"Yes, I knew the fan was worth a lot of money. Colonel Baxter told us
so. It's painted by a famous French artist and was at one time the
property of Marie Antoinette. It was given to her by Louis XV. That's
enough to make it very valuable."

"You know all about it, I see. So you put it in your pocket?"

"No. I took it to the Colonel's den, and put it on his desk."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir."

"Didn't you feel any temptation to take it and sell it to get money?"

"No, sir, I did not! Such a thought never entered my head. It
belonged to Colonel Baxter. He is my friend and I would not hurt him
in any way--or Bet either."

Mrs. Gordon came in and was introduced and while she spoke of the theft
of the fan and her unhappiness at Phil's part in the matter, the
detective did not again take an aggressive tone. Yet his narrow eyes
showed suspicion.

Not being able to get word to her father, Bet brooded over the loss of
the fan and it took all the ingenuity of her three friends to keep her
cheerful. For the first time they found Bet inclined to be irritable.

"Now please don't mind me, girls! I'm just worried almost sick. If
Dad hadn't added that last line about saving the estate, I wouldn't
feel so badly about it. I'm afraid he's had some serious business
trouble, and if anything happens to the fan through my carelessness,
what shall I do?"

"Well, everything is being done that can be done, as far as I see,"
said Joy, who was in no mood for dancing now that Bet was unhappy.

"But it's such slow work! And being just a girl, I have to sit here
twiddling my thumbs, not doing a single thing to find the fan,"
exclaimed Bet indignantly.

"There ought to be some way in which we could help. Let's try to think
of something." It was the quiet Shirley who spoke, and, coming from
her, the suggestion seemed possible, for Shirley was always so well
balanced in all her thoughts that the girls often looked to her when
they had perplexities to overcome.

"There's one thing sure, that fan didn't just up and walk out by
itself. Somebody took it out!" exclaimed Kit.

"And another thing that's sure, is that it was on the desk, for Phil
said he put it there," said Bet emphatically.

"Maybe he just thought he did!" sighed Joy.

"No, we've gone into all that, Chief Baldwin, Mr. Longworth, Uncle Nat
and everybody. There isn't any question about it," declared Bet.
"Phil put the fan on the desk, I know he did!"