“Of course I would!” said the girl. “Do you suppose I'd give up Mother Atterson for a dozen families—or for clothes—and houses—or, or anything?” and she ran into the house leaving the young farmer in some amazement.
“Ain't that the girl of it?” he muttered, at last. “Yet I bet she is in earnest about wanting to know about her folks.”
And from that time Hiram thought more about Sister's problem himself than he had before. Once, when he went to Crawberry, he went to the charitable institution from which Mother Atterson had taken Sister. But the matron had heard nothing of the lawyer who had once come to talk over the child's affairs, and the path of inquiry seemed shut off right there by an impassable barrier.
However, this is ahead of our story. On this particular night Hiram washed at the pump, and then followed Sister in to supper.
Before they were half through Mr. Camp suddenly started from his chair and pointed through the window.
Flames were rising behind the barn again!
“Another stack burning!” exclaimed Hiram, and be shot out of the door, seizing a pail of water, hoping that he might put it out.
But the stack was doomed. He knew it the moment he saw the extent of the blaze.
He kept away from it, as he had before; yet he did not expect to pick up any trail of the incendiary near the stack.
“Twice in the same place is too much!” declared the young farmer, glowing with wrath. “I'm going to have this mystery explained, or know the reason why.”