enough yet--really I'm not! But as soon as I am, I'll tell you all I
know."

Mr. Holmes was as good as his word. He brought them into the central
part of the town just at the time he had promised, and sprang out to
open the door of the tonneau for them.

"Must you really go now?" he said, dejectedly. "You'll be leaving me all
alone, you know. Can't you finish your shopping, and then let me run you
out to Arkville for luncheon?"

"You speak as if it were just across the street," laughed Eleanor.
"And you know, Bessie, it's really fifty miles or more away, and it's
actually over the state line. It's in your old state--the same one
Hedgeville is in. But it's in a different direction, and it's even
further from Hedgeville than we are here, I guess. Isn't it, Mr.
Holmes?"

"I'd have to know just where Hedgeville is to answer that, Miss Mercer.
And I've never been there nor even traveled through it, so far as I can
remember. I'll look it up on my road map, though, if you like--"

"Oh, no, please don't bother to do that. It's not of the slightest
importance."

"Then we shall have to put off Arkville to another day, you think, Miss
Mercer?"

"I'm afraid so, really. We've a good deal to do today, and there are
reasons that I won't bother you with for our having to be in town. Thank