cried Gyp, so fervently that everyone laughed.

"How do you find people?" put in Tibby, who was trying very hard to
understand what it was all about.

"It _will_ be somewhat like the needle in the hay-stack. Boston is a big
place--and a lot can happen in--let me see, that must have been fifteen
years ago."

"Will you hire detectives?" Gyp was quivering with the desire to help
hunt down the mysterious Craig Winton.

"I don't want to; I've always had a sort of distrust of detectives and
yet we may have to. We have so little to start on. I'll get Stevens and
Murray together to-morrow--perhaps they can tell me more about the
buying of the patent. And I'll have Watkins recommend some reliable
Boston attorney." Uncle John's voice sounded as though he meant
business.

Isobel had said nothing during the little family council. She suddenly
lifted her head, her eyes dark with disapproval.

"Won't giving this person all that money make _us_ poor?"

Something in her tone sent a little shock through the others.

"My dear----" protested her mother.

"Oh, _you'd_ go on cheating him--just like Uncle Peter! That's like
you--just think about yourself," accused Graham, disgustedly.

"Do you _want_ tainted money?" cried Gyp grandly.

Isobel's face flamed. "You're hateful, Graham Westley. I don't like
money a bit better than you do--_you'd_ be squealing if you couldn't get
that new motorcycle and go to camp and spend all the money you do. And I
think it's _silly_ to hunt him up after all this time. He's probably
invented a lot of things since and doesn't need any money, and if he
hasn't--well, inventors are always poor, anyway." Isobel tried to make
her logic sound as reasonable to the others as it did to her.

"Bonnie, dear----" That was the name Uncle Johnny had given to her in
nursery days; he had not used it for a long time. "There are two reasons
why we must carry out the wish Uncle Peter has expressed in this letter.
One is, because he _has_ asked it. He thought he would have time to give
the letter to us himself--perhaps tell us more about it; he did not
dream that it would lie for two years in that Bible. The other reason is
that it is the honorable thing to do--and it not only involves the honor
of Uncle Peter's name but your father's honor and mine--your mother's,
yours, Graham's--even little Tibby's. We would do it if it took our last
cent. But it won't----"

"Oh, Uncle Johnny, you're great----" Graham suddenly tu