“But how do you associate all this with Miles Burlock?” Ralph was questioned by the chairman:  “I know Mrs. Douglass had a special interest in that man,” went on Ralph.  “I have known her to give him money to buy respectable clothes with, and,—­well there is no need to make public our brother’s misfortunes.  At any rate, it seems plain to me that this stranger was trying to keep the news of Mrs. Douglass’ death away from Burlock.”

“Has any one seen Burlock lately?” was next asked.

No one had; in fact his absence had been noticed by many present.  He was not a common drunkard, and that was probably why such an interest was manifested in his possible entire reformation.

This was all of importance that occurred at the meeting, and the committee adjourned with instructions to continue their work.

It was a beautiful spring evening.  The air was soft with blossoms, and a perfumed dew made all of Dalton like a rose garden.

Major Dale was improving rapidly, in fact he had recovered so quickly that this evening he insisted upon sitting out of doors for a few minutes.  The doctor had discontinued calling, and said the attack was more of overfatigue from the march on Memorial Day than anything else.  Both Dorothy and Tavia had been absent from school the past week but this was Sunday evening, and they would both go back to-morrow.

Dorothy went over to talk about it with her friend.

“Well, it will be something to have another chance at Lady Sarah,” said Tavia, when Dorothy had finished telling her to be sure and have her father write an excuse to hand to Miss Ellis.  “I don’t mind school so much when there is something else to think of in between.  And the girls will be tickled too, for they all love a good fight.”

“Now, Tavia, you must stop that kind of talk if you are going to be a friend of mine,” counseled Dorothy.  “I cannot be considered your friend if you will not be—­ladylike—­”

“Like Lady Sarah,” Tavia finished, laughing.  “Well, all right, Doro dear,” and she gave her chum a bear-like hug, “I’ll be as good as pie,—­ lemon meringue at that,—­so don’t worry any more.”

“Have you heard anything about the man?” Dorothy asked cautiously, for it was almost dark, and the girls were walking back to the Dale homestead.

“Not a word,” answered Tavia, “except that father thinks he has gone out of Dalton altogether.”

“And I have not seen Miles Burlock all week,” commented Dorothy, “You know I had been trying to get him to reform.”

“Everybody seems to be trying to do that.”

“Well, Ralph told me he had seen Burlock crying like a baby one day because a little girl asked him for a penny.  And Ralph thinks perhaps there was some little girl in Miles’ story,—­a daughter maybe—­and he suggested that I try my influence with Miles.”

“Did he cry like a baby over you?” teased Tavia, with poor appreciation of her friend’s efforts to help along the Liquor Crusade.