“It’s written on the back,” went on the girl.

Isaiah turned the photograph over.

“Humph!” he said suspiciously.  “I see.  Who gave this to you?”

“Nobody gave it to me.  I found it in an old trunk up in the attic.”

“Humph!  You did, eh?  Well, I swan to man!  Have you showed it to anybody else but me?”

“No, sir.  Honest, I haven’t.  I just found it this minute.”

“Well, I swan, that’s lucky.  ’Twas in a trunk, eh?  Whose trunk?”

“One of Uncle Shad’s, I guess.”

“Humph!  I presume likely.  Well, what made you ask about—­about the one you did ask about?”

“I knew who the others were.  I knew my father and Uncle Zoeth and Uncle Shad.  But I didn’t know who the Farmer one was.  It says ’Firm of Hall and Company,’ and all those names are signed.  So I thought maybe Mr. Farmer was—­”

“Never you mind who he was.  He was a darned blackguard and his name ain’t mentioned in this house.  That’s all I can tell you and you mustn’t ask any more questions.  Why, if your Uncle Zoeth—­yes, or your Uncle Shad either—­was to hear you askin’ about him—­they’d—­I don’t know what they’d do.  I’m goin’ to tear this thing up.”

He would have torn the photograph across, but the girl seized his hands.

“Oh, no, you mustn’t,” she cried.  “Please don’t.  It isn’t mine.  It belongs to Uncle Shad.  You mustn’t tear it—­give it to me.”

Isaiah hesitated.  “Give it to you?” he repeated.  “What’ll you do with it?”

“I’ll put it right back where I found it.  Truly, I will.  I will, honest, Mr. Chase.”

Isaiah reflected.  Then, and with considerable reluctance, he handed her the photograph.

“All right,” he said, “only be sure you do it.  And look here, Mary-’Gusta, don’t you ever touch it again and don’t you ever tell either of your uncles or anybody else that you found it.  You hear?”

Mary-’Gusta said that she heard.  She ran to the garret and replaced the photograph in the pocket of the trunk.  She did not mention it again nor did Isaiah, but thereafter when her active imagination constructed a life romance with Mr. Zoeth Hamilton as its hero, that romance contained a villain also, and the villain’s name was Edgar S. Farmer.  And the firm of Hall and Company, her father’s firm, had a fourth and most mysterious partner who was a blackguard.

CHAPTER VIII

The summers and winters came and went and Mary-’Gusta’s birthdays came and went with them.  She grew taller and more mature.  Her place as assistant housekeeper was recognized now and even Isaiah consulted her on matters of household management.  As for her uncles, she managed them whether consulted or not.  They took the place of the discarded dolls; she was too old for dolls now, although David was still mothered and petted as much as ever.  But when Uncle Zoeth had a cold it was she who insisted upon his wrapping