"Let us be sensible，reasoning girls；not silly things trying to figure out possible romances，"continued Louise，with a pretty and impressive assumption of dignity."Do you know，I feel that some angel of retribution has guided us to this lonely farmhouse and put the idea into my head to discover and expose a dreadful crime.""Succotash！"cried Patsy，irrelevantly."You're romancingthis minute，Louise.The way you ？gure things out I wouldn't be surprised if you accused me，or Uncle John，any time during the next half hour.Adopting your last supposition，for the sake of argument，I'm interested to know what inhabitant of sleepy old Millville you suspect.""Don't get ？ightya，Patricia，"admonishedb Beth."This is a serious matter，and Louise is in earnest.If we're going to help her we mustn't talk rubbish.Now，it isn't a bad suggestion that we ought to look nearer home for the key to this mystery.There's old Hucks.""Hucks！""To be sure.No one knew so well as he the money affairsof the two men who were robbed.""I'm ashamed of you，"said Patsy.
"And the man's smile is a mask！"exclaimed Louise."Oh，no！"protested Patsy.
"My dear，no person who ever lived could smile every minute，winter and summer，rain or shine，day and night，and always have a reason for the smile.""Of course not，"agreed Beth."Old Hucks is a curiouscharacter.I realized that when I had known him ？ve minutes.""But he's poor，"urged Patsy，in defense of the oldman."He hasn't a penny in the world，and McNutt told me if we turned Thomas and Nora away they'd have to go to the poorhouse.""That is no argument at all，"said Louise，calmly."If weconsider the fact that Old Hucks may be a misera，and have a craving for money without any desire to spend it，then we are pretty close to a reason why he should bide his time and then murder his old master to obtain the riches he covetedb.Mind you，I don't say Hucks is guilty，but it is our duty to consider this phase of the question.""And then，"added Beth，"if Hucks should prove to be amiser，it is easy to guess he would hide his wealth where he could secretly gloat over it，and still continue to pose asc apaupera.""I don't believe it，"said Patsy，stoutly.
"You'll never make a successful detective if you allow your personal feelings to influence you，"returned Louise."I，too，sincerely hope that Thomas is innocent；but we are not justified in acquittingb him until we have made a careful investigation and watched his actions.""I'm quite sure he's connected with the mystery in some way，"said Beth."It will do no harm to watch Old Hucks，as Louise suggests.""And you might try to pump him，Patsy，and see if youcan get him to talk of the murder.Some careless remark might give us just the clue we need and guide us to the real criminal.That would free Thomas from all suspicion，you see.""But why do you ask me to do this？"demanded Patsy.
