ertain that he would not consider it mysterious at all. He
was deeply absorbed in his own case and would sit for an hour at a time
lost in thought.

"Are you worrying about toy lanterns, Dad?" Penny asked mischievously.

"That's right," he agreed with a smile. "I talked with Inspector
Harris this morning from the village store. He's not progressing very
well in tracing down the lantern clue. It seems there are dozens of
companies which manufacture toys exactly like the one you found at
Kirmenbach's place."

"Then you've reached a dead end?" asked Penny.

"For the time being, yes. But I've not given up. I still believe that
it may be possible to trace the thief by means of the clue. After all,
the toy lantern had one distinguishing feature--the cloth wick."

"It's too bad all this had to come up on your vacation," Penny said
sympathetically. She could see that the lines of worry had returned to
her father's face.

"I wish I had kept out of the case," he returned. "But now that I'm in
it, I'll have no peace of mind until it's solved. There's something
about that toy lantern clue which challenges me!"

"I feel the same way regarding Herman Crocker," Penny nodded.

"What was that?" Mr. Nichols looked up quickly.

"I meant that our landlord's queer personality fascinates me. He's
always doing such strange things."

"Let me see," Mr. Nichols said jokingly. "How many queer characters
have you discovered since we came here?"

"Only three, Dad. Mrs. Masterbrook, Michael and old Herman. Unless
you count Walter Crocker and Mr. Madden."

"How about the postman? I noticed you were talking with him yesterday."

"Purely upon a matter of business," Penny laughed. "His name isn't
down on my list of suspects yet."

She said no more for just then Michael Haymond came up the path with an
armful of wood.

After carrying it to the kitchen he returned to the porch. Mr. Nichols
motioned him into a rocker.

"I'm afraid I'm not doing very much to earn my wages," the young man
said apologetically. "My chief occupation around here seems to be
eating and sitting."

"I'm well satisfied," replied the detective.

Although Penny had thought that her father was unwise to hire Michael
she liked the young man a great deal. He was quiet, unassuming, and
did his tasks willingly. Whenever he had a spare moment he usually
spent it with a book. Penny had read the titles with surprise.
Michael devoted himself to volum