Augusta Huiell Seaman

“ Suddenly an idea came to me and I faced Connie with this question: “Do you suppose that if Uncle were to know about those two boys, his own nephews, and could hear that they were all right, and could perhaps see them sometime, that it would help his recovery?”
“I’m certain it would,” declared Connie. “But how in the world are we going to find out such a thing, after all these years? India’s a big place, and it’s awfully far away, and they may not even be there any more. They may be dead, for all we know.” ”

“ You’ve got to trail old Cookson till you find out about that secret passage—somehow. And you’ve got to bring over the rest of those papers and things and that jewel-case to-morrow, and we’ll examine them. I’ve been thinking it out that maybe there’s another clue we’re missing by not searching through the rest of them. Now don’t begin to have any shudders about our doing anything dishonorable in this. We’ve done positively the worst we could do, in reading that letter. And you agreed to that. Anything else can’t begin to be as dreadful! ”

“ But we’ll find that out yet; never you fear!” declared Connie. “That’s going to be your job!”
“Mine?” I cried, aghast at the program she had mapped out for me.
“Certainly! I can’t tend to it in the state I’m in, and it must be found! There’s no telling what old Cookson may be up to, and he’s evidently using that secret passage for some reason that means no good to Uncle. Therefore we’ve got to discover it and track him down.” ”