anger, she flew for the scene of
disaster, whispering to herself, "Oh, why did I leave the house
unlocked all the evening while we were gone?"

As the door of her room swung back on its hinges, the first thing her
eyes fell upon was the flickering, smoking, chimneyless lamp standing
on the low dresser; and even in her terror she wondered how it chanced
that careful Glory had neglected to protect the light properly. The
next object that met her gaze was Glory herself, leaning white and limp
against the closet door, holding a battered, smoking pistol at arm's
length from her.

"Glory, are you hurt?" she gasped.

"No!"

"But the gun--the shot----"

"No one's shot--only the lamp chimney! I aimed at the--the burglars
under the bed, and shot off the lamp chimney," she panted, beginning to
laugh hysterically, and tightening her grasp on the rusty gun.

"Where is the burglar?" Intrepidly she stooped and peered under the
bed, half expecting to see the disturber of their peace still hiding
there.

"In the closet,---both of them!"

"Two?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Glory!"

"They are locked in. Here is the key."

"I must go for the constable."

A scuffling sound suddenly issued from the closet, and Gloriana cried
in terror, "And leave me here alone with them?"

"There is no other way. I'll be gone but a minute. They surely can't
get loose in that time!" And she darted from the room without giving
Gloriana opportunity for further objections.

Hardly had the sound of her racing footsteps died away in the distance,
however, when the red-haired guard, leaning against the door, half dead
with fear, was electrified at hearing a muffled voice call through the
keyhole, "I say, Glory, let us out, do! We were just a-foolin'.
Didn't you know 'twas us? Please don't turn us over to the sheriff!"

"'Twas Tabitha's story about the Ivy Hall ghost that made us think of
it," pleaded Toady. "We ain't sure-enough burglars. We just meant to
scare you a little bit."

"And you sure scared _us_ enough to make up," coaxed Billiard. "Please
let us out before Tabitha gets back. She said she'd write Uncle Hogan
the next time we got into trouble."

"And that will mean he will take us away from here," wheedled Toady.
"He's awful hard on a fellow."

"You deserve it!" suddenly answered Glory, with a grimness that
startled even the girl herself.

"Then you won't let us out?" cried the boys in great dismay.

"I--I haven't decided yet,