finding the place?"

"Nay, lady fair," Skinski replied; "no trouble at all. Nephew
Bunch came as far as the front door with us."

"What!" exclaimed the astonished Peaches.

"Yes," Skinski concluded; "he even saved us the hardship of ringing
the bell. Oh! he's a thoughtful relative, Bunch is."

Clara J. looked at me, I looked at Skinski, he looked at Dodo, and
she looked at the piano and said thoughtfully, "You betcher sweet!"

"The idea of Bunch coming to our front door and then rushing off
again without seeing anybody," gasped Peaches, "what does it mean?"

"Alice lives only half a mile away and possibly Bunch was running
behind his schedule," I suggested.

Just then Aunt Martha and Uncle Peter came in the parlor, and
presently I grabbed a chance to say a few words to Skinski on the
side:

"If my family circle ever gets wise that you and the Queen of
Laughter over there are excess baggage it'll be to the cabbage
patch for mine," I whispered.

"I'm on," Skinski whispered back. "Never a break from yours
mysteriously, believe me. We wouldn't have come out at all if your
partner hadn't insisted. He was so hot to have us butt in here and