rs," said Mr. Dailey. "They must be still in the house."

"Wait a minute," said the voice at the window. And those outside heard a
footstep on the stair, and in a moment the front door was thrown open.

Mr. Bailey had a revolver in his hand when he opened the door, and he
was in a great state of excitement, though he had seemed very cool when
he was at the window.

[Illustration: "EVERYTHING'S UPSIDE DOWN HERE," HE SAID, HOLDING THE
LAMP ABOVE HIS HEAD.]

"Everything's upside down here," he said, holding the lamp above his
head; "hats and coats all gone from the hat-rack, chairs upset, doors
left open. They must have been all through the lower part of the house."

"I'll go into the dining-room with you to see whether they've got the
silver," said Mr. Dailey. "They may be in there yet. We have the outside
well watched."

The two men found everything in confusion in the dining-room. Burglars
had broken spoons and forks that they suspected of being plated, and
left the pieces lying on the floor. Buffet drawers had been pulled open
and ransacked, and all the valuable silver was gone. So were some fine
pieces of cut glass, and other valuable things. Just as the two men were
about to extend their search to the kitchen, Joe came down stairs,
rubbing his eyes.

"I'm afraid we are too late, Joe," Mr. Dailey said, "but your message
brought us over in a hurry."

"My message!" Joe exclaimed, thoroughly awake now. "What message, sir?"

"Why, your message by telegraph, telling us there were burglars in the
house."

Joe looked thoroughly bewildered now.

"But I have sent no message, sir!" he replied. "I didn't know there were
any burglars in the house, and I've not been near the key to-night."

"How is that!" Mr. Dailey exclaimed; "you have sent no message! A call
for help certainly came over the wire. Go up and look at your
instruments as quick as you can, Joe, and see whether they've been
tampered with."

Joe struck a light and went up to his work-room, and returned in a
moment looking more bewildered than ever.

"It's very strange," he said, "but my bell has been disconnected, so I
couldn't have heard a call if one had come. I'm sure I left it all right
when I went to bed."

"Not strange at all!" Mr. Dailey snapped; and Joe had never heard him
speak so sharply. "We're a pack of fools, that's all. There are burglars
in my house, at this minute, Bailey, unless I'm very much mistaken, and
in Barker's too. I must get