ry's blowing down her mother's neck. A convulsive scream and
a frantic clawing gesture in the direction of her daughter was the
immediate reaction, much to the confusion of the codfish, which was only
just saved by Nancy from a premature end upon the hearth.

Following the rescue, the heroine, who had some shopping to do, began
making motions of departure. "You must come as soon as you can after
dinner to have Tom explain what you are to do. Gumgum thinks we ought
to have a rehearsal, but Tom has a five o'clock, and I don't think it's
necessary anyway. He's really awfully funny and clever, Nancy, and you
must like him."

"I hate clever people. I have nothing to say to them. I'm a perfect gawk
when they're around, and I'm afraid I won't be able to stand him."

As she walked on down to Center, however, it occurred to her that he
might come in useful with the children of the parents in her
Whitmanville school. He could teach them basketball and of course he
could coach their baseball team. He would also be useful in taking them
off on hikes and--But she hadn't seen him in ever so long, and he might
not do at all. In fact, it was highly probable that he wouldn't do, for
boys are suspicious of clever people, and he almost certainly wouldn't
think of doing it. Or possibly he might, out of politeness, and then
when he got bored with it he would decide to be funny with the boys, and
they would get to hate him and tell their parents, who would come to her
with sullen looks and threatening gestures and----

When Nancy arrived in the evening, she found Tom distributing costumes.
He was heavier, she noticed, and his forehead was higher. Some day she
might get a chance to tell him how she saved Henry's hair simply by
brushing it carefully. It was ridiculous to put a lot of smelly greasy
stuff on it----

She had shaken hands with him and received her costume which was an
aigrette and a peacock-feather fan. "The word is 'draper,'" explained
Tom, "and you are to be the Lady Angela. In the first syllable you have
lost your pet Persian and, after explaining your loss to the little
house-maid who is dusting around, you call in Merriam the detective. I
am Merriam the detective and I arrive immediately after you are through
calling me up on the telephone. The little maid goes over to the window
and says, 'Goody, here comes Mr. Merriam the detective in a dray,' and
then you go out to meet me, and that's the first act. Then I come on
alo