y mother married his father when I was nothing but a little
shaver. My stepfather only lived two years and then my mother had the
raising of Chester. He was five years older than I was and I always
looked up to him. He is so handsome and so clever."

"Handsome is as handsome does," said Josie "and if he had been a little
cleverer he would not have trusted that fake Swedish maid who had no
word to express her nationality but bane for been.

"Listen! Mrs. Waller, you must not get excited, but I think I hear Mr.
Chester Hunt's voice."

CHAPTER XVIII
CHESTER HUNT CONFESSES

The dining room of the little hotel opened directly into the lobby and
the proprietor's desk could be plainly seen from where our friends were
seated at dinner. It was Chester Hunt leaning over the desk and
demanding from the proprietor the best room and bath.

"I have been ill, man, and I must be comfortable."

"But the room with the bath is occupied," the landlord objected.

"Well, get them out of it. I telegraphed for reservations. You surely
got my wire."

"I did not, but it was occupied whether you wired or not," bristled the
proprietor.

Finally Chester Hunt must content himself with another room, without
the bath.

"Dinner?"

"Naturally."

Captain and Mrs. Waller's faces were as though they had been carved of
stone as Hunt, all unconscious of their presence, entered the dining
room with something of the superiority in his manner that Josie had
felt he assumed for the benefit of those he did not consider his
equals. His face showed he had been ill. He paid no attention to the
other occupants of the dining room, but seated himself at a table to
one side. He was facing Josie. Mrs. Waller's back was towards him and
Captain Waller's profile was in his direct line of vision. Mrs. Waller
raised her eyes to her husband's face. No graven image could have been
more immovable. Josie gave her attention to Chester Hunt's countenance,
determined not to miss his expression when first he became aware of
Stephen Waller's presence. She felt reasonably certain of his not
recognizing in her his one-time jewel of a general house-worker.

Having given his order for dinner Chester Hunt finally deigned to
notice that there were other occupants of the hotel dining room. He
gave a cursory glance in the direction of the three persons at the
table near him. A spasm of terror crossed his face. There was a sound
of grating on the tesselated floor, as he p