Ellen did not at once return home. She walked on reflecting. So the old man was Lydia Orr's father! And she was the first to know it!

The girl had never spoken of her father, Ellen was sure. Had she done so, Mrs. Solomon Black would certainly have told Mrs. Whittle, and Mrs. Whittle would have informed Mrs. Daggett, and thence, by way of Mrs. Dodge and Fanny, the news would long ago have reached Ellen and her mother.

Before she had covered a quarter of a mile of the dusty road, Ellen heard the muffled roar of an over-taking motor car. She glanced up, startled and half choked with the enveloping cloud of dust. Jim Dodge was driving the car. He slowed down and stopped.

“Hello, Ellen. Going down to the village? Get in and I'll take you along,” he called out.

“All right,” said Ellen, jumping in.

“I haven't seen you for an age, Jim,” said Ellen after awhile.

The young man laughed. “Does it seem that long to you, Ellen?”

“No, why should it?” she returned.

“I say, Ellen,” said Jim, “I saw you when you came out of Bolton House just now.”

“Did you?”

“Yes.” He looked sharply at Ellen, who smiled evasively.

“I was going to call,” she said with an innocent air, “but Miss Orr had—a visitor.”

“Look here, Ellen; don't let's beat about the bush. Nobody knows he's there, yet, except myself and—you. You met him on the road; didn't you?”

“Yes,” said Ellen, “I met him on the road.”

“Did he talk to you?”

“He asked me what my name was. He's crazy, isn't he, Jim?”

The young man frowned thoughtfully at his steering wheel.

“Not exactly,” he said, after a pause. “He's been sick a long time and his mind is—well, I think it has been somewhat affected. Did he— He didn't talk to you about himself, did he?”

“What do you want to know for?”

“Oh, he appeared rather excited, and—”

“Yes; I noticed that.” She laughed mischievously.

Jim frowned. “Come, Ellen, quit this nonsense! What did he say to you?”

“If you mean Mr. Orr—”

He turned his eyes from the road to stare at her for an instant.

“Did he tell you his name was Orr?” he asked sharply.

It was Ellen's turn to stare.

“Why, if he is Miss Orr's father—” she began.

“Oh, of course,” said Jim hurriedly. “I was just wondering if he had introduced himself.”

Ellen was silent. She was convinced that there was some mystery about the pale old man.

“He said a lot of awfully queer things to me,” she admitted, after a pause during which Jim turned the car into a side road.... “I thought you were going to the village.”

“This will take us to the village—give you a longer ride, Ellen. I'll take you home afterwards.”

“After what?”

“Why, after we've got the mail—or whatever you want.”

“Don't you think Miss Orr and that queer old Mr. —— If his name isn't Orr, Jim, what is it?” She shot a quick glance at him.

“Good Lord!” muttered Jim profanely.

He drew the car up at the side of the road and stopped it.

“What are you going to do?” inquired Ellen, in some alarm. “Won't it go?”

“When I get ready,” said Jim.

He turned and faced her squarely:

“We'll have this out, before we go a foot further! I won't have the whole town talking,” he said savagely.

Ellen said nothing. She was rather angry.

“The devil!” cried Jim Dodge. “What's the matter with you, Ellen?”

“With me?” she repeated.

“............