k of sincere admiration. "Perhaps now you may even have figured out
some sort of plan that would allow of my doing such a thing?"

"I have; that is, if you don't think it too much bother," he answered.

"Too much bother?" she echoed; "after what I have done in my haste to
bring sorrow into the happy home of my niece, nothing could ever be too
much trouble for me to attempt. And, besides, I should really like to
face that unhappy boy, to reproach him for his wrongdoing. I know his
mother, and she is a very good woman. Yes, tell me, Fred, what is your
plan?"

"It's simple enough, to be sure," observed the boy. "Just give Gabe an
extra chance to-morrow morning to slip into that parlor again. He's got
the habit, I guess, and can't resist, if he sees an opening. Then, at
noon, on his way home, why, of course, he'll stop at the big oak to add
what he took to the others. You will be hiding right there with me and
we can give Gabe the surprise of his life."

"I should think that would be a splendid idea, Fred," Miss Muster said,
nodding her head approvingly. "I suppose that it would be what they say
in the newspaper accounts of an arrest in the big cities, 'caught with
the goods on!'"

"Then you'll agree to do it, ma'am?" asked Fred, eagerly.

"Yes. I will give Master Gabe the finest chance he ever saw to slip
into my best room; and then about half-past eleven will meet you
wherever you say. And, Fred, after it is all over, you will have full
permission to tell Andrew; for my part, my first duty will be to go to
his home, and ask his mother to forgive a foolish old woman because of
her unjust suspicions."

The particulars were soon arranged. Fred mentioned a place where he
would be on hand the next day, rain or shine, at eleven-thirty; and
Miss Muster promised just as faithfully to keep the appointment.

After that they separated. Just as luck would have it, as Fred came out
of the house he heard his name called; and looking up saw his chum,
Bristles. Surprise was expressed upon the face of the other, to
discover Fred issuing from his aunt's home. A dozen questions could
also be seen there; but Fred put a damper on all these.

"Don't ask me a single thing, Bristles," he remarked mysteriously.
"I've taken hold of your case, and things are working splendidly. All
I'm going to tell you right now is that there's great hope you'll hear
something, say by to-morrow afternoon. You ask me when we meet, about
two or three, and