"Wants to see me, eh?" returned Tom, musingly. "Well, I don't know
whether I want to see her or not."

"You might as well go, Tom, and have it over with," suggested Sam.

"If I go, I want Nellie to go along," returned the brother. "I want
her to know how I stand on this missing-ring question. By the way, how
is she, all right?" continued the youth, addressing Stanley, who had
brought the news that he was wanted.

"She seems to he all right, although she is very nervous. She says the
reason she didn't hear the alarm and get out of the building in time,
was because she had had a toothache and had taken a strong dose of
medicine to quiet her nerves. Evidently the medicine put her into a
sound sleep."

"How about the toothache?" asked Sam, slyly.

"Oh, that's gone now; the fire scared it away."

"Where is she?" questioned Tom.

"She is in the office with some of the other teachers."

"All right, if I've got to go, I might as well have it over with. Come
along, Nellie."

"Oh, Tom, do you really think I ought to go?"

"If you won't, I won't."