een in here a thousand times. The Danforths would
be only too grateful to me for keeping an eye on their place for them.
They'd do the same for us. And as for getting in--why, I've always known
a private way of getting in when everything's locked up. The Danforths
themselves showed me. We'll get in this afternoon. This morning I
promised Ted and Father I'd fish with them awhile; but this afternoon I'm
free."

"Where are you two girls?" they heard Miss Crane calling from next door,
and they started guiltily, not realizing how long they had been away.

"I must be more careful, or Aunt Marcia will begin to suspect something
and question me," whispered Leslie. "It would never do in the world to
have her realize there was anything queer going on so close to us. She'd
pack up for home in a minute, her nerves are still so uncertain. Coming,
Aunt Marcia!"

"That's so!" agreed Phyllis. "Between keeping it from your aunt and from
Ted and Father, we're going to have some tight squeezes, I foresee! Well,
I'll be back after luncheon and we'll do a bit of investigating.
Good-by!"

It was between half past one and two, that afternoon, when Phyllis again
appeared at Rest Haven--a very auspicious time, for Miss Marcia was in
her room taking her usual long nap and Ted and his father had gone a mile
or more down the beach to an inlet to try the fishing there. The two
girls had the whole vicinity to themselves.

"What shall we do with Rags?" questioned Phyllis. "I hardly think we
ought to take him in. Can't you chain him up?"

"Oh, I wouldn't dare! He'd howl himself sick and wake Aunt Marcia. You
see, he's never chained. But I can turn him loose on the beach and let
him chase hermit-crabs, and when he's well occupied, we can slip away."

They strolled down to the water's edge with the dog, who was speedily
absorbed in the one occupation he found of never-failing interest. Then
they slipped back to the bungalow without his even noticing that they had
gone.

It was only when they stood by the side door of Curlew's Nest that Leslie
noticed something bulky concealed under Phyllis's sweater.

"What in the world have you got there?" she demanded.

Phyllis produced a large-sized electric torch. "How do you suppose we are
going to see anything in that dark place without something like this? We
certainly mustn't open any windows."

Leslie confessed she hadn't thought of it, and then watched with
amazement while Phyllis skilfully insert