rrange with the trustees that I am to pay your father his full salary
the first of every month, and that the church receipts are to be turned
in to me. And if they do not pay up, my lawyer can do a little
investigating! Little Connie earned that five dollars, for she taught
one trustee a sorry lesson. And he will have to pass it on to the
others in self-defense! Now, run along and get the coat, and if five
dollars isn't enough you can have as much more as you need. Your
father will get his salary after this, my dear, if we have to mortgage
the parsonage!"

CHAPTER X

A BURGLAR'S VISIT

"Prue!"

A small hand gripped Prudence's shoulder, and again came a hoarsely
whispered:

"Prue!"

Prudence sat up in bed with a bounce.

"What in the world?" she began, gazing out into the room, half-lighted
by the moonshine, and seeing Carol and Lark shivering beside her bed.

"Sh! Sh! Hush!" whispered Lark. "There's a burglar in our room!"

By this time, even sound-sleeping Fairy was awake. "Oh, there is!" she
scoffed.

"Yes, there is," declared Carol with some heat. "We heard him, plain
as day. He stepped into the closet, didn't he, Lark?"

"He certainly did," agreed Lark.

"Did you see him?"

"No, we heard him. Carol heard him first, and she spoke, and nudged
me. Then I heard him, too. He was at our dresser, but he shot across
the room and into the closet. He closed the door after him. He's
there now."

"You've been dreaming," said Fairy, lying down again.

"We don't generally dream the same thing at the same minute," said
Carol stormily. "I tell you he's in there."

"And you two great big girls came off and left poor little Connie in
there alone with a burglar, did you? Well, you are nice ones, I must
say."

And Prudence leaped out of bed and started for the door, followed by
Fairy, with the twins creeping fearfully along in the rear.

"She was asleep," muttered Carol.

"We didn't want to scare her," added Lark.

Prudence was careful to turn the switch by the door, so that the room
was in full light before she entered. The closet door was wide open.
Connie was soundly sleeping. There was no one else in the room.

"You see?" said Prudence sternly.

"I'll bet he took our ruby rings," declared Lark, and the twins and
Fairy ran to the dresser to look.

But a sickening realization had come home to Prudence. In the lower
hall, under the staircase, was a small dark closet which they