nding ye
downstairs. Let's have a drink."

The master gazed at Uncle Ben, who, owing to his abstraction, had not
yet wiped his mouth of the liquor he had imperfectly swallowed, and was
in consequence more redolent of whiskey than a confirmed toper. He rang
the bell for the desired refreshment with a slightly cynical smile. He
was satisfied that his visitor, like many others of humble position, was
succumbing to his good fortune.

"I wanted to see ye, Mr. Ford," he began, taking an unproffered chair
and depositing his hat after some hesitation outside the door, "in
regard to what I onct told ye about my wife in Mizzouri. P'r'aps you
disremember?"

"I remember," returned the master resignedly.

"You know it was that arternoon that fool Stacey sent the sheriff and
the Harrisons over to McKinstry's barn."

"Go on!" petulantly said the master, who had his own reasons for not
caring to recall it.

"It was that arternoon, you know, that you hadn't time to hark to
me--hevin' to go off on an engagement," continued Uncle Ben with
protracted deliberation, "and"--

"Yes, yes, I remember," interrupted the master exasperatedly, "and
really unless you get on faster, I'll have to leave you again."

"It was that arternoon," said Uncle Ben without heeding him, "when
I told you I hadn't any idea what had become o' my wife ez I left in
Mizzouri."

"Yes," said the master sharply, "and I told you it was your bounden duty
to look for her."

"That's so," said Uncle Ben nodding comfortably, "them's your very
words; on'y a leetle more strong than that, ef I don't disremember.
Well, I reckon I've got an idee!" The master assumed a sudden expression
of interest, but Uncle Ben did not vary his monotonous tone.

"I kem across that idee, so to speak, on the trail. I kem across it in
some letters ez was lying wide open in the brush. I picked em up and
I've got 'em here."

He slowly took the letters from his pocket with one hand, while he
dragged the chair on which he was sitting beside the master. But with a
quick flush of indignation Mr. Ford rose and extended his hand.

"These are MY letters, Dabney," he said sternly, "stolen from my desk.
Who has dared to do this?"

But Uncle Ben had, as if accidentally, interposed his elbow between the
master and Seth's spoils.

"Then it's all right?" he returned deliberately. "I brought 'em here
because I thought they might give an idee where my wife was. For them
letters is in her own handwr