r?"

They found Mrs. Billette in the library where her small daughter,
Dora--nicknamed Dodo, and one of a pair of exceedingly mischievous
twins--ran to tell her of Mollie's timely arrival.

The girls followed hesitatingly, as Mollie rushed forward and threw her
arms about her mother's neck, crying: "Mother, dear, what is it? Dora
says you have been crying and that you have been telephoning for me all
over. Oh, I wish I had known! We would have run all the way."

"Oh, I suppose a few moments more or less would make no difference. It
wouldn't bring back the silver," said Mrs. Billette, quietly. Hysterics
had given place to a sort of despairing resignation. "Only, at first, I
felt as if I must talk to some one about it. The twins didn't
understand, of course, and I couldn't very well talk to Jane."

"But, Mother, what is it?" Mollie demanded again. "Has Aunt Elvira died
or has Paul caught the mumps, or----"

"Of course not, Mollie! How silly of you," her mother broke in,
impatiently. "Aunt Elvira will probably live another twenty years. And
as for Paul's having the mumps----"

"Then what is it? Have we been robbed?" Mollie's little foot tapped a
sharp tattoo on the floor.

"That is just what has happened to us," said Mrs. Billette, as the girls
stared incredulously. "We've been robbed of some things that money never
can replace. Oh-oh-oh, if I had only put it in a safer place! How could
I have been such a fool! Oh! oh!" and Mrs. Billette, poor woman, was
fast verging on another attack of hysteria.

Mollie put her arms about her mother soothingly. "There, there, Mother,"
she crooned. "It may turn out all right after all. But, remember, you
haven't told us what is lost yet," she suggested, with a gentleness very
unlike her former impatience. "I think it would make you feel much
better to talk about it. Did you say it was the silver that had been
stolen?"

"Yes, the silver tea service that has been in the family for over a
hundred and twenty years." Mrs. Billette's French origin gleamed in her
dark eyes as she added: "Oh, if we could only catch them! I'd like to
make them suffer for this!"

From Mrs. Billette's rather disjointed story the girls gathered that not
only the valuable tea service was missing, but also a number of smaller
articles, such as knives and forks. Then there was a valuable jet
necklace which Mrs. Billette had locked up with the silver for safe
keeping.

The girls were stunned by this last ca