here for a few days."

"Yes," responded the girl. "I live in the town of Lisburn, about ten
miles from here. I'm all alone in the world"--here a shade of sadness
passed over her expressive face. "My father and mother are dead and
I live with an aunt of mine. I never had any brothers or sisters.
My father died some months ago and left me some property, and it was
in connection with that matter that I came to Clintonia. This is the
county seat, you know, and I wanted to consult the records in the
office of the County Clerk. There seems to be a terrible tangle about
the whole thing. Perhaps it was because I became so nervous over the
matter that things went wrong yesterday."

"I'm sorry, that you've had so much trouble," said Bob
sympathetically, "and I hope that it will all come out right
in a little while."

"If it were just a little confusion or mistake, it probably would,"
replied Miss Berwick, with a touch of despondency in her manner.
"But there's dishonesty involved. I know there is, but I don't see
how I'm going to prove it."

"Do you mean that somebody's trying to cheat you out of your
property?" asked Bob, with quickened interest.

"It must be the meanest kind of a rascal that would swindle an
orphan," put in Joe indignantly.

"I'm afraid there are only too many of that kind in the world,"
replied the girl, with a faint smile in which there was no trace