took after leaving the Half-Way House. They interviewed every
carriage-driver, depot-master, and hotel-keeper for miles around, but
without the slightest success. They finally came across a farmer,
however, who said be drove a woman to the station below. To their eager
inquiries as to her appearance, he could say nothing further, than he
thought she wore a dress, and was quite sure, though not certain, that
she had on either a shawl, or some other outside garment. He remembered
her distinctly, because the half-dollar she gave him turned out to be
counterfeit, and he got rid of it by giving it to a blind beggar; after
which, he said, he sneaked round the corner, and laughed till he was red
in the face, to think how slick that beggar was fooled.

This might be ANN, they thought, but to make sure, they telegraphed to
six different stations, promising a small reward in case their pursuit
was successful. In due time the answers came, all very much alike, and
to the effect that a woman, answering their description, was seen to
take such and such a train, and that the reward would reach them at the
following address, etc.; at which they went home rather discouraged, to
see what ARCHIBALD had accomplished.

He said he went to the Half-way House, and questioned Mrs. BACKUP and
TEDDY for four hours, without finding out the first thing. "You're a
numskull," said BELINDA. "If I hadn't got any more brains than you have,
I'd swap myself off for a dog, and then kill the dog."

"I don't believe the folks there would tell, anyhow," said the Hon.
MICHAEL; "she's probably hired 'em to keep mum."

Now the fact was, ARCHIBALD hadn't been near the Half-way House at all.
There wasn't money enough in the State to hire him to do so, after the