwin, James Hunt, and Mrs. Lizzie Higgins.
Maybe you know some of them. Do you?"

"Well, Miss Cordelia,"--the man stopped a minute, as he reached for a
leaf still farther away--"is that quite to be expected?" he asked then,
lightly.

"No, I suppose not," she sighed; "for, of course, Texas _is_ big. But if
you would please just put their names down on paper same as the others
have, that would help a great deal."

"Why, certainly," agreed the man, reaching into his pocket and bringing
out a little notebook not unlike the minister's. "Now suppose you--you
give me those names again, Miss Cordelia."

"John Sanborn, Lester Goodwin, James Hunt, and Mrs. Lizzie Higgins. And
I am Cordelia Wilson, you know. Just 'Sunbridge, New Hampshire,' would
reach me--if you found any of them."

"I'll remember--if I find any of them," murmured the man, as he wrote
the last name.

"And thank you so much!" beamed Cordelia.

There was a moment's silence. The man was playing with his penci