attentive to your mother. She told me so herself."

"Oh," gasped Nat, "when did she say that? Is it too late to make a
strike now? I am horribly short--shore dinner this week you know."

"And there's Nellie," resumed Ned, determined to get at the bottom of
the Burlock story. "Now she's to have money. What do you say, Nat, if we
get on the case? Nellie might make it all right, you know."

"Great scheme, boy," said Nat, "you do the finding and I will act as
your attorney."

"Isn't there any clue?" asked Ned.

"Yes, father is working on one, and I am so anxious to hear the result,"
said Dorothy. "Of course he will not write about it. I expect there will
be lots of news when we get back to Dalton."

Tavia had been silent for some time. The boys had failed to "wake up her
jokes," as they expressed it.

"Look here," said Ned tipping her chair back in a perilous way. "You
can't claim to be sleepy for your eyes are just like stars. Nor need you
pretend to be weeping inwardly for the coil of taffy we all forgot to
bring back from Mikes' (if anything happens to that hair I'll have his
license revoked), so now own up, what are you moping about?"

Dorothy was at Tavia's side instantly.

"You are tired, dear," she said. "Perhaps you are weak from shock. Let's