"Sure, ave yees'l wait till I think ave all the places I whint to, and all the people I sphoke to"--and he dolefully muttered under his breath--"Sure I dunno what I'll rayport at all, at all--" "You are very thoughtful and persistent, Smith," responded Constance. "Yis, indade, mam, I try to be that very same. Sure, wasn't I up at Rose-a-mant and walked the bache there and watched the boats, but niver a sight did I git ave Mr. Thorpe." "I know John is leaving no stone unturned to find Dorothy," assured Constance, "but you, poor man, you must be tired with your long walk." "The walk was long, but me heart was warrum for yees, and I didn't moind it at all, at all. Sure, the child may not be in the water at all. Will yees try to think so, dear?" And again the beseeching look came over his expressive face. "Do you think so, Smith?" interrogated Hazel. "Well, I 'ave me own ideas, Miss, and to be plain, and not hurtin' yees failin's, I think she was kidnapped." "You do?" questioned Hazel, surprised, for such a possibility had never crossed her mind. "I do," he replied. "Sure, I have no rason to think so, Miss, at all, at all; but says I to myself, says I, 'I'll just flim-flam around the 'dago' quarters in South Portland, on me own account, keeping a sharp lookout betimes.'" "What did you find there?" again asked the girl. "Nothin' I wanted, Miss, unless it war a sassy fellow wid a big black moustache, and a skin full ave greenbile." "But you were not looking for him," replied Hazel. "Not wan bit, Miss, though I do belave now he do be lookin' for me. Indade, Miss, I was not failin' well at all, at all. Sure, wasn't the little darlint missin', and between the sorrow at home and the failin' in me heart, and the long walk, and the cowld mornin', and the sassy look the fellow gave me--" "What were you doing that so offended him?" interrupted Hazel. "Indade, I was just walkin' around Carbut Strate and Hood Strate for a little divarsion--not wan bit more or less, Miss--an' he axed me what I wanted. Says I to him, says I, respectful-like, 'Maybe yees can tell me did yees see a little girl strayin' about widout a home. A lady sint me to inquire.' "He immejetly made some raymark, quick an' sharp-like, about the dam desavin' wimmen--" "Oh!" Hazel exclaimed, interrupting him. "Shocking!" exclaimed Constance. [Illustration: Smith--"Indade Miss, Oi followed wid wan on the soule ave his plexus."] "Sure--and I beg yees pardon fir sayin' it, darlints, but that's just what he towld me and niver a wink whint wid it, the blackguard! "I up and axed him who he'd be refarrin' to, because I had in my moind a sartin lady wid trouble ave her own. "He says, says he, wid a snarl, 'None ave yees business.' "Widout thinkin' whether he meant anything by it or not, I tould him he was a gintleman and a liar, too. So I did." "You insulted him!" exclaimed Hazel, astounded.