The storekeeper took the bill, turned it over, screwed up his features in a grimace evidently meant to intimate deep thought and scratched his head doubtfully.
Billie held her breath and watched him. Everything--simply everything--depended upon this man’s memory!
“Well, you know, Miss, it’s not so easy to remember who gave you a certain bill when you’re busy waiting on customers and making change all day long,” he drawled. “Now, there’s been quite a lot of customers in here to-day, and how could I know who gave me that particular five dollar bill?”
“Oh, certainly,” Billie breathed, “you _must_ remember who gave you that bill!”
The dull face of the storekeeper brightened.
“That’s right! Come to think of it, I do remember. That cracked peddler, Dan Larkin, give it to me. I recollect because I noticed that big black blot on it at the time.”
Billie’s heart pounded so loudly she was afraid the storekeeper must hear it. She controlled her excitement sufficiently to ask in a quiet voice:
“I just told you,” said the man peering at her over his spectacles. “Dan Larkin’s a queer old chap who keeps a store on wheels. He goes about, stopping at various places and selling things on the way.”
“A traveling store,” echoed Billie, fighting against disappointment. “Then he isn’t here any more?”
“Reckon he is,” said the storekeeper carelessly. He had evidently lost interest in the subject. “Dan give me that bill only this morning. He’ll probably stick around town all the rest of to-day, anyway.”
“I’d consider it a great favor,” she said, with her very best smile, “if you could tell me where I am likely to find this--this Dan Larkin.”
“He generally parks his van right outside the town limits near the Derry farm. Folks generally know when he’s there and go to buy of him.”
Billie thanked the storekeeper for this precious information and fairly ran out to the street.
The bent old fellow peered after her and thoughtfully scratched his head.
“Girls are queer creatures,” he philosophized. “Now, what in the world does she want to go seeing Dan Larkin for? The way she rushed out into the street, you’d think her life depended on it. It does beat all.”
Billie had heard of the Derry farm. It was situated on the outskirts of town. It had long been deserted and the rambling old homestead was said by some to be haunted.