ve you told anyone?"

"Not yet."

"Not yet! Then you intend to do so, I suppose?"

"Why not? Should not Mr. and Mrs. Randall know at once what a vil----,
excuse me, what an impostor you are?"

"Don't, don't tell them! For the love of heaven, keep this a secret.
They must not know. It will ruin me."

"What am I to do, then?"

"Say nothing. Keep silent."

"Ah, now you are coming to the point. That's why I'm here. Yes, I
will keep silent, but what will you pay for my silence. Let's get down
to business at once."

"So you want money, eh? How much?"

"That all depends, sir, upon how much you are able to pay."

Donaster looked at Grimsby for a minute without replying. He was
angry, and he longed to kick this fellow out of the room. But he knew
he had to be cautious if he expected to secure the prize. He must
muzzle him somehow until then, otherwise he would spoil his chance
completely.

"I am afraid I can pay you but little," he at length confessed. "I am
rather hard up myself."

"Oh, that's all right, sir. I'm not hard to please. Let's be partners
and divvy up. Give me half of what you have, and I'm at your command.
Then, when you get the girl--and the money--you can give me some more."
Grimsby's eyes twinkled as he made this suggestion, and he watched to
see the effect upon Donaster.

"And you promise that you'll not squeal on me if I do this?"

"Sure. I'll do almost anything for money--like yourself, eh?"

"Do you think you can find the girl?"

"Leave that to me, sir. You came down river on the 'Eb and Flo,'
didn't you?"

"How did you hear about that?" Donaster quickly queried.

"H'm, don't ask me how I find out about things. I generally know
what's taking place. Eben Tobin's quite a lad, eh?"

"He certainly is. You know him, then?"

"Should say so; ever since he was a baby. Guess he has a pretty good
idea where that girl is."

"He told me he didn't."

"Ah, he'd tell you that. But just wait till I get hold of him. You
didn't go about it the right way. He's in a class all by himself, Eben
is."

"And will you see him?" Donaster was all eagerness now.

"But what about that money? I'm hard up. You can't do much without
money these days. It makes people talk when nothing else will. How
much can you spare?"

Donaster thought for a few minutes, and his brows wrinkled.

"I've only five hundred in the bank," he at length explained. "You'll
have to wait until to-morr