uld be here at 9 o'clock."

"Is that so?" said Frank. "Has Uncle George come home yet?"

"No, and he won't be home. It seems he telephoned earlier that he was
running down to Philadelphia on business for a day or two. He always
keeps a grip packed at his office, you know, for such emergencies."

Frank nodded, then looked thoughtful.

"He ought to be here, however," he said. "Well, anyway, there's your
father."

Jack shook his head.

"No, Dad planned to stay in town to-night at his club."

"Well," said Frank. "We'll have to handle this alone. I suppose,
however, this man just wants to talk with us at first hand and,
perhaps, by staying until to-morrow, get an idea of what's down here
for himself. He might even ask us to take him up in the plane over the
Brownell place, to-morrow."

"What did Bob say to him?"

"Told him to come on down," said Jack. "What else could he say? We had
told Inspector Condon that we placed ourselves at the government's
service. I expect I had better put him up at our house overnight. Then
we won't have to make any useless explanations to Mrs. Temple."

Frank nodded. Mrs. Temple, though kindly soul enough, was so involved
in social and club duties that she had little time to give the boys.
As a matter of fact, Frank was not at all certain that she would be at
home for dinner that night. As to putting up the stranger at Jack's
home, that would be an easy matter. Jack's mother was dead, and a
housekeeper managed the house and servants for himself and his father.
She was an amiable woman, and all Jack would have to do would be to
prefer a request that a guest room be prepared, and it would be done.

"Hey, Frank," called Bob, interrupting their aside; "see how this
strikes you? Miss Faulkner and I will play you and Della. We shall
have time for a set before dressing for dinner."

"Righto," agreed Frank, taking up his racquet, while Jack sank to the
turf bordering the court, to look on.

Bob really outplayed himself, and several times, when he approached
Della, Frank whispered to her that her brother was smitten and trying
to "show off" before the new girl. Della, well pleased, nodded
agreement. Nevertheless, Frank and Della played their best, and the
score stood at three-all when Jack hailed them from the sidelines with
the information that, unless they preferred being late to dinner, it
behooved them to quit playing and hasten indoors. Dinner at the
Temples was served promptly at 7 o