here this minute until I tell you something
wonderful. Just think! Dad says the queen's fan is worth a fortune.
Somebody wants to buy it for a lot of money!"

"Oh, oh!" exclaimed the girls in one voice.

"You don't say so! Isn't that fine, now? Where is this queen and her
fan?" asked Auntie Gibbs.

"It's one of Dad's antiques. I showed it to you."

"Oh that!--And you say it's worth a fortune? Well, some folks spend
money for foolishness, if you ask me."

Bet paid no attention to Auntie Gibbs' remarks. "Listen girls," she
said. "I'm to go down at once and put it in the safety deposit box.
Dad's got a cash offer for it. And he says it will save the estate."

"What does he mean by that?" asked Kit. "Save the estate?"

"I hardly know. I'm really puzzled about that."

"I didn't know your father was having any business troubles, Bet,
though I _had_ noticed that he'd lost his appetite lately," said Auntie
Gibbs.

"I knew something was bothering him," mused Bet, "but I never guessed
it was about money or the estate. Poor Dad, and I wasn't any comfort
to him at all."

"You're always a comfort to your father, Bet," protested the old lady.

"He dotes on you!" exclaimed Shirley.

"Oh, of course, I know that. Now I'm going to go right down to the
bank and put that fan away."

Bet hurried up stairs followed by the girls. "Get your hats and coats
on and I'll get the fan."

Bet ran into her father's room. She looked in the drawer where the fan
should have been. She rummaged through the contents of the desk and
fear seized her as she became certain the fan was missing.

"Are you almost ready, Bet? We're waiting!" called Joy.

"We'll all escort the queen's fan to the bank," laughed Kit.

"No, I'm not ready yet," Bet replied with a strained voice. "Oh Auntie
Gibbs, come here," she called from the head of the stairs. "Did you
see the fan? Phil left it on the desk."

The old lady came hurriedly up stairs. "Why did Phil have it? I
haven't seen a thing of it."

"Oh, I was terrible! I took the fan from the drawer and loaned it to
Laura Sands to wear with her French costume."

"What made you do such a thing, Bet? I'm surprised at you!"

"I just didn't think. And oh dear, Dad won't take that as any excuse!
We must find it, Auntie Gibbs. We _must_!"

Everyone joined in the hunt with growing excitement, and the house was
searched, even the attic. But the fan was gone.

"Maybe Phil didn't put