rightfully marked like that.

"Well, now about the mystery. Some years ago, before you children were
born, I lived in another city. I had the china set there with me, and
then it was complete. I had the cream pitcher and the sugar bowl. One
day a ragged man came to the house. He was very ragged and poor. I
suppose you would call him a tramp.

"The cook I then had felt sorry for him, and let him come into the
kitchen to have something to eat. As it happened, part of my rare china
set was on a table in the same room. I was getting ready to wash it
myself, as I would let no one else touch it.

"Well, when I came out to wash my beautiful dishes the sugar bowl and
cream pitcher of the set were gone. They had been on the table when the
tramp was eating the lunch the cook gave him, but now they could not be
found. The cook and I looked all over for them--we searched the house,
in fact, but never found them."

"Who took them?" asked Bert, eagerly.

"Well, my dear boy, I have never found out. The cook always said the
tramp put the sugar bowl and cream pitcher in his pocket when her back
was turned to get him a cup of coffee. At any rate, when he was gone the
two pieces were gone also, and while I do not want to think badly of any
one, I have come to believe that the tramp took my rare dishes."

"Didn't you ever see him again?" asked Nan.

"No, my dear, never, as far as I know."