m their duty.
Where's Sarah now?"

"Teaching the cat to sit up," said Rosemary without interest. "It
won't do you any good to argue with her, Jack. She's afraid of Hugh
and she won't ever tell him. Besides, you know, I only told you if
you would promise not to tell."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten that you nailed me firmly before you would
say a word," Jack replied grimly. "But I still think I can persuade
Sarah to confess her share and if she will, Shirley will admit that
she also was present. I'll go begin my good work now."

He was gone half an hour and when he came back he was smiling.

"Everything's all fixed," he announced. "Sarah and Shirley are going
to march up to the guns like good soldiers to-night, and I'm going
to do the talking for them. Sarah, sensibly enough, wants to get it
over before dinner, so I've promised to come over right after lunch
and sit on your porch so I'll be here no matter how early Hugh gets
home. You and I have to bolster up the weak spots in their courage."

"I don't see how you ever persuaded Sarah," marveled Rosemary. "I
argued and argued, and she wouldn't listen to me."

Jack looked very wise.

"I used moral suasion," he declared. "Told her if she didn't own up
to-night, I'd go to Doctor Hugh and tell him everything myself."

"Is that moral suasion?" asked Rosemary doubtfully.

"Of course it is," said Jack with confidence. "If it isn't it ought
to be. I've never broken a promise yet and I'm mighty glad Sarah
didn't make me, but I'll be jiggered if I don't think there are
times when it is worse to keep a promise than to break it."

A promise "wrongly given"--Doctor Hugh's words came back to
Rosemary. Had she given her promise wrongly?

Doctor Hugh did not come home till nearly five o'clock and the four
solemn young people on the front porch were getting decidedly
fidgety before his roadster appeared at the curb and he jumped out
and hurried up the walk. He said "Hello" to the four as he passed
them and he was surprised, therefore, when he turned from his desk
to see them enter the office and advance toward him.

"Hugh," said Jack clearly, "I've something to tell you. Sarah really
ought to, but she asked me to do it."

"Suppose you sit down," said the doctor gravely.

Sarah sat down gingerly on a chair near the door, ready for instant
flight, and the others ranged themselves near the desk. Jack began
with the loss of the ring and told everything that had happened
since. H