hotel. He slept late the next morning. When he finally appeared, he
noticed casually, without giving it thought, that the clerk behind the
desk looked at him with marked interest. Mr. Starr nodded cheerfully,
and the clerk came at once from behind the desk to speak to him. Two
or three other guests, who had been lounging about, drew near.

"We've just been reading about your girls, sir," said the clerk
respectfully. "It's a pretty nervy little bunch! You must be proud of
them!"

"My girls!" ejaculated Mr. Starr.

"Haven't you seen the morning paper? You're Mr. Starr, the Methodist
minister at Mount Mark, aren't you?"

"I am! But what has happened to my girls? Is anything wrong? Give me
the paper!"

Mr. Starr was greatly agitated. He showed it.

But the clerk could not lose this opportunity to create a sensation.
It was a chance of a life-time. "Why, a burglar got in the parsonage
last night," he began, almost licking his lips with satisfaction. "The
twins heard him at their dresser, and when he stepped into the closet
they locked him in there, and yelled for the rest of the family. But
he broke away from them, and went, down-stairs and climbed down into
the dungeon to get the money. Then Prudence, she ran down-stairs alone
in the dark, and locked him in the dungeon,--pushed him down-stairs or
something like that, I believe,--and then telephoned for the police.
And she stayed on guard outside the dungeon until the police got there,