t the note of impatience
in the younger man's tone, for he drawled quizzically:

"Don't it strike you as a mite peculiar that a buckle should go to
Boston with D. L. H. on it an' come home marked C. L. G.?"

"_What_!"

"That's what's on it--C. L. G. See for yourself."

"It can't be."

"Come an' have a look."

The inventor placed the trinket in Robert Morton's hand.

"C. L. G.," repeated he, as he deciphered the intertwined letters of
the monogram. "You are right, sure as fate! Jove!"

"They've sent you the wrong girl," remarked Willie. "It's clear as a
bell on a still night. There must have been two girls an' two buckles,
an' the jeweler's mixed 'em up; you've got the other lady's."

"That's a nice mess!" Bob ejaculated irritably. "Why, I'd rather have
given a hundred dollars than have this happen. I'll wring that man's
neck!"

"Easy, youngster! Easy!" cautioned Willie. "Don't go heavin' all your
cargo overboard 'till you find you're really sinkin'. 'Tain't likely
Miss C. L. G. will care a row of pins for Miss D. L. H.'s buckle.
She'll be sendin' out an S. O. S. for her own an' will be ready to join
you in flayin' the jeweler. Give the poor varmint time, an' he'll
shift things round all right."

"But Miss Hathaway--"

"Delight's lived the best part of two weeks without that buckle, an'
she don't look none the worse for not havin' it. I saw her in the
post-office only yesterday an'--"

"Did you?" cried Bob eagerly, then stopped short, flushed, and bit his
lip.

"Yes, she was there," Willie returned serenely, without appearing to
have noticed his guest's agitation. "Young Farwell from Cambridge--the
one that has all the money--was talkin' to her, an' she had that
Harvard professor who boards at the Brewsters' along too; Carlton his
name is, Jasper Carlton. He's a mighty good-lookin' chap." He stole a
glance at the face that glowered out of the window. "Had you chose to
stroll down to the store with me like I asked you to, you might 'a'
seen her yourself."

"Oh, I--I--didn't need to see her," stammered Bob.

"Mebbe not," was the tranquil answer. "An' she didn't need to see you,
neither, judgin' from the way she was talkin' an' laughin' with them
other fellers. Still a young man is never the worse for chattin' with
a nice girl. Now, son, if I was you, I wouldn't get stirred up over
this jewelry business. We'll get a rise out of Miss C. L. G. pretty
soon an' when she comes to the sur