n one side when you come in,
and examines you over from head to foot, just like he meant to say, 'If
you're not good looking you're not wanted here!' Oh! he's a gay old
villain, I just tell you! And, Fred, mark my words, he's the scamp
who's been taking Aunty's opals."

"Why, I do remember reading, more than a few times, that crows and
ravens have been known to fly away with bright spoons, and all sorts of
things that seem to catch their fancy; but I never heard of a bird
stealing from its mistress, and opals at that."

"Well, that's what this one is doing, you mark me," Bristles said,
positively. "Why, just see what a great chance the old boy has. He
finds the door open into the parlor once in a while, and just hops in,
takes up one of the shiny stones, and carries it away to some place
where he keeps his treasures. I just bet you now he's been carryin' on
that way a long time, and Aunty never noticed that things were
disappearing till I began to come over to see her."

"You think so, do you, Bristles?" remarked Fred, still pondering over
the matter, and wondering in his mind whether it could really be an
explanation for the peculiar little mystery that had given his chum so
much heart-pain.

"Why, it's a dead open-and-shut cinch that the answer to the conundrum
lies in that silly old black bunch of feathers," declared the other,
conviction in his voice. "I looked up all about ravens in our big
'cyclopaedia as soon as I got downstairs this morning; and the more I
read, the stronger my mind got that Black Joe _must_ be the guilty
one."

"Will you go and tell your aunt, and ask her to make a search for his
hiding-place?" Fred inquired.

"Well--er--no; not just that," answered the other, slowly, and watching
Fred out of the tail of his eye; "fact is, I'm afraid she'd laugh at
me, and say it was only another excuse for me to get inside her house.
Now, if _you_ could drop in to see Aunt Alicia on some excuse or other,
Fred, perhaps you might get a chance to look around, and find out where
Black Joe keeps his little crop of treasures hid."

Fred burst out into a laugh.

"Oh! I see, you want me to be the one to take chances; is that it,
Bristles?" he demanded.

"Well, I didn't think you'd mind doing a little more for a poor fellow,
as you've been such a help already to me, Fred; and then, she won't
accuse you of wanting to do anything wrong like she might me. Fact is,"
he went on eagerly, so as to better carry his