oesn't sound a bad idea," said Mr. Dolman.

"Bad!" repeated Fortune. "It's a first-rate idea; it's an American
idea. In America we never let the grass grow under our feet. I'm off
to Madersley this minute to see after those posters. Why, we post up
everything in America, every single thing that is lost, let alone
children, and we do it in big type, as big as they make it, and we put
the posters on the walls, and wherever there's a scrap of available
space. By your leave, sir, I'm off to Madersley now."

Fortune was as good as her word. She not only went to Madersley and
interviewed some of the best printers in the place, but she also
visited the police station, and told the police to be on the lookout.

"For the two youngest little Delaneys are missing," she said, "and
found they must be, if heaven and earth are moved to accomplish the
job."

The superintendent of police remembered that he had already had notice
of two children being missing somewhere in the North of England, but
as he thought it extremely unlikely that such children would come to
the southwest, he had not troubled himself much about them. Fortune's
words, however, stimulated his zeal, and he promised to keep a sharp
lookout. The printer also was full of enthusiasm, and agreed to print
posters which should even satisfy Fortune. He certainly did his best;
and a day or two later flaming posters, in red and black ink, were
pasted up all over the little town. In these, Fortune had given a most
accurate description of little black-eyed Diana and Orion. Their ages
were mentioned, their sizes, the color also of their eyes and hair.

The immediate effect of these posters was to frighten Uncle Ben Holt
considerably. He had been in a dreadful rage when first he discovered
that Diana and Orion had taken him at his word and had decamped. He
had been very cruel to every member of the troupe, and in especial to
his poor wife. He vowed, and vowed, loudly, that he would not leave a
stone unturned to find the children, and he also informed his wife
that he would start off the following morning to acquaint the police
with the fact that two of his troupe were missing.

"Why," he said, "there's a fortune in that little gal; I must have the
little gal. I don't think nothing at all of the boy. She was quite the
most sperited little 'un I ever come across. Fact is, I would not lose
her for a fifty-pund note."

For two days Uncle Ben stormed, and the performances at the