them all up Main
Street. I was going to the Smiths' to have a cup of tea!" Archie looked
ruefully at his soiled garments and dark blue hands. "I wonder if we
couldn't get Bertha to come in here. She knows the ins and outs of all
these fancy arrangements."

"Berfa isn't to home," remarked a clear sweet voice from the closet.
"Fat's why I had to be liberrian!"

Max threw open the door. Elsmere, on the wood-box, was contentedly
jiggling the velvet birds, which had been the first cause of all the
excitement.

At the sight of Max's angry face, he jumped up. "I got to go," he said
hastily. "I'm awful busy. Must find my cat-pussy. I losted her when she
scratched me."

"Sensible cat," growled Archie, taking Elsmere by the collar. "I wish
she had losted you. Here, Mrs. Osgood, this seems to be the key to the
mystery. At least it's the key to something." He lifted the key dangling
from Elsmere's blouse.

"Algy sewed it on me," explained the child.

Mrs. Osgood sighed. "So Algernon is sick, and he sent you after Bertha,
and she wasn't at home. I see. Max, you and Archie needn't wait. I'll
take the responsibility of closing the library for to-day, and I'd like
a private talk with this young gentleman, if you are willing."

Elsmere's eyes brightened.

"Will you pank me?" he asked hopefully. "Dr. Helen pank me when I eat
pills. _So!_" In his effort to illustrate, he bent so nearly double
that he fell over on his nose, and set it bleeding. Max and Archie
caught up their hats and fled, leaving Mrs. Osgood to act upon
inspiration.

Half an hour later, having by strenuous effort regained something of
their former freshness of appearance, the two boys dropped in upon the
group on the Three Gables lawn. They stopped a minute to take in the
details of the pretty picture. Under a great apple tree, Catherine had
set her tea-table with its pretty accessories. In comfortable chairs
about it, sat the Boat Club girls, embroidering soft colored things or
simply "visiting." Frieda was telling a story, and the others were
listening attentively as she stumbled a little now and then in her
desire to express herself rapidly.

"And he was there in the water, all the above part of him, and I held
his waist. I pulled greatly and in he came lickety split, and what do
you think he said? 'I big fish, Frieda. Pull me in and fy me.'"

"That was Elsmere, I'll wager," cried Max, approaching with Archie and
giving Catherine his hand. "I'm glad you