ck made a grab for her and Molly, too, escaped. "Come back, come
back!" cried Dick. "I have something for you, Molly, and you shall
have it if you will answer me one question."

The girls slowly returned, but kept at a safe distance. "What is the
question?" asked Molly.

Uncle Dick dived down into one of his pockets and drew forth a box of
candy which he laid on the chair by his side. "I want to see how you
are progressing with your studies," he remarked with gravity. "By the
way, is school over yet?"

"No, it closes next week," Molly told him, eying the candy.

"Ah, then I must visit it and inquire into your record," said her uncle
with an air of dignity.

"Oh, Uncle Dick!" Molly was on pins and needles lest he should really
do something of the kind, and if he should hurt the feelings of her
dear Miss Isabel whom she adored, Molly did not know what she should
do. Miss Isabel might not understand her uncle's joking ways and--oh,
dear! Her anxious look made her uncle chuckle with glee.

"I'll go sure as a gun," he declared, seeing a chance to tease.

"Oh, please don't," begged Molly.

"Why not go? Indeed I shall. I am confident from your manner, Miss
Shelton, that it really is necessary that I should make some inquiries
for the credit of the family. Tell me why I should not go, if you
please."

"Why--why--none of the girls' uncles ever do go," said Molly lamely.

"Not a bit of reason why I should not start the custom. What is your
teacher like? Old, with little bobbing curls each side her face?
Wears a cap, does she? or false frizzes and her teeth click when she
talks?"

"She's nothing like that at all," returned Molly indignantly. "She is
perfectly lovely with blue eyes and long black lashes, and the
beautifullest hair, and she has the prettiest, whitest teeth, like even
corn on the cob."

"My, oh, my! All the more must I go," said Dick. "Is she young, dear
niece? How old might she be, darling Molly?"

"Oh, I don't know; I think about twenty-one, for she has only been
teaching a year. She didn't leave college till last summer, and she
told me she wasn't seventeen when she first went there."

"Delightful," said Uncle Dick meditatively. "Where is my sister? I
must interest her in this matter. Now, Molly, sweet girl, answer my
question and you shall have, not only this box of candy, but another to
take to--what did I understand your teacher's name to be?"

"It is Isabel Ainslee, and i