Anne departed and Grace began to deposit the money in the box, smiling
to herself at the success of their undertaking.

The few remaining people who were now taking leave of each other had
concentrated in one spot. There was a loud buzz of conversation and
laughter, when suddenly, without a moment's warning, the electric lights
went out. The gasoline torches had burned down by now and the place was
in utter darkness.

Somewhere in the hall there was a cry, the sound of scuffling and then
absolute silence.

Many of the men began to strike matches and peer into the darkness, and
at last David groped his way over to a corner of the hall where he
remembered he had seen the switch. As he felt for the electric button
his hand encountered another hand, that grasped his with an iron grip,
gave his wrist a vicious twist, pushed him violently away and was gone.
David gave an involuntary cry of pain as he felt for the switch again.
In another moment he had found it and the hall was again flooded with
light. Instantly he looked about for the vicious person who had twisted
his wrist, but he was alone in that part of the hall.

The excitements of that evening, however, were not yet at an end. People
began running toward the last booth. There were cries and exclamations,
and David, who had followed quickly after them, arrived there just in
time to meet Mr. Harlowe carrying the limp figure of his daughter Grace
in his arms. He deposited her on four chairs placed in a row, a bottle
of smelling salts was put to her nose, while Hippy and Reddy ran for
water.

Grace opened her eyes almost immediately and sat up.

"I'm not hurt," she said. "I was only stunned. Some one hit me on the
head from behind, but my cap softened the blow. They were trying to get
the box of money. Oh, is it gone?" she cried anxiously.

David and Tom examined the booth.

The money was gone.

CHAPTER VIII

MARIAN ASSERTS HER INDEPENDENCE

There was not the slightest clue to the thief who had stolen the iron
box containing a little over five hundred dollars, for which the girls
had worked so hard, but the loss was made good by Judge Putnam who,
though on the bench at the state capital at the time the robbery
occurred, had promptly sent Grace his check for the amount when Grace
wrote him an account of it. For which generous act he became the idol of
Oakdale High School.

"As for the thief," observed Mr. Harlowe, several mornings later at the
brea