. Roughly Burke pushed him back.

The minister stepped forward. "Mr. Burke, what do you mean?"

"What does this man here mean by--by--"

"Yes, by what, Mr. Burke?"

"By making reflections against me," shouted Burke. "I demand an
explanation! I--"

"But my dear sir, I am sure nothing was said--"

The old man dodged by, ran to the edge of the platform, and cried in a
thin, high voice, "Do you mean my farm? My farm that Burke wants to buy?"

There was a momentary silence, during which here and there could be heard
long in-drawn gasps. Then abruptly Alex tore the bandage from his eyes,
swept off the hat and beard, and stepped to the front.

"There need be no further mystery about this," he declared in a grimly
steady voice. "On the train this morning Jack Orr and I accidentally
overheard--"

From Burke came a scream, he sprang forward with raised fists, faltered,
and suddenly whirling about, dashed down the aisle for the door, and out.
And in the breathless silence which followed Alex completed his
explanation.

As the old man climbed the platform steps and extended a shaking hand,
the applause that burst from every corner of the room fairly rattled the
windows; and as the uproar continued, and Alex sprang hastily to the
floor, he was surrounded by a jostling, enthusiastic crowd of strangers
from whom in vain he sought to escape.

Some minutes later, enjoying tea and cake in a circle which included the
minister, the latter smilingly remarked, "But you haven't yet explained
the rest of the mysterious doings, Master Alex. Aren't you going to
enlighten us all round? Prefer to keep it a secret, eh? Well, if you will
promise us another 'exposition' I'm sure we will agree not to press you,"
declared the minister, heartily.

And as a matter of fact, save Kate, no one has yet solved the mystery,
not even the janitor, although on cutting the grass a few days later he
picked up beneath one of the school-room windows an unaccountable piece
of fine copper wire.

XIV

THE LAST OF THE FREIGHT THIEVES

"No; I'm not after you this time," laughingly responded Detective Boyle
to Jack's half serious inquiry on recognizing his visitor at the station
one evening a month later as the road detective who on the previous
memorable occasion had called in company with the sheriff. "Instead, I
want your assistance.

"Do you know," he asked, seating himself, "that your friends the freight
thieves are operating again on the