Lucille was no longer necessary at "the steering wheel." The diversity
of scenery in Bellaire furnished such a contrast to that of Flosston
that every day unfolded new wonders, and more interesting exploits.

But it was the mystery of the queer little girl, who frightened Andy
MacMurry out of his race, and who had met the girls on their arrival in
Bellaire, that furnished the real peak to their mountain interest and
adventure. They were determined to hunt her out and unravel the
mystery.

"The strange part of it is," said Cleo, as she and her chums were
making a schedule for next day in the faithful little note books
provided by Madaline at the beginning of their trip, "the very queer
part of it is," she continued, "how the girl pops out of nowhere at
almost any time, and she seems to disappear just when one thinks she is
well within reach."

"Yes," added Grace, "I heard the drug store boy say this morning that a
girl named Mary from Second Mountain was getting medicines without
leaving any name, and under the new law some drugs, not poisons either,
have to be signed for. And Dave, that's the druggist's name, said he
supposed now she wouldn't come any more, because when he told her that,
she gave him a look like a scared owl. I guess he means an owl looks
without seeing, because that's the way our mystery girl looks."

"But she isn't blind," commented Cleo, "for I saw her look straight at
us the day we came."

"And now, because we are determined to run her down I suppose it will
be ages before we get a glimpse of her again," Grace complained,
impatient for the promised excitement. "I asked the druggist if he
knew her, and he laughed sort of queer, and said someone in the family
must be a root and herb fiend, for she bought the queerest old dried
roots and foreign herbs, that no one else ever called for. They even
had to send to New York to get some of her orders filled. What do you
suppose anyone wants old dried up roots for?"

"You can well guess that old Turkish woman, or whatever she is, can do
woozy things with 'yarbs,'" said Cleo, giving the provincial
pronunciation to the word "herbs." Then they noted the chime in the
hall calling the hour for lights out, and consequently folded their
note books to comply with the rules. "But just suppose she is feeding
them to Mary! Oh, maybe that's what's the matter with her!" and Cleo
bounced from the divan over to the desk to make one last note in the
day's r