Then I was 'most a month locating Miss Strange; couldn't find her in the directory and Toronto's a big town." Scott noted the determination that had helped him in his search.

"You knew about the lode for some time," he said.

"Why did you wait so long ?" "I allowed there wasn't much use in my butting in, until I read in a newspaper that Strange was drowned.

Besides, the drummer reckoned his own folks thought him a crank and there was nothing to his tale.

All the same, when I got tired of keeping store I thought I'd see what I could do about the lode." "I suppose it was because the drummer put you wise that you went to Miss Strange and not her brother?
No doubt you tried to interest other people first.