hyllis sat beside Muriel, quite unconscious of her tears; her hands
were clenched, and her eyes saw nothing but Don's impish little face.

CHAPTER XIV

MISS PRINGLE

Chuck was waiting at the corner of the street when school closed that
afternoon, but it was not for Muriel that he watched. He wanted to
talk to Phyllis. He was desperately unhappy and he had to talk to some
one. Boys, even his best friends, were not sympathetic enough. Muriel
would be sure to blub; Chuck had seen her that morning. Daphne would
drawl and that would drive him crazy, so it was for Phyllis that he
waited, sure of her ready sympathy, for she had loved Don.

Phyllis came down the steps with Janet and Sally and Daphne, but as
soon as she saw him she left the girls and hurried towards him.

"Oh, Chuck, Muriel has told us about Don, and I want you to know how
terribly we all feel," she said sincerely. "Have you had any news?"

"Only a letter for my uncle, telling him to go to some old house way up
in Bronxville and to bring a lot of money with him," Chuck replied.
"The police tell him not to go, but I think he will; you see the letter
says if he doesn't come that they will hurt Don."

"Oh, how dreadful, how detestable!" Phyllis exclaimed. "How could any
one be so wicked, and to Don above all people!" Chuck looked at her
quickly. He expected to see tears in her eyes, but instead he saw
anger--flashing burning anger.

"When does the letter tell him to be at the house?" she asked abruptly.

"A week from to-day."

"Why not sooner, I wonder."

"Because they figure that the longer Uncle Don has to wait the readier
he'll be to give them what they want. As if he cares how much money it
is as long as he can get Don back again!" Chuck looked down the street
and tried to keep his eyes clear from the tears that had threatened to
flood them all morning. He too was seeing little Don's chubby face.

"My mother is with Uncle Don now," he went on after a minute's pause,
"but there isn't much she can do or say. She's almost as heartbroken
as he is. It--it's pretty tough on the little chap," he ended with a
queer choke.

As they turned the corner, the girls joined them, and added their
sympathy. But Chuck was in no mood to answer their questions, so with
an abrupt "s'long" he turned at the next street and left them.

"Let's go up to the snuggery," Janet suggested. "I don't feel up to
much to-day."

"Neither do I," Sally said. "