ve a lot of trouble."

It ended by my driving, with a very bad grace, to Mathers Hall.

"You wait here until I come out," said Terry, coolly, as I drew up by
the stepping stone and commenced fumbling for a hitching strap.

"Not much!" said I. "If you interview Polly Mathers I shall be present
at the interview."

"Oh, very well!" he returned resignedly. "If you'd let me go about it my
own way, though, I'd get twice as much out of her."

The family were at breakfast, the servant informed me. I left Terry in
the parlor while I went on to the dining-room to explain the object of
our visit.

"There is a friend of mine here from New York to help us about the
trial"--I thought it best to suppress his real profession--"and he wants
to interview Miss Polly in regard to the coat. I am very sorry--"

"Certainly," said Mrs. Mathers, "Polly is only too glad to help in any
way possible."

And to my chagrin Polly excused herself and withdrew to the parlor,
while her father kept me listening to a new and not very valuable
theory of his in regard to the disappearance of Mose. It was fifteen
minutes before I made my escape and knocked on the parlor door. I turned
the knob and went in without waiting for a summons.

The Mathers's parlor is a long cool dim room with old-fashioned mahogany
furniture and jars of roses scattered about. It was so dark after the
bright sunshine of the rest of the house, that for a moment I didn't
discover the occupants until the sound of Polly's sobbing proclaimed
their whereabouts. I was somewhat taken aback to find her sitting in a
corner of the big horsehair sofa, her head buried in the cushions, while
Terry, nonchalantly leaning back in his chair, regarded her with much
the expression that he might have worn at a "first night" at the
theatre. It might also be noted that Polly wore a white dress with a big
bunch of roses in her belt, that her hair was becomingly rumpled by the
cushion, and that she was not crying hard enough to make her eyes red.

"Hello, old man!" said Terry and I fancied that his tone was not
entirely cordial. "Just sit down and listen to this. We've been having
some interesting disclosures."

Polly raised her head and cast him a reproachful glance, while with a
limp wave of the hand she indicated a chair.

I settled myself and inquired reassuringly, "Well, Polly, what's the
trouble?"

"You tell him," said Polly to Terry, as she settled herself to cry
again.

"I'll tell y