idn't know you could be so entertaining--Uncle
Hosea."

The detested title brought me to myself.

"We are here," I said, shortly. "And now where shall we go? Have you any
stopping place in particular?"

She nodded.

"Yes," she said, "I want to stop now. Please pull up over there, in
front of that shop with the cricket bats in the window."

The shop was what we, in America, would have called a "sporting-goods
store." I piloted "Pet" to the curb and pulled up.

"I am going in," said Miss Morley. "Oh, don't trouble to help me. I can
get down quite well."

She was down, springing from the step as lightly as a dandelion fluff
before I could scramble down on the other side.

"I won't be long," she said, and went into the shop. I, not being
invited, remained on the pavement. Two or three small boys appeared from
somewhere and, scenting possible pennies, volunteered to hold the horse.
I declined their services.

Five minutes passed, then ten. My passenger was still in the shop. I
could not imagine what she was doing there. If it had been a shop of a
different kind, and in view of Hephzy's recent statement concerning the
buying of clothes, I might have been suspicious. But no clothes were on
sale at that shop and, besides, it never occurred to me that she would
buy anything of importance without mentioning her intention to me
beforehand. I had taken it for granted that she would mention the
subject and, when she did, I intended to be firm. But as the
minutes went by my suspicions grew. She must be buying something--or
contemplating buying, at least. But she had said nothing to me
concerning money; HAD she money of her own after all? It might be
possible that she had a very little, and was making some trifling
purchase.

She reappeared in the doorway of the shop, followed by a very polite
young man with a blonde mustache. The young man was bowing and smiling.

"Yes, miss," he said, "I'll have them wrapped immediately. They shall be
ready when you return, miss. Thank you, miss."

Frances nodded acknowledgment of the thanks. Then she favored me with
another nod and a most bewitching smile.

"That's over," she announced, "and now I'm going to the draper's for a
moment. It is near here, you say?"

The young man bowed again.

"Yes, miss, on the next corner, next the chemist's."

She turned to me. "You may wait here, Mr. Knowles," she said. "I shall
be back very soon."

She hurried away. I looked after her, and t