"Oh, is he? And goes around taking photographs? This is interesting, Miss Ri. Tell me some more." "Well, it seems that he has come down here to look up some property that belonged to his great-grandfather and which he should have inherited by all rights; but, unfortunately, his trunk, with all the papers he needs, has gone astray, and, what is more, he was robbed of his pocketbook; so now, while he is waiting to find the trunk and until his next quarter's money comes in, he finds himself, as they express it, 'momentarily embarrassed'; but, having his camera with him and being a good amateur photographer, he is turning his gifts to account, that he may at least pay his board." "It seems to me it would have been more to the purpose, if he had been robbed of the camera instead of the pocket-book. He strikes me as a very careless young man to lose both his trunk and his purse." "He didn't lose the pocket-book; it was stolen; he is sure of that; and as for the trunk, it was sent by a local expressman to the steamboat, and so far has not been traced." "A very clever story," Linda went on. "I am only surprised that you didn't offer to take him in here until the missing articles are found." "I did think of it," returned Miss Ri with a twinkle in her eye, "and if you hadn't been coming, I might have done it; but I was afraid he might prove too susceptible or that--" "I might," returned Linda, laughing. "You certainly are considerate, Miss Ri. Where is our paragon, now?" "Oh, I sent him to Parthy Turner's, and they are both having a mighty nice time of it. She has turned him over to Berk Matthews, and he is doing what he can for him." "And do you believe there really was a great-grandfather?" "Oh, dear, yes; I am convinced of it. The young man has shown us his credentials, and I have no doubt but that in time he can find enough proof to substantiate what he has told us about his claim. If only the trunk could be found, he says he thinks it would be a very simple thing to establish his rights." "And am I not to see this mysterious stranger? I suppose he comes here sometimes to report." "If you are very good, I may let you see him through the crack of the door; but he is not for you. I have picked out someone else." "Oh, you have? So you are a confessed matchmaker, Miss Ri? May I know the name of my knight?" "No, you may not; that would be enough to make you turn your back on him at once. It is entirely my secret." "And the picked out person doesn't know he is picked out?" "Not a bit of it; he hasn't the faintest suspicion. How good that dinner does smell. Phebe is the only thing I wanted that I didn't have, and now I have her." "Do you really mean, Miss Ri, that you get everything you want in this world?" "Why, yes; at least of late years it has been so. I found out the secret from Thoreau some ten or more years ago." "A precious secret, I should say."