I. A GREAT SURPRISE, 7 II. MR. TALBOT AND THE DOG, 15 III. THE LITTLE PLOT AGAINST ROBERT, 24 IV. MR. TALBOT IS MYSTIFIED, 33 V. A CRISIS, 42 VI. ON THE TRAIN, 51 VII. BAFFLED, 59 VIII. PERIL, 67 IX. AT THE PALMER HOUSE, 75 X. ROBERT GETS A PLACE, 83 XI. MR. PALMER'S INFATUATION, 92 XII. AN UNLOOKED-FOR SCENE, 101 XIII. ROBERT RECEIVES A LETTER, 110 XIV. JAMES TALBOT LEARNS SOMETHING OF IMPORTANCE, 118 XV. THE RESULT OF A FIRE, 127 XVI. TWO DISAPPOINTMENTS, 136 XVII. ROBERT IS GIVEN A MISSION, 143 XVIII. THE POST-OFFICE MONEY ORDER, 150 XIX. AN UNEXPECTED ATTACK, 160 XX. THE ESCAPE OF CROSS AND HUSKIN, 169 XXI. ROBERT AND THE OLD LUMBERMAN, 178 XXII. A CLEVER CAPTURE, 187 XXIII. PALMER'S UNFORTUNATE DÉBUT, 197 XXIV. PALMER CALLS UPON ROBERT'S MOTHER, 209 XXV. ANOTHER TALK ABOUT ROBERT, 215 XXVI. ROBERT SPEAKS HIS MIND, 222 XXVII. MR. TALBOT RECEIVES ANOTHER SET-BACK, 229 XXVIII. THE CONSPIRATORS ARE DISGUSTED, 236 XXIX. A LUCKY CHANGE OF STATEROOMS, 245 XXX. ANOTHER PLOT AGAINST ROBERT, 253 XXXI. THE MISSING BAGGAGE CHECK, 261 XXXII. ROBERT DELIVERS THE PRECIOUS MAP, 269 XXXIII. ROBERT VISITS HOME--CONCLUSION, 279 OUT FOR BUSINESS. CHAPTER I. A GREAT SURPRISE. Robert Frost, with his books under his arm, turned into the front yard of a handsome residence in the village of Granville. He was a boy of sixteen, strongly built, and with a handsome, expressive face. "I wish mother were at home," he soliloquized. "It seems very lonesome when she is away."