udden terror. "It isn't possible!"

"Trust me!" smiled the capable Phyllis. "Do you suppose I'd have
unfastened it if I couldn't fasten it up again? I just keep the hook in a
certain position with my knife, as I close the door, and then gently drop
it into the ring through the crack. I've done it a dozen times. Leroy
Danforth taught us how."

Leslie breathed a sigh of relief, and Phyllis cautiously opened the door.

Then both girls started back in genuine dismay!

Sitting cross-legged in the sand, directly in front of the door and
holding back the delighted Rags by his collar, was--of all people most
unwelcome to Phyllis--her grinning brother Ted!

The consternation of the guilty pair was almost ludicrous, at least Ted
found it so. Then Phyllis recovered her self-possession and demanded:

"What are _you_ doing here, I'd like to know?"

"Please, ma'am, that's a question I prefer to ask of you--and with a
great deal more reason!" returned Ted. "Of all the nervy things I ever
saw, it's you prowling around the Danforths' closed bungalow and sneaking
out like a thief when you thought no one was around!" Leslie felt herself
turn red and uncomfortable at the accusation, but Phyllis seemed in no
wise daunted.

"I guess if I want to show the place to Leslie, there isn't any
particular harm in it. She's been asking me what it looked like in there
and how it differed from their house. You know perfectly well, the
Danforths wouldn't care a brass farthing!" This statement happened to be
entirely true, for Leslie _had_ questioned her only the day before as to
the interior arrangements and expressed some curiosity to see it. She
breathed a sigh of relief at the ease with which Phyllis seemed to be
explaining a rather peculiar situation.

Ted, however, seemed only half convinced. "If that's so, it's mighty
queer that you looked so guilty and caught-in-the-act-y when you came out
and saw me! And for goodness sake, how long have you been in there,
anyway? This Rags dog came running up the beach to us at least an hour
ago. And I thought, of course, you girls were somewhere about. But when
you didn't appear after a while, I began to get worried, and Rags and I
started off to find you. He led me straight here (good old chap!) and
we've been sitting waiting at least fifteen minutes. Then he began to
howl and gave the game away. Now please explain all this!"

"I'll explain nothing further," replied Phyllis, loftily, "and I'll
troub