"You must have had a hard time of it," sail the Widow Canby.
"My kind friend here helped me a good deal," I said.
Mr. Harrison was introduced to the others, and soon we were seated, on the piazza, and I was relating my experiences.
The interest of my listeners grew as I went on. They could hardly believe it possible that Mr. Aaron Woodward, with all his outward show of gentlemanliness, was such a thoroughly bad man. When I came to speak of John Stumpy, alias Ferguson, Kate burst out:&—
"I declare, I've almost forgotten. I've got good news, too. This very morning I went hunting again and picked up the paper that was lost. I was trying to read it when you drove up. Here it is."
And my sister handed over Nicholas Weaver's dying statement.
"It is hardly of use now," I said. "Still, it will make the evidence against Mr. Woodward so much stronger."
"I've discovered that this Nick Weaver was a chum of Woodward's," said Uncle Enos.
"A chum?"
"Yes. He came from Chicago."