horses
for a little while?"

"Yes, indeed, Zara."

And Wanaka stopped the wagon, so that she could get out.

"Do you want to go, too, Bessie?"

"I think I'd rather ride, Miss Eleanor. I'm awfully tired."

"You shall, then. I want you to do whatever you like to-night. You've
certainly done enough to-day to earn the right to rest."

They rode along in silence for a few minutes, while the glow of the
great welcoming fire grew brighter.

"Miss Eleanor?"

"Yes, Bessie?"

"Don't you think it's very strange that Farmer Weeks should take so much
trouble to try to get hold of Zara?"

"I do, indeed, Bessie. I've been puzzling about that."

"I believe he knows something about her and her father that no one else
knows, something that even Zara doesn't know about, I mean. You know, he
and Zara's father were very friendly at first--or, at least, they used
to see one another a good deal."

"Yes? Bessie, what sort of man is Zara's father? You have seen a good
deal of him, haven't you?"

"I used to go to see Zara sometimes, when I was able to get away. And
unless he was away on one of his trips he was always around, but he
never said much."

"He could speak English, couldn't he?"

"Yes, but not a bit well. And when I first went there he was awfully
funny. He seemed to be quite angry because I was there, and as soon as I
came, he rushed into one of the rooms, and put a lot of things away, and
covered them so I couldn't see them. But Zara talked to him in their own
language, and then he was very nice, and he gave me a penny. I didn't
want it, but he made me take it and Zara said I ought to have it, too."

"It looks as if he had had something to hide, Bessie. But then a man
might easily want to keep people from finding out all about his business
without there being anything wrong."

"If you'd seen him, Miss Eleanor, I'm sure you wouldn't think he'd do
anything wrong. He had the nicest face, and his eyes were kind. And
after that, sometimes, I'd go there when Zara was out, and he was always
just as nice and kind as he could be. He used to get me to talk to him,
too, so that he could learn to speak English."

"Well, there's something very strange and mysterious about it all. You
found this Mr. Weeks there the night he was taken away, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"That looks as if he had something to do with it. I don't know--but
we'll find out the truth some time, Bessie."

"I hope it will be soon. And, Miss Eleanor, I'v