But I’m not sure where yet. Didn’t there used to be a hotel in Carrollton?”

“Yes, but it’s not a very possible solution for you,” said Pilgrim. “It’s rather tough. It isn’t a place your father would have wanted you to stay. But there must be some tourist place. We’ll see.”

“I know,” said Laurel. “There used to be a dear lady who lived not far from our old home, in a little cottage. Perhaps she would rent me a room. At least she would take me in for the night until I can have a chance to look around for the right place for the winter. That is, if she is still living. I haven’t heard anything about her for years. She is Mrs. Browning. Did you know her?”

“Did she have a crippled daughter, and did she live in that little white cottage on Maple Street with the ivy all over the porch and red geraniums growing along the walk?”

“Why yes, that’s the place! Did you know her?”

“No, I didn’t exactly know her, but I used to carry eggs and chickens down to her from Hunsicker’s farm when I was a kid. She was a nice, smiling lady and sometimes gave me a dime over price.”

“Yes, she was like that. Well, I’ll try her. Perhaps I could telephone her from the garage.”

“Yes, that would be a good idea,” said the young man with a sudden dismayed feeling that he was about to lose contact with this girl who had seemed for a few minutes as if she belonged to him.

So when they reached the garage, Phil Pilgrim went with Mark to look at the car, and Laurel went to the telephone. But Laurel came back a few minutes later with dismay in her face.

“She’s gone out west to live with her married daughter,” she said. “Her crippled daughter died, and she was all alone. She’s been gone a couple of years.”

“Say, that’s tough luck!” said Pilgrim. “But don’t worry. We’ll find something. Mark, how about Mrs. Topham? Is she still keeping boarders? Not that she’s so hot as a cook,” he explained to Laurel, “but she’s good and respectable.”

“No,” said Mark, flinging down the big wrench with which he was working and picking up another tool. “Mrs. Topham? was taken to a hospital two months ago, and her married daughter doesn’t take boarders. But if the lady wants a good place, whyn’t ya take her ta the new tearoom? It’s over on Houston Road, and they have swell meals there. They’ve got a few rooms, too, I hear, an’ I think the lady would like it there.”

“Thank you,” said Laurel. “That sounds good to me.”

“All right,” said Pilgrim. “Let’s go and investigate.