the porch and was speaking to the woman--and his words were just
as unintelligible as the woman's had been.

Mrs. Holly and Perry Larson stared. Simeon Holly interrupted
David with a sharp--

"Do you, then, understand this woman, boy?"

"Why, yes! Didn't you? She's lost her way, and--" But the woman
had hurried forward and was pouring her story into David's ears.

At its conclusion David turned to find the look of stupefaction
still on the others' faces.

"Well, what does she want?" asked Simeon Holly crisply.

"She wants to find the way to Francois Lavelle's house. He's her
husband's brother. She came in on the train this morning. Her
husband stopped off a minute somewhere, she says, and got left
behind. He could talk English, but she can't. She's
only been in this country a week. She came from France."

"Gorry! Won't ye listen ter that, now?" cried Perry Larson
admiringly. "Reads her just like a book, don't he? There's a
French family over in West Hinsdale--two of 'em, I think. What'll
ye bet 't ain't one o' them?"

"Very likely," acceded Simeon Holly, his eyes bent disapprovingly
on David's face. It was plain to be seen that Simeon Holly's
attention was occupied by David, not the woman.