's something,"
returned Phil hopefully.

"Yes, but it isn't much," came in a rather hopeless tone from Ben.
"I'm afraid they've got away and we'll never see them again, or the
miniatures either."

"Oh, don't say that, Ben!" cried Laura, sympathetically. "Pictures,
you know, are not like money. Porton and that rascal with him will
have no easy time disposing of the miniatures."

"I'll tell you what they may do!" burst out Jessie, suddenly. "They
may go to some big city and then send you word that they will return
the miniatures provided you will pay them a certain amount of money
for so doing."

"Say! I believe that's just what they will do!" cried Dave. "Jessie, I
think you've struck the nail right on the head!" and he looked at the
girl admiringly.

"I hope they do that--if we don't catch them," returned Ben. "If those
miniatures are worth anything like a hundred thousand dollars, I
guess my dad would be glad enough to give five or ten thousand dollars
to get them back."

"I wouldn't give up the hunt yet, Ben," urged Roger. "Just as soon as
this awful storm is over I'd let the authorities in all the big
cities, as well as the little ones, know about the theft, and then
they can be on the watch for Porton and his confederate. By the way, I
wonder who the confederate can be."

"I'm sure I haven't the least idea," answered the real estate dealer's
son.

With the disappearance of the Basswood fortune in their minds, neither
the young folks nor the grown folks could talk about much else. Laura
and Jessie told the latter's mother how they had fallen in with Dr.
Renwick and his wife, and how the pair had looked after the girls
during their stay at the Lamont Hotel.

"It was nice of Mrs. Renwick to do that," said the lady of the
mansion; "but it is no more than I would expect from her. She is a
very estimable woman."

It was rather hard for Dave and Roger to settle down to their studies
on the following morning, but there was nothing they could do to help
along the search for those who had taken the miniatures, and, as both
youths were anxious to make up for lost time, they applied themselves
as diligently as possible.

Mr. Ramsdell had been away, but the tutor came back that afternoon,
and the two students put in a full day over their books, leaving
Laura, Jessie and Phil to look after the visitors from the West.

The blizzard had now ceased entirely, and by the end of the week all
the roads in the vicinity