etty?"

Her mother looked up from the letter she was writing. "What is it, dear?
Why, Edna, what a beautiful comb. Where did you get it?"

"I found it," replied Edna in an assured tone. "We all found lovely
things." Then she launched forth upon an account of the afternoon's
adventures.

Her mother listened attentively, and when the child had finished her
tale, she drew her close to her side, kissing the little, eager face,
and saying, "Dear child, I am afraid you have made a mistake. The things
were not for you little girls to take."

"But mother, they didn't belong to anyone. They have been there for
years and years, and nobody wants them."

"They would have to belong to some one, dear child. We will ask grandma
about the house and whose property it is. Let us go find her."

They hunted up Mrs. Willis who listened interestedly to what they had to
tell. "The old Topham house," she said when they had finished. "It
belonged to two sisters, Miss Nancy and Miss Tabitha Topham. These two
lived together for years, but finally they quarreled and each vowed that
she would never speak to the other. They died within a few weeks of one
another and there were no nearer heirs than distant cousins who have
never troubled themselves to look after the place. Old Nathan Holcomb
was the nearest neighbor and he used to keep things pretty well secured,
but since his death the place has been going to rack and ruin more and
more each year. There is some fine, old furniture there and it is a
wonder everything in the house has not been stolen before now, but as
the place has the reputation of being haunted it has been more or less
avoided. I never heard of its being open to the public and I shall speak
to some one who will see that it is made secure. Even if it is not
valued by the present owners, it should not be left for tramps or any
chance vagrant to make use of."

Edna looked down at the comb which she still held in her hand. "What
must I do about this?" she asked.

"You must take it back to-morrow and restore it to its place," her
mother told her. "I am perfectly sure that not one of you little girls
dreamed that she had no right to take the things, but nevertheless they
were not yours, and I am very certain that the other mothers will say
the same thing."

"Reliance has a lovely card-case," said Edna, regretfully. "She was
going to give it to you, grandma."

Mrs. Willis smiled. "I appreciate the spirit, but she must not be