"I don't know," answered the girl, "but I'm afraid he will." She cried
for a moment and then collected herself and went on. "My name is Pearl
Baxter," she said. "I used to live on a farm down state with my mother
and then she died and I came here to the city and went to work in an
office. I was the only girl in the office and I knew the combination of
the safe. A few days ago Mr. Sawyer, that's one of the men I work for,
asked me to get certain papers out of the safe, and when I went there I
couldn't find them. He made an awful fuss and said I had taken them.
They were bonds, if you know what they are. He said he would have me
arrested. I believe his son took them because he knew they were there.
When the other partner of the firm found they were gone he insisted on
having the office searched and the bonds were found in my desk drawer.
They would not believe me when I said I did not put them there. That
was yesterday and I ran away and hid here all night and I'm afraid to
go out for fear they will get me."

She broke down again and wept into her handkerchief. Tender-hearted
Hinpoha was ready to weep in sympathy. "You poor thing!" she exclaimed.
"Have you no friends who would help you?" she asked.

The girl shook her head. "I don't know anybody up here," she said.
"I've only been working here three months."

For Hinpoha there was always one court of last resort. That was Nyoda.

"You come along with me," she said. "I know somebody who can tell you
what to do."

She led the girl out to the Striped Beetle and told her story to the