a half an hour after you went away he set the barn
afire. We thought it would do him a heap of good to talk with you a
spell."

"Let him alone, children. If he doesn't wish to speak with me you must
not try to force him. Suppose you two go into the garden a little while,
and leave us alone?"

This did not please Plums, for he had anticipated hearing the little
woman read Master Fernald a lecture; but he could do no less than act
upon the suggestion, and as the two went slowly towards the barn, Master
Plummer said, regretfully:

"It's too bad we couldn't hear what she had to say, after I told her
about his settin' the barn afire."

"Look here, Plums, you'd been disappointed if she'd let you listen. She
ain't the kind of a woman that would rave, an' scold, an' tear 'round;
but when she gets through with Dan Fernald, he'll feel a mighty sight
worse than if she'd knocked his two eyes into one."

CHAPTER XVI.

THE REWARD.

The conversation did not lag during the two hours or more the boys
remained near about the garden, waiting for aunt Dorcas to summon them
after the interview with the amateur detective should have come to an
end.

Now that there was no longer any mystery concerning the advertisement,
it seemed strange they had not understood why the attorneys wished to
see Joe.

"We must be awful chumps, to let Dan Fernald frighten us as he did," Joe
said, thoughtfully, after they had discussed the matter in all its
different phases. "Why we didn't see that it was the princess they was
after, beats me! Perhaps it might have come 'round to it if I'd been
alone; but that imitation detective seemed to have it down so fine, that
I didn't stop to think of anything but what he said."

"Anyhow, he did us a good turn, 'cause if we hadn't skipped we'd never
found out there was a woman like aunt Dorcas."

"That's a fact, Plums, an', come to look at it that way, I ain't so
certain but we ought'er let up on the duffer. Say, it'll be mighty
tough to go back an' live in that shanty of your'n after bein' out here,
won't it?"

"Do you s'pose we've got to leave this place?" and Master Plummer looked
alarmed.

"Course we have. You don't count on spongin' a livin' out of a poor
little woman like aunt Dorcas, I hope?"

"I wouldn't reg'larly do her up for my board; but I was thinkin' perhaps
she'd have work enough so's we could pay our way. You come pretty near
squarin' things when you tackled the burglar."

"I d