ind those deeds were given to Colonel Witham. They're on record, and I
suppose Witham has the original papers, duly signed. We'll know all
about it as soon as he returns. He went out of town, you say, the day
Mr. Ellison died?"

"Yes," she replied; "never came near us, nor sent us word of sympathy.
I'm afraid he didn't want to see us. I never wanted James to have
business dealings with him. Does the mill go, too?"

"I'm afraid it does," answered Lawyer Estes. "Why, didn't you know about
it? Your name is signed, too, you know, else the deeds are not good."

"Oh, yes, I suppose I did sign them, if they're on record," said Mrs.
Ellison. "I was always signing papers for James. He said everything
would be all right. I didn't know anything about the business--dear,
dear--I thought the boys would have the mill when James was too old to
work it. It's good property, if it does look shabby."

"Well, we'll make the best of it and do all we can," said Lawyer Estes.
"Perhaps Witham can straighten it out when he returns. If he can't,
there seems to be no doubt that the mill and some of the farm belong to
him. We've hunted everywhere about your home and about the mill, and
there are no papers that save us. We must wait for Colonel Witham."

It was a little more than two weeks before Colonel Witham did return to
his hotel. Had he gotten out of the way, thus hurriedly, to see what
turn James Ellison's affairs might take? Had he hopes that the deeds he
knew of might by some chance not be found? Was his absence carefully
timed, to allow of whatever search was bound to be made to be done and
gotten over with, ere he should presume to lay claim to the property?
It would not do to declare himself owner, should the chance arise, and
then have the deeds that he had given back secretly to Ellison turn up.
It were safer surely to remain away and see what would happen.

At all events, when on a certain day the droning of the mill told that
its wheels had resumed their interrupted grinding, there might have been
seen, within, the burly form of Colonel Witham, moving about as one with
authority. Short, curt were his answers. There was little to be made out
of him by Lawyer Estes or anyone else. What was his business was
his--and nobody else's. There were the deeds, duly signed. If anyone had
a better claim to the property, let him show it. As for the Ellison
boys--and all other boys--they could keep away, unless they had corn to
be ground. The