ore nervous with the passing
minutes. She felt that something was wrong.

Her distrust of Holmes, save for so much of it as was due to his
statement that he had never been in Hedgeville, when she herself had
seen him there, was almost wholly instinctive, but Bessie knew that
instinct is sometimes a better guide than reason, and she began to
regret Dolly's impulsive action in getting into the car more and more.
Still, as matters stood, there was nothing to do but wait and see what
was to happen.

After all, no matter what might come, she would not be utterly
unprepared. She was expecting trouble of some sort, and she knew that
the worst blows are those that are unexpected, just as the worst
lightning is that which flashes from a clear sky.

Suddenly, as the car approached a little country store, at a crossroads,
and looking as though no one ever went there to buy anything, Holmes
slowed up again.

"This isn't the place you mean, is it?" asked Dolly, smartly. "If it is,
I must say I think those stores you wouldn't stop at are much nicer!"

Holmes laughed back at her. He seemed to have taken a great fancy to
her, spoiled and pert though she was.

"No, indeed," he said, "but I happened to see by that blue sign that
they have a telephone inside, and I just remembered, after we passed
through that last village, that I ought to telephone a message to a
friend of mine in the city. So, if you don't mind, I'll leave you in the
car while I run in and telephone. It won't take me a minute, then we'll
be on our way again."

Then he got out, and cutting off the motor, stepped into the store. In a
moment Bessie was ready to take advantage of the opportunity that chance
and his carelessness offered her.

"You keep perfectly still, Dolly," she said, earnestly. "I know it isn't
supposed to be nice to listen to what you're not meant to hear, but I
think this is a time when I've got a right to try to find out what I
can. I may not be able to do it at all, but I'm going to do my best to
listen to Mr. Holmes while he's sending that message and find out all
I can about it. Do you see that window at the side of the store? Well,
there's just a chance, I believe, that the telephone inside may be near
the window. If it is, I may be able to find out what he's doing."

And, without giving Dolly a chance to protest, or even to voice her
surprise, Bessie slipped from the car and ran lightly to the side of the
ramshackle old building that se