ke the elder--Well!"

Janice understood very well why Nelson had said nothing to her about
this. He was very proud indeed and did not want the girl to suspect
how poor he had really become. Nelson had said he would stay in
Polktown until the mystery of the stolen coin collection was cleared
up--or, at least, until it was proved that he had nothing to do with it.

"And the poor fellow has just about come to the end of his rope,"
thought Janice commiseratingly. "Oh, dear, me! Even if I had plenty
of money, he wouldn't let me help him. Nelson wouldn't take money from
a girl--not even borrow it!"

However, Janice stuck to her text with Massey and obtained the list of
the lost collection to look at. "Dunno what you want it for," said the
druggist. "You going sleuthing for the thief, Miss Janice?"

"Maybe," she returned, with a serious smile.

"I reckon that ten dollar gold piece that Joe Bodley took in at the
hotel was a false alarm."

"If Joe Bodley had told you how he came by it, it would have helped
some, would it not, Mr. Massey?"

"Sure--it might. But he couldn't remember who gave it to him," said
the man, wagging his head forlornly.

"I wonder?" said Janice, using one of her uncle's favorite expressions,
and so made her way out of the store and into her car again. When she
had time that forenoon at the seminary she spread out the sheet on
which the description of the coins was printed, and looked for the note
relating to the five dollar gold piece in her possession.

It was there. It was not a particularly old or a very rare coin,
however. There might be others of the same date and issue in
circulation. So, after all, the fact that Narnay had it proved
nothing--unless she could discover how he came by it--who had given it
to him.

In the afternoon Janice drove home by the Upper Road and ran her car
into Elder Concannon's yard. It was the busy season for the elder, for
he conducted two big farms and had a number of men working for him
besides his regular farm hands.

He was ever ready to talk with Janice Day, however, and he came out of
the paddock now, in his old dust coat and broad-brimmed hat, smiling
cordially at her.

"Come in and have a pot of tea with me," he said. "Ye know I'm partial
to 'old maid's tipple' and Mrs. Grayson will have it ready about now, I
s'pose. Stop! I'll tell her to bring it out on the side porch. It's
shady there. You look like a cup would comfort you, Janice