r questions, the girls were forced to relate the
entire story.

"Penelope Nichols, I never thought you'd do such a silly, foolhardy
thing!" the housekeeper said severely. She felt it her privilege to be
outspoken for she regarded the girl almost as a daughter. "Why, that
young criminal might have killed you! And to think you let him get
away without even making an effort to call the police!"

"I'm sorry about it now, Mrs. Gallup, but I thought I was acting for
the best. Please, let's not talk about it any more this evening."

The subject had grown very painful to both Susan and Penny. They
interested themselves in backgammon and as soon as they could do so
gracefully, went to their bedroom.

"I'll never hear the last of it unless that boy shows up at father's
office tomorrow," Penny groaned as she tumbled into bed. "I feel
positively ill over the affair."

At breakfast the next morning she was her usual cheerful self. She
even dared to hope that Jerry Barrows would keep his promise.

"You'll be at your office all morning, won't you, Dad?" she questioned
anxiously.

"All morning," he repeated, smiling quizzically at her over his
newspaper. "If your young friend calls upon me I'll telephone you."

Directly after breakfast Susan insisted that she must return home as
her mother would be expecting her.

"I'll walk along with you," Penny offered. "I promised Father I'd stop
at the insurance office this morning."

At the Altman residence the girls parted. Penny continued downtown
alone. Mr. Nichols had furnished her with the address of the Reliance
Insurance Company and she experienced no difficulty in locating the
office.

After stating her mission she was ushered immediately into the presence
of a portly gentleman who adjusted insurance claims. She was not
surprised to learn that her name already was known to him.

"So you are Christopher Nichols' daughter?" the man remarked with
interest. "We think very highly of your father here. In fact, his
work has so impressed us that we have engaged him to assist us in
stamping out this gang of auto accessory thieves. But of course you
already know that."

"My father did mention something about it," Penny murmured.

"Of late the gang has been extending its activities," the adjuster went
on, warming to his subject. "Why, last night alone, over thirty thefts
of car wheels were reported to the police."

"Thirty!" Penny gasped. "And I imagined I was the