r of the
experience, I'll take the lad and give him up to the police to-night.
Your son and I will be able to identify him. It will not be necessary
to draw you girls into the business. We can manage without you."

Mrs. Curtis looked exceedingly uncomfortable. She had been bitterly
angry at the way the lad had served Tom and Madge, and at that time she
would have given a great deal to have had him properly punished. Since
then he had added one evil deed to the other. But the boy, who was
being led away to prison, seemed so young, not much older than Tom. He
was wild and reckless in his appearance, yet he had the aspect of
having been born of gentle people.

The youth had not spoken since the discovery of the oil on his hands
and clothes. Now, as he was being led from the sitting room, he turned
on his cross-questioners and shook with swift laughter. He threw back
his head, so that his long, dark hair uncovered his ears. His eyes
gleamed.

Madge, who was staring hard at the boy from her position on the far
side of the room, gave an unexpected movement of surprise. She waited
for the young prisoner to speak.

"You needn't trouble your girls to appear against me," he said
savagely, "but you will have to introduce their chaperon in court, and
a pretty thing it will be for a sister to appear as a witness against
her own brother!"

A frozen silence fell on the group of listeners. Phil shook her head
emphatically. "You are not our Miss Jenny Ann's brother," she retorted
decidedly. "It would be perfectly impossible for her to have a wicked
brother like you."

Theodore Brown's face flushed and paled. He would have liked to drag
the lad out of the room without waiting another instant. Yet he feared
to make the scene even worse. He did not have the slightest faith in
the lad's statement; he was only fiercely angry at the boy's impudence
and wondered if the fellow even knew the name of the chaperon of the
"Merry Maid."

Lillian and Eleanor were flushed with indignation. Tom Curtis was
equally so. But Mrs. Curtis happened to catch a glimpse of Madge's
face. Her expression was a puzzle. She ran forward and touched Mr.
Brown on the sleeve. "Wait a minute, Mr. Brown," she pleaded. "Don't
take the boy to jail yet. What he says may be true. Don't you think
we ought to ask him some questions first?"

The entire company stared at Madge in amazement. But in the single
moment when Mr. Brown's captive start