shed sport for the boys. A burglar hunt was
no uncommon thing at Clover Cottage, and this one was no more promising
that had been a dozen others. Belle did not venture in with the
searching party. She had her fears, as usual. Cora by reputation was
not timid, and she had that reputation to maintain just now. As a
matter of fact, she knew perfectly well that the man who took the
trouble to crawl around the house had some sinister motive in doing so.
Bess had not really seen him do it, so when she went in, along with the
boys, she had scarcely any fear of running down either a sneak thief or
a tramp, both varieties of undesirable citizens being common enough at
the watering place.

It did not strike Cora Kimball just then that she had a particular part
to play in the impending drama which was to involve herself and her
friends. In the first volume of the series, entitled "The Motor
Girls," Cora found it her duty to unravel the mystery of the road, when
a wallet, empty, but which should have contained a small fortune in
bonds, was actually found in the tool box of her own car. Then in the
next volume, "The Motor Girls on a Tour," Cora again had the lines of
the leading lady, for it fell to her lot to "keep the promise" that
restored little Wren, the cripple, to her own, both in money and in
health. In the third book of the series, "The Motor Girls at Lookout
Beach," it was Cora again who had to unearth the mystery, and now----

She smiled as she followed Ed into the big pantry.

"You girls and boys seem to count me a star," she said pleasantly.
"Ever since we were organized you have been keeping me in----"

"The spotlight," finished Ed, with an unmistakable smile. "Well, Cora,
we will try to let you down easy this time. Here, Bess, you poke your
nose in the cubby hole and see if you see anything."

"Oh!" screamed Bess, "I'll do nothing of the sort. Let Cora."

"Why?" asked Cora.

"Because--you're never the least bit afraid," stammered Bess.

"Thanks," said Cora, without hesitation thrusting her head into the
aperture through which dishes were passed. "Ouch!" she exclaimed,
hastily withdrawing with her hand on her nose.

"What's the matter?" asked Ed. "Did you bump into something?"

"Yes," replied Cora, looking straight into the eyes of Bess. "I just
bumped into--a fact."

Then she and her brother walked into another room, leaving their
friends to discuss the happening and follow at their leisure.