The hope in her eyes warmed to a glad certainty. “Oh, then you are——”
“Certainly I are—am! What?”
She lowered her voice so that not even the child could hear. “You’re an investigator?”
He considered it thoughtfully. “Well, I daresay that’s what you’d call it. At any rate, investigating at the moment.”
Sudden color flooded her golden-olive cheeks and she impulsively held out a hand which the youth took very willingly.
“Oh, I’m so glad! So glad and thankful that you’ve come!”
“I’m so glad you’re glad,” he said cordially.
“I wrote so urgently,” she said in a low tone. “I couldn’t understand why they didn’t send some one— I asked them to—to consider my letter as confidential, and if you don’t mind— Will you please not mention to—to the superintendent or to the owner that I sent for you?”
“That shall be our secret,” said the young man solemnly and a little bewilderedly, retaining her hand.
“But I will show you everything, and tell you everything, and help you every way I possibly can!”