hat unfortunate
bonded prisoner had been long since utterly effaced from their fields
of consciousness, and the dark secret of their Bastille troubled them
not--for the main and simple reason that they had forgotten it.

They drifted indoors, and found Sam's mother's white cat drowsing on
a desk in the library, the which coincidence obviously inspired the
experiment of ascertaining how successfully ink could be used in making
a clean white cat look like a coach-dog. There was neither malice
nor mischief in their idea; simply, a problem presented itself to the
biological and artistic questionings beginning to stir within them.
They did not mean to do the cat the slightest injury or to cause her any
pain. They were above teasing cats, and they merely detained this one
and made her feel a little wet--at considerable cost to themselves from
both the ink and the cat. However, at the conclusion of their efforts,
it was thought safer to drop the cat out of the window before anybody
came, and, after some hasty work with blotters, the desk was moved to
cover certain sections of the rug, and the two boys repaired to the
bathroom for hot water and soap. They knew they had done nothing wrong;
but they felt easier when the only traces remaining upon them were the
less prominent ones upon their garments.

These precautions taken, it was time for them to make their appearance
at Penrod's house for dinner, for it had been arranged, upon petition
earlier in the day, that Sam should be his friend's guest for the
evening meal. Clean to the elbows and with light hearts, they set forth.
They marched, whistling--though not producing a distinctly musical
effect, since neither had any particular air in mind--and they found
nothing wrong with the world; they had not a care. Arrived at their
adjacent destination, they found Miss Margaret Schofield just entering
the front door.

"Hurry, boys!" she said. "Mamma came home long before I did, and I'm
sure dinner is waiting. Run on out to the dining-room and tell them I'll
be right down."

And, as they obeyed, she mounted the stairs, humming a little tune and
unfastening the clasp of the long, light-blue military cape she wore.
She went to her own quiet room, lit the gas, removed her hat and placed
it and the cape upon the bed; after which she gave her hair a push,
subsequent to her scrutiny of a mirror; then, turning out the light, she
went as far as the door. Being an orderly girl, she returned