"And did you never find the dishes?" Bert wanted to know.

"Never. I advertised for them. I inquired if any boys in the
neighborhood might have slipped in and taken them for a joke, but I
never found them. To this day," went on Miss Pompret, "I have never
again set eyes on my cream pitcher and sugar bowl. They disappeared as
completely and suddenly as though they had fallen down a hole in the
earth. The tramp may have taken them; but what would he do with just two
pieces? They were too frail for him to use. A man like that would want
heavy dishes. Perhaps he knew how valuable they were and perhaps he
intended asking a reward for bringing them back. But I never heard from
him.

"So that is why my rare set of Pompret china is not complete. The two
pieces are missing and I would give a hundred dollars this minute if I
could get them back!"

"A--a hundred dollars!" exclaimed Bert.

"Yes, my boy. If some one would get me that sugar bowl and pitcher, with
the mark of the lion in a golden circle, and the initials 'J' at the top
and 'W' at the bottom, I would willingly pay one hundred dollars," said
Miss Pompret.

"A--a whole hundred dollars!" gasped Bert. "What a lot of money!"



CHAPTER VI