What say,
Mr. Piddie?"

"It might be that Miss Smicks," says Piddie. "She's quite sentimental,
Sir, and I've thought at times she----"

"Stop!" roars Old Hickory, almost workin' up a blush. "Mr. Piddie, I
am a fat, cross-grained old man, about as attractive personally as a
hippopotamus. Great stuttering tadpoles! Can't you think of anything
but sappy romance? More likely someone wants a raise."

"Very true, Sir; I hadn't thought of that," chimes in Piddie. "Shall
we call them all in, one at a time, Sir, and----"

"And what?" snaps Old Hickory. "Think I'm going to ask all those young
women if they've been leaving flowers on my desk?"

"Couldn't you fake up some job for each one," says I, "and when they
came in be wearin' the flowers conspicuous, and watch if they----"

"Bah!" breaks in Old Hickory. "What driveling tommyrot! Besides, I
don't believe any of them had a hand in this. How could they? Why, I
tell you, there wasn't a soul in this room between noon and twelve
forty-five to-day; and yet, with me facing that door, these things
appear right at my elbow. It--it's getting on my nerves, and, by the
seven sizzling sisters, I want to know what it all means!"

"We could have in the detectives," suggests Piddie.

"If it was a bomb or an infernal machine, I might," says Mr. Ellins
scornful; "but to trace a few dad-blistered flowers--no, thank you!
It's foolish enough as it stands."

"But there is something behind all this, I'm sure," insists Piddie,
"and if you will allow me to do it, I shall send at once for Dr.
Rudolph Bingstetter."

"Who's he?" demands Old Hickory.

"A distinguished scientist who is a friend and neighbor of mine," says
Piddie, swellin' up important. "He was formerly a dentist, I believe;
but now he devotes himself to research and literature. He writes
magazine articles on psychological phenomena, crime mysteries, and so
on. Dr. Bingstetter has a wonderful mind, and is often called on to
unravel baffling cases. It was only a few months ago that he
successfully investigated a haunted house out our way and found----"

"But I'm not accusing ghosts of this," says Old Hickory.

"Of course not, Sir," says Piddie; "but I'm sure Dr. Bingstetter could
find out just how those flowers come here. He's an extremely brilliant
man, Sir, and I'm quite positive he could----"

"Well, well, send for him, then," says Old Hickory. "Only see that you
keep still about it outside there, both o