“Well, this is not half bad,” grunted Browning, as he stretched himself on one of the double beds which had delighted his eyes. “It’s a lot better than camping outdoors overnight.”

“Thou speakest truly, weary knight,” said Ready. “The prospect of a supperless bed on the greensward was not at all cheerful to me, and the lady with the somber drop curtain over her radiant features came to our rescue at the proper time.”

“This is the experience of a lifetime,” put in Morgan. “I’m wondering over it yet. Can you shed any light on the subject, Frank?”

Merry told them what he had learned while in the carriage with the mysterious woman.

“Well,” smiled Starbright, as he finished, “we can thank our stars that she has no use for Mr. Carey Cameron. Evidently she has offered us this hospitality because we seem to be the special objects of Mr. Cameron’s spite.”

“She did come plenty near hiking over Cameron when he tried to hold her up,” said Badger. “It sure was a close call for that gent. Way he acted after that, I thought he was going to pull a gun and try to pot you both.”

“And then I th-th-thought he was going to cuc-cuc-come at us,” observed Gamp.

“It was lucky for him that he decided to let us alone,” declared Hodge.

“Yah!” cried Hans. “You bet my life he vos luckiness!”

“This whole affair is most peculiar from start to finish,” said Dade Morgan. “It has many mysterious features, and not the least mysterious is this strange young woman who keeps her face hidden by a heavy veil and who lives here in this gloomy house. Who is she? and what is she?”

“I scarcely think you will find any one in Cartersville who can answer those questions,” said Frank. “It is not for us to be too inquisitive while accepting her hospitality.”

“In one sense, we are not exactly accepting hospitality,” asserted Stretcher. “What we receive we’re going to pay for.”

“It is hospitality none the less.”

“I dud-dud-don’t believe she tut-tut-took us in because she needs the mum-mum-money,” declared Gamp.

“That was a bluff,” nodded Hodge.

“She made that assertion,” said Frank, “in order that we might accept her kindness with greater freedom. It was very good of her to attempt to make us feel more at home and less like intruders by giving us a chance to pay for what we shall obtain.”

“Vainly I speculate upon her looks,” murmured Ready. “I wonder be she dark or be she light?”

“Young or old?” came from Badger.

“Plain or pretty?” put in Rattleton.

“Sus-she’s a bub-blonde,” declared Gamp positively.

“Nix; she vos a prunette,” said Hans, just as positively.

“She’s about thirty-five years old,” guessed Starbright.

“Not a day over twenty,” asserted Morgan.

“I’ll guarantee she’s as homely as a hitching post,” grunted Browning.

“I would like to make a wager that she is exceptionally good-looking,” said Stretcher.

“All this speculation about her leads to nothing,” interrupted Frank. “Besides that, as long as we are beneath this roof too much curiosity concerning her is a matter of poor taste. It’s up to us to accept what she has provided, pay for it liberally, and be very grateful for her kindness. That she is a person of courage she has demonstrated by defying the ruffianly element of the town, which has the entire place subjugated and trembling beneath a reign of terror. I admire her nerve, and I am ready to render her assistance or give her protection if occasion arises.”

“You are mit me in dot!” exclaimed Dunnerwurst. “I vill stood by her vid my last drop uf gore. How apoudt you, Choe? Speech up und declaration yourseluf.”

“I gug-gug-guess she can depend on the whole of us to bub-bub-back her,” said Gamp.

“We’re still in the land of the hostiles,” reminded Jack Ready. “His nibs, Mattie Madison, must still be smarting a trifle over what happened to him when he endeavored to lay violent hands on our leader, and it is probable that he will seek retaliation.”

“Besides that,” smiled Badger, “Carey Cameron must be some sore because he failed to hold Merry up and the lady whipped the horse in an attempt to run him down. I have a notion we’ll hear further from him. That’s whatever.”

Darkness came on slowly. The rooms were supplied with oil lamps, which the boys lighted. They prepared for dinner, and at the expiration of an hour after they entered the house a set of chimes in the lower hall summoned them.

They filed down and were conducted to the dining room by the same solemn Chinaman who had admitted them to the house.

The dining room was almost severe in its plainness, but a long table was tastefully spread and decorated, being lighted by lamps and candles. They began to find seats around it before they discovered there were only eleven chairs.

“It’s all right,” said Merry, in a low tone. “It’s plain we’re not to enjoy the society of our hostess during this meal.”

When they were seated two women in black, with white aprons, appeared and served soup.

At first the boys were somewhat oppressed by the situation, but Merry soon started things up with a jest and they began to enjoy themselves.

“Although we met a warm reception in this town,” said Frank, “it was not much worse than the reception given Ready the first time he visited Niagara Falls. When Jack stepped off the trolley he found several carriages waiting for passengers. He capered over to one of them and asked the man to drive him to the falls. The man said he would be pleased to drive him there, but he didn’t have a harness that would fit him.”

“That man was a trifle nearsighted,” declared Jack, good-naturedly taking the laugh this had aroused. “He failed to note my marvelous beauty, and he thought he could get gay with me. He lost as much as fifty small coins of the realm by that joke.”

“You should remember, Jack,” said Rattleton, “that beauty is only din skeep—er, that is skin deep.”

“But I’m very thick-skinned,” retorted Ready promptly. “Tra-la-la!”

“Vale, in Puffalo,” said Dunnerwurst, “I vos consulted.”

“Insulted, Hans,” corrected Morgan.

“Shoot yourseluf apoudt der bronunciation,” gurgled Hans. “Dese vos der vay in vich id habbened. A street car vos riding on me ven a chent who vos intoxicated came apoard. A numper uf laties peen on dot car, und I thought id vos a shame. I rose me up und caldt to der corn doctor. Says I to dot corn doctor: ‘Do you bermit intoxicationed men to ride der cars ondo?’ ‘Yah,’ saidt der corn doctor. ‘Sid down und shut up und nopody vill know you vos drunk.’ Dot made a seddlement by me, und don’d you vorget him.”

“Did you notice that terrible thing about the epidemic in Chicago?” asked Frank seriously.

“The epidemic? What epidemic?” asked Rattleton instantly.

“Why, the whole city is sick. I saw it in the newspaper this morning. The first words I read in the paper were: ‘Chicago, Ill.’”

Somebody groaned. It was Browning, who had dropped his fork and seemed about to collapse.

“That makes me ill myself!” he gasped huskily. “I never thought it of you, Merry! You are rapidly descending to the level of such buffoons as Ready and his kind.”

“I admit it was a bad one,” smiled Frank, “and I promise not to do it again.”

In this manner they caused the meal to pass off merrily, and an excellent meal it proved to be. All were............