to-night. The last train has gone."

"Never mind. I'll get there somehow. Some one lend me a lantern for a
few minutes."

Ted was given one, and he went out into the yard and outhouses to search
for the red motor car. He could not find it anywhere.

"Did any of you folks see a red automobile going down the road any time
to-day?" he asked.

"Yes, there's a red machine down in the lane running over to the Rock
Road," said one of the men. "But I reckon it's bust."

"Come on, Scrub, we'll take a look at it," said Ted, Leading off with
the man who had seen the car, and followed by the whole crowd, Ted made
his way to the lane.

Standing in the middle of it was the red car with its No. 118 swaying
from the rear axle in the wind.

Evidently Checkers had started away in it, using it as a swift means of
escape, but it had stopped, and, as he could go no farther in it, he had
abandoned it in the road.

Ted examined the machinery carefully, but could find nothing wrong with
it until he discovered that it had exhausted its supply of gasoline.

But he learned that the grocer at the village, half a mile away, had
gasoline for sale, and two young fellows volunteered to go after some
while Ted overhauled the car.

In half an hour he was ready to start. He made Scrub get into the seat,
and, shaking hands with the constable and shouting a merry good-by to
the others, he started for St. Louis.

It was past midnight when he drew up in front of the Stratford Hotel,
hungry and tired. Scrub was fast asleep, and, taking him in his arms,
Ted entered the hotel.

As he stepped inside, the clerk stared at him as if he had seen a ghost.

"How's everything?" asked Ted of the clerk.

"Great Scott, where did you come from?" asked, the clerk, and added
hastily: "Better hurry upstairs to your room. Everybody is crazy about
your disappearance."

Ted went up in the elevator with the boy still sleeping in his arms.
There was a light in his room and a confused murmur of voices.

Without the formality of a knock he opened the door and entered. As he
appeared in the doorway there was silence for a moment, then such a
bedlam of shouts and laughter burst forth that every one on the floor
was aroused.

"It's Ted! It's Ted!" they shouted, and crowded around him.

The place was full of them. Across the room he saw the shining face of
Stella, smiling a welcome at him. Ben and Kit, Carl, Clay, and all of
them were there, and sitting at the ta