Notwithstanding the little affair of the letter, in which he had not appeared with especial credit, Peggy made an effort to interview the young man that resulted in his complete discomfiture.

But that did not deter him from indulging in various vivid speculations about Joe Wegg, which the simple villagers listened to with attention.

For one thing, he confided to "the boys" at the store that, in his opinion, the man who had murdered Cap'n Wegg had tried to murder his son also, and it wasn't likely Joe could manage to escape him a second time.

Another tale evolved from Peggy's fertile imagination was that Joe, being about to starve to death in the city, had turned burglar and been shot in the arm in an attempt at housebreaking.
"Wouldn't be s'prised," said the agent, in an awed voice, "ef the p'lice was on his track now.

P'raps there's a reward offered, boys; let's keep an eye on him!" He waylaid the nieces once or twice, and tried to secure from them a verification of his somber suspicions, which they mischievously fostered.
The girls found him a source of much amusement, and relieved their own disappointment at finding the "Wegg Mystery" a pricked bubble by getting McNutt excited over many sly suggestions of hidden crimes.