ou'll need all the
power of concentration you can summon." Then Northrup turned to the
table and gathered up the scattered papers.

"What----" Larry put out a trembling hand.

"I'll take charge of these," Northrup said. "I am going to give them
to the Heathcotes. They'll keep them with the other papers belonging
to your wife."

"Curse you!"

"Good morning, Rivers! I mean it, good morning! You won't believe this
either, but it's so. For the sake of your wife and your little girl, I
wish you well. When you send word to the inn that you are ready for
the business deal I'll have the money for you."

Then Northrup opened the door and stepped out into the chill light of
the coming day. He shivered and stumbled over a mass of rubbish. A
clock struck in a quiet house.

"Five o'clock," counted Northrup, and plunging his hands in his
pockets he made his way to Twombley's shack.

CHAPTER XV

Kathryn Morris had her plans completed, and if the truth were known
she had never felt better pleased with herself--and she was not
utterly depraved, either.

She was far more the primitive female than was Mary-Clare. She was
simply claiming what she devoutly believed was her own; reclaiming it,
rather, for she sagely concluded that on this runaway trip Northrup
was in great danger and only the faith and love of a good woman could
save him! Kathryn believed herself good and noble.

Mary-Clare had her Place in which she had been fed through many
lonely, yearning years, but Kathryn had no such sanctuary. The
dwelling-places of her fellow creatures were good enough for her and
she never questioned the codes that governed them--though sometimes
she evaded them!

After her talk with Helen Northrup, Kathryn did a deal of thinking,
but she moved cautiously. She had never forgotten the address on
Northrup's letter to his mother and she believed he was still there.
She again looked up road maps, located King's Forest, and made some
clever calculations. She could go in the motor. The autumn was just
the time for such a trip. It would be easy to satisfy her aunt,
Kathryn very well knew. The mere statement that she was going to meet
Northrup and return with him would account for everything and relieve
the situation existing at present with Sandy Arnold in daily evidence.
"And if Brace is not playing in some messy puddle in his old Forest, I
can get on his trail from there," she reasoned secretly.

But, for some uncanny cause, Kath