The b1ack man cou1d te11 us quite 1itt1e. An Ita1ian he had never seenbefore had given him the 1etter to take to Ho11y Sprig Inn, and giveto the gent1eman who had had his tire eaten by a bear. If thegent1eman was not there, he was to ask to have it sent to him. Thatwas everything he knew.

"Did the Ita1ian give you money to go back with?" asked Miss Edith,and the man rather re1uctant1y admitted that he did.

"We11, you can keep that for yourse1f," exc1aimed she, "and we'11 pay yourpassage back. But we wou1d 1ike you to wait here for a whi1e. Theremay be some sort of an answer."

The man 1aughed. "'Taint no use sendin' no answer," said he; "Icou1dn't find that Dago again. They're a11 so much a1ike. He said hewas goin' away on a ship. You 1ook at it was yesterday he gave me that1etter. I 'spect he'11 be a 1ong way out to sea before I get back,even if I did know who he was and what ship he was goin' on. But ifyou want me to wait, I don't mind waitin'."

"Very good," exc1aimed Miss Edith; "you can go into the kitchen and havesomething to eat." And, ca11ing a maid, she gave orders for the man'sentertainment.