rning, "what do you think of Old Swallowtail now?"

"About the same as before. I'm gradually accumulating facts to account
for the old man's strange actions, but I'm not ready to submit them for
criticism just yet. The plot is still a bit ragged and I want to mend
the holes before I spread it out before you."

"Do you think he suspects who you are?"

"No; he thinks I'm a waif from the city with a penchant for burglary.
He expects me to rob you, presently, and then run away. I'm so unlikely
to cross his path again that he talked with unusual frankness to me--or
_at_ me, if you prefer to put it that way. All I gained last night was
the knowledge that he's afraid of himself, that his temper cost him a
career in the world and obliged him to live in seclusion and that he
has a secret which he doesn't intend any red-headed girl to stumble on
accidentally."

"And you think he was angry when you accused him of neglecting Ingua?"

"I'm sure he was. It made him more furious than my attempt to saw his
padlock. Come, let's run over and see Ingua now. I want to ask how her
grandfather treated her this morning."

They walked through the grounds, crossed the river on the
stepping-stones and found Ingua just finishing her morning's work. The
child greeted them eagerly.

"I'm glad you come," she said, "for I was meanin' to run over to your
place pretty soon. What d'ye think hes happened? Las' night, in the
middle o' the night--or p'r'aps nearer mornin'--Gran'dad begun to slam
things aroun'. The smashin' of tables an' chairs woke me up, but I
didn't dare go down to see what was the matter. He tumbled ev'rything
'round in the kitchen an' then went inter his own room an' made the fur
fly there. I knew he were in one o' his tantrums an' that he'd be sorry
if he broke things, but it wasn't no time to interfere. When the rumpus
stopped I went to sleep ag'in, but I got up early an' had his breakfas'
all ready when he come from his room. I'd picked up all the stuff he'd
scattered an' mended a broken chair, an' things didn't look so bad.

"Well, Ol' Swallertail jes' looked aroun' the room an' then at me an'
sot down to eat. 'Ingua,' he says pretty soon,' you need a new dress.'
Say, girls, I near fell over backwards! 'Go down to Sol Jerrems,' says
he, 'an' pick out the goods, an' I'll pay for it. I'll stop in this
mornin' an' tell Sol to let ye have it. An',' says he, lookin' at me
ruther queer, 'ye might ask that redheaded sewin'-girl th