nd I guess I wouldn't have had that if Mary
Louise hadn't told him he orter dress me more decent."

Nan's brow grew dark.

"I'll have it out with him for that," she promised. "What does he do
with his money, Ingua?"

"Salts it, I guess. I never see him have any. It's one o' the
mysteries, Marm. Mysteries is thick aroun' Gran'dad, an' folks
suspicion 'most anything about him. All I know is that he ain't no
spendthrift. Once, when Ned Joselyn used to come here, there was lots
of money passed between 'em. I saw it myself. I helped pick it up,
once, when they quarreled an' upset the table an' spilled things. But
since Ned run ayray. Gran'dad's be'n more savin' than ever."

"Ingua," said Nan, thoughtfully, "I want you to tell me all you know
about Ned Joselyn, from the time he first came here."

Ingua regarded her mother with serious eyes.

"All?" she inquired.

"Everything, little or big, that you can recollect."

"You'll stick to Gran'dad, won't ye?"

"That's what I'm here for. There are enemies on his trail and I mean to
save him."

"What's he done?"

"I've got to find that out. When I was here before, I knew he had some
secret interest to which he was devoted, but I was too indifferent to
find out what it was. Now I want to know. If I'm going to save him from
the penalties of his crime I must know what the crime is. I think this
man Joselyn is mixed up with it in some way, so go ahead and tell me
all you know about him."

Ingua obeyed. For more than an hour she earnestly related the story of
Ned Joselyn, only pausing to answer an occasional question from her
mother. When she came to that final meeting at Christmas week and
Joselyn's mysterious disappearance, Nan asked:

"Do you think he killed him?"

"I was pretty sure of it till yest'day, when Josie told me a friend of
hers had seen him alive an' well."

"Josie O'Gorman?"

"No, Josie Jessup. She's the sewin'-girl over to Mary Louise's."

"I know; but that girl has more names than one. Do you know her very
well, Ingua?"

"She's my best chum," declared the child. "Josie's a dandy girl, an' I
like her."

"Have you told her anything about your gran'dad?"

"A little," Ingua admitted, hesitating.

"See here," said Nan, scowling, "I'll put you wise. This red-headed
Josie O'Gorman is a detective. She's the daughter of the man I work for
in Washington--the assistant chief of the Department--and she is here
to try to land your gran'dad in jail. What's