"how do you get to
Bates Villa?"

"Take the Interurban car," replied Mrs. Bates, "and get off at Stop
_42_. The Limited leaves the Interurban Station at four o'clock; that
would be a good car to come on."

"All right," said Nyoda, extending her hand in farewell; "we'll be
there."

The news of the invitation to spend a week-end in the country was
received with a shout by the Winnebagos. Their only regret was that
Sahwah would be unable to go. "Never mind, Sahwah," comforted Nyoda,
"Mrs. Bates wants us to come out again when the water is warm enough to
go in bathing and by that time your hip will be all right."

On Friday, after school was out, Nyoda and Gladys left the building
together. "You are coming home with me, as we planned, until it is time
to take the car?" asked Nyoda.

"I'm afraid I'll have to go home first, after all," said Gladys. "I came
away in such a hurry this morning that I forgot my sweater and my tennis
shoes and I really must have them. You come home with me."

But on arriving at the Evans house they found nobody home. Gladys rang
and waited and rang again, but there was no answer. Gladys frowned with
vexation. "I simply must have that sweater and those shoes," she said.
"There's no use in waiting until some one comes home; it'll be too late.
Mother has gone for the day and father is out of town, and if Katy has
been given a day off she won't be at home until evening. We'll have to
break into the house, that's all there is to it."

Feeling like burglars, they tried all the windows on the first floor and
the basement. Everything was locked tightly. Gladys began to feel
desperate. "Do you suppose I had better break the pantry window," she
asked, "or possibly one of the cellar ones? I'll pay for it out of my
allowance. I think the pantry window would be the best, because the door
at the head of the cellar stairs is likely to be locked and we might not
be able to get upstairs if we did get into the cellar."

Nyoda was inspecting the upper windows of the house. "There is one open
a little," she said; "the one over the side entrance." Gladys abandoned
her idea of breaking the pantry window and bent her energies to reaching
the open one. With the aid of Nyoda she climbed up the post of the
little side porch, swung herself over the edge of the roof and raised
the window.

"Stop where you are!" called a commanding voice. Gladys and Nyoda both
started guiltily. A man was running across the lawn from