't
care to tackle them in the dark."

The cottage contained but three rooms. The larger one downstairs was a
combination kitchen and dining room. A small wing, built upon one side,
was used by Mr. Cragg for his private apartment, but its only outlet
was through the main room. At the back was a lean-to shed, in which was
built a narrow flight of stairs leading to a little room in the attic,
where Ingua slept. Josie knew the plan of the house perfectly, having
often visited Ingua during the day when her grandfather was absent and
helped her sweep and make the beds and wash the dishes.

To-night Josie moved noiselessly around the building, satisfied herself
that Ingua was asleep and that Mr. Cragg was still awake, and then
strove to peer through the shuttered window to discover what the old
man was doing.

She found this impossible. Although the weather was warm the window was
tightly shut and a thick curtain was drawn across it.

Josie slipped over to the river bank and in the shadow of a tree sat
herself down to watch and wait with such patience as she could muster.
It was half past nine o'clock, and Ingua had told her that when her
grandfather was wakeful, and indulged in his long walks, he usually
left the house between ten o'clock and midnight--seldom earlier and
never later. He would go to bed, the child said, and finding he could
not sleep, would again dress and go out into the night, only to return
at early morning.

Josie doubted that he ever undressed on such occasions, knowing, as he
no doubt did, perfectly well what his program for the night would be.
She had decided that the nocturnal excursions were not due to insomnia
but were carefully planned to avoid possible observation. When all the
countryside was wrapped in slumber the old gentleman stole from his
cottage and went--where? Doubtless to some secret place that had an
important bearing on his life and occupation. It would be worth while,
Josie believed, to discover the object of these midnight excursions.
Ingua claimed that her grandfather's periods of wakeful walking were
irregular; sometimes he would be gone night after night, and then for
weeks he would remain at home and sleep like other folks.

So Josie was not surprised when old Swallowtail's light was
extinguished shortly after ten o'clock and from then until midnight he
had not left the house. Evidently this was not one of his "wakeful"
periods. The girl's eyes, during this time, never left