eard from Mary Louise, who reported all well at Dorfield
and the Children's Home Society as flourishing. Polly and Peter were
more and more beloved by all. There was a growing demand to adopt them
but dear old Dr. Weston had refused to give them up, hoping for better
things for them. The Higgledy-Piggledy Shop was flourishing in spite of
the absence of a valued partner.

The sanitarium was situated about half a mile from the village. It was
a pleasant walk in good weather, but on Josie's afternoon off it had
set in for a cold spring drizzle, disagreeable enough to dampen the
ardor of anybody but Josie O'Gorman, who scorned the excuse of dreary
weather for the doleful dumps. Well protected with rubbers and
raincoat, the girl paddled along the muddy road, busily going over in
her mind a plan of action. She realized she must get from Mrs. Waller
letters to her friends in Atlanta and they must be fully informed of
the injustice that was being done her and take legal action for her
release from this durance vile to which she had been subjected. Those
friends, of course, had been told by Chester Hunt that she was crazy.
They had taken his honesty for granted and had been hoodwinked by his
seeming distress over the condition of his brother's wife. The question
was, how soon must she leave the sanitarium and how proceed?

Josie's instinct was to go to Dorfield and there get help from Mr.
Peter Conant and Chief Charlie Lonsdale. On the other hand, she did not
want to leave the sanitarium until after Chester Hunt's promised visit
to that institution. She found several letters awaiting her at the
hotel. The host welcomed her cordially. Of course it was not a very
regular thing to have an unattached, mysterious young woman engage the
best room in the house, the one known as the bridal chamber, and then
not occupy it but go cavorting over the county on some kind of unknown
business, blowing in to the hotel occasionally for mail and inquiring
eagerly for telegrams, but business was business and it was profitable
to rent the best room with bath and then not have it occupied--no wear
and tear on it at all, no change of linen or cry for soap and towels.

Josie realized it was an extravagance but she had a feeling she might
need that room soon and need it badly and this was no time to be small
about money. She took from the suitcase the two porridge bowls,
determined to pretend to Mrs. Stark that she had bought them as a
present for Mr